Ouroboros

Ouroboros is a collaborative puppet theatre production by Janni Younge (1955-) and the Handspring Puppet Company.

The original text

From Jenni Younge's website:

"Ouroboros is a production about time, relationship and the cycles of life, created with evocative, multimedia imagery. At its heart, it is a love story between a dancer and a poet finding the courage to commit. Using the uniquely transforming powers of the puppetry medium, the two central characters appear as several versions of themselves. Audiences witness the unfolding drama of their lives from birth to death. Their interactions form a web of relationships, revealing the interdependence of the past, present and future.

The production is inspired by the work of US Poet Laureate Billy Collins whose work Aristotle underpins the narrative. Predominantly wordless, Ouroboros explores the internal dynamics of relationship through the interactions of the puppet characters, shadow imagery and animated projections."

Translations and adaptations

Performance history in South Africa

2011: Original production produced at the Baxter Theatre by Janni Younge in association with Handspring Puppet Company and directed by Janni Younge with Adrian Kohler and Basil Jones, with creation and design by Janni Younge, music by Neo Muyanga with additional music by Daniel Eppel; sound design by Daniel Eppel, choreography by Mamela Nyamza and lighting design by Mannie Manim. The cast: Jason Potgieter, Cindy Mkaza, Gabriel Marchand, Tali Cervati, Beren Belknap and Chuma Sopotela with Nieke Lombard on shadows.

A production was subsequently presented at the World Festival of Puppet Theatre in Charleville and at the Théâtre des Sources in Fontenay-aux-Roses in 2013 (with Jason Potgieter, Cindy Mkaza, Gabriel Marchand, Chuma Sopotela, Alude Mahali and Beren Belknap)