Premiere on 1 June 2007 on the open-air stage of Tallinn City Theatre
Artists Iir Hermeliin and Rosita Raud
Translator Anu Lamp
Musical designer: Riina Roose
Cast: Argo Aadli, Alo Kõrve, Tõnn Lamp, Indrek Ojari, Ursula Ratasepp, Elisabet Tamm, Mart Toome, Veiko Tubin, and Priit Võigemast.
A tragicomic fairy tale for theatre
Venice is a city of canals, gondolas, bridges, but also masks, carnivals and theatre. In the mid 18th century two great playwrights ruled the theatre stages of Venice - Carlo Goldoni and Pietro Chiari. But their supremacy did not last forever because suddenly a rival appeared - the clever Carlo Gozzi whose wondrous fairy tale plays became so popular that soon they displaced Goldoni and Chiari .
Gozzi combined fantastic plots with the traditions of commedia dell'arte and thus created a completely new genre, a playful fairy tale play that differs from the realistic theatre of Goldoni as much as from a simple fair show. His theatre includes wonders and intrigues, masks and tricks, true feelings and complicated situations, and most certainly a happy ending.
The Raven (Il Corvo), Gozzi's second play is a story about an unhappy king Millo, his self-sacrificing brother Jennaro, beautiful princess Armilla and her father, the dreadful mage Norando. Around them there is a variety of well-known commedia dell'arte characters: Pantalone, who this time has become an admiral - "a real sea wolf", Tartaglia and Leandro, who appear as greedy ministers, and also the servants Brighella, Truffaldino, and Smeraldina.
The Raven was performed for the first time in Venice in 1761.