The work is primarily orchestral, with singers and a narrator bringing the fables’ animal heroes to life using shadow puppets rooted in the Karaghiozis tradition but not limited to it. The composer Dimitris Papadimitriou interprets Aesop’s fables as providing archetypal lessons in citizenship. They mould our social and political thought, and differ from the classical fairytales of the European tradition in not seeking recourse to fear or the supernatural. The Aesop-meets-Karaghiozis idea was thrown into the mix by Giorgos Kordellas during the creation process, and the Fables are enacted in the singular world of the shadow puppet theatre, which also provides the setting in which Aesop/Karaghiozis relates scenes from his life between tales. Aesop travelled widely, which is why so many countries and cities claim him as their own. Although some say he never lived, we accept him as a real person, since his presence is still so palpable and his bequest to Mankind so important. Directorial oversight: Dimitris Papadimitriou, Giorgos Kordellas, Ilias Karellas |