A new dance-puppet show for the whole family

Based on a traditional Sanskrit story

Fantasy figures, in a tale about friendship, trust and being human

The Cat, the Owl, the Lizard and the Mouse all live in the extensive roots of a Banyan tree – they are not friends, perhaps better said predator and prey, yet still they manage to coexist and cohabit the tree. Their delicate balance is interrupted when the cat is caught in a trap laid by the hunter and only saved when the mouse, on the promise that the cat will never eat her, manages to free her. After the incident the cat tries to befriend the mouse who never can bring himself to trust her, and as a result is finally caught and eaten by the owl.

The story obviously deals with trust and loyalty set in contrast with the laws of nature. This show features the four animal characters represented by puppets and each manipulated by a specific dancer and a modular set onto which the Banyan tree is video mapped.

In the spirit of the Indian tales, which pose questions about the morals and the reasoning of the characters within, this show proposes a new ending. As the Cat is nearly upon the Lizard, about to kill and eat him, she breaks out of the narrative and questions why she has been cast as the eternal “baddie”. This then provokes a discussion amongst the puppets and we discover a Cat that questions the established roles and the path chosen for her, an Owl who is a stickler for the rules, the Lizard who does not want to make any effort to change anything and the mouse who is too scared to try.