For the second consecutive year at the Black Box Theatre, the Hippo Theatre Group, with a fresh take on the classic fairytale — adapted by Kalliopi Fykari — will teach you that liberation is a personal matter and that the utopian belief in a "prince" is only for the insecure and those who avoid responsibility.

​

On stage, only two actors perform — hence the squared title. These two talented performers are the production’s main expressive tool. They embody characters, scenery, objects, and locations. Using physical theatre techniques, they transport the audience into the enchanting world of the story in the most vivid way. Their costumes are simple and adaptable, allowing for quick changes between roles. From the very start, we are drawn into the theatrical conventions, and the imagination of the young audience brings the performance to life from beginning to end.

The humor that permeates the script and direction is nothing like that of typical "children’s" shows, which often underestimate the intelligence and imagination of young viewers. Indeed, this is a performance that adults can enjoy just as much — and many parents were visibly having just as good a time as their children.

​

In the play, "Sultana" — as "Sleeping Beauty²" is called — goes through all the stages of growing up. Adolescence is the toughest phase for her, as she struggles to break free from the restrictions and "no’s" of her protective parents, who are trying to shield her from the curse of the wicked witch. Ultimately, on her birthday, she falls into the witch’s trap and into a deep sleep. The ending, however, is revolutionary and subversive for traditional fairytales: the ultimate message is that princes and saviors are irrelevant when faced with the power of personal will.

The production is full of clever directorial inventions that keep the audience laughing and maintain the children's engagement all the way to the final curtain. The music, composed by Hippo Theatre Group and Nasos Patsikas, is funny, lively, and highly original.

​

Before the show ends, a few minutes of educational drama unfold, where children themselves join the performance, making it interactive. Young audience members — much to the delight of their parents — help create an ending for the story after Sleeping Beauty awakens. The performance concludes with lots of dancing and singing, as the children get up and dance under the actors’ guidance, their smiles and boundless energy offering a reminder and inspiration for the vitality adults may have lost along the way.

​

Undoubtedly, this is a wonderfully tasteful children's production that breaks away from clichés and cheap tricks. With humor and warmth, it imparts essential lessons for the journey of life that young viewers are just beginning to embark on: that true freedom means overcoming oneself, one’s limits, and the obstacles imposed by others, society, or even one’s own fears.