Where Does the Wolf Go on the Bicycle?

An adaptation of the fable “When the wolf is hungry”

Once upon a time there was a Wolf.

He lived alone in a little house in the middle of the woods.

-All wolves eat meat. So he was told, so he did.

-All wolves are terrible and fearsome. So he was told, so he did.

-All wolves hunt little children to scare them. So he was told, so he did.

This wolf, when he had nothing to do, instead of playing with others to pass the time, he ate… he ate non-stop…

The story

A lone wolf, sets out from his little house in the woods to the town where he wants to find the rabbit. But every time he reaches the rabbit’s apartment building, a small animal always stands in his way and puts his plans on hold. Each new difficulty, however, brings him face to face with himself and important insights into his character come to the surface. Why is he lonely? Where have all his childhood friends gone? Why is he mean? Is he truly bad? Does he want to be bad or is he bad because he carries the history of wolf tales on his back? After many desperate attempts, he manages to get very close to the rabbit where he finds that all the animals are there for the rabbit’s birthday party, and that the rabbit he is frantically looking to eat is his childhood friend! So he finds old and new friends, falls in love with a beautiful vegetarian she-wolf, decides to become a vegetarian, moves into the apartment building and… they live happily ever after!

The play

With this play, the “Astronauts” launched their new theater stage “Pocket Stories” in 2015. This stage is addressed to children of preschool and early school age and its performances are based on the principles of physical theater and pantomime. The main characteristic of this theatrical form is kinetic improvisation and inventiveness. An actress performing on stage plays different animals that she literally pulls out of her pocket, with great inventiveness and humor. The play “Where Does the Wolf Go on the Bicycle?” is based on the children’s story “When the Wolf is Hungry” by Christine Naumann-Villemin. It is an entertaining story of a wolf who managed to change his habits, find his beloved childhood friend and at the same time enjoy the new experience of trusting other animals.

The character of the wolf is the occasion for the group to work on the issue of childhood isolation and loneliness, which is a common phenomenon in modern society. The flow of the narrative is totally dependent on the sounds and music which focuses on the soundscapes. The performance is rich in sound effects which are revealed live on stage with very simple and familiar materials, stimulating the children’s senses and imagination. Musical instruments, stage objects, puppets, shadow theatre figures, colors, twists and turns, humor, fun and experience are the fairy tale of this performance around which our young friends will enjoy the play.

Ages: 3.5-9 years old

Adapted and Directed by: Dimitris Mikios

Music Composition and Execution: Antonis Skamnakis

Props: Olympia Sideridou

Costumes, puppets: Matina Megla

Poster: Irini Tsiraki

Photos: Ru Zannou

Performed by: Froso Zagoreou

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