PUSS IN BOOTS SOCIAL STORY I am going to see PUSS IN BOOTS I will go to the CITY RECITAL HALL in SYDNEY. It is a relaxed performance. This means I can be myself and I will be welcomed by everyone. The show starts at 10:30 in the morning and lasts for 1 hour and 20 minutes. There is a 20 minute break in the middle of the show (called an interval ). page 1
I can arrive on Angel Place at the entrance near Pitt Street in the city from 9.00am. Most people will arrive at around 10.00am. When I go inside I will see the main foyer. This can be quite busy and noisy before the performance as people wait to go in and see the show If I already have tickets I can wait in the foyer. If I don t have tickets I might have to wait in a queue to collect my tickets from the Box Office. page 2
In the foyers there are refreshment stands where I can buy something to eat and drink. I can also bring my own snacks and drinks with me. There are also toilets and a coat room. If I need help or have any questions there will be staff members who are called ushers in the foyer who can help me. The ushers have been trained to help. page 3
When I am ready to watch the show I can take the stairs or the lift to get to the auditorium. The auditorium is the part of the theatre where the audience sits when they are watching the performance. I can go into the auditorium any time after 9.45am. At the doors of the auditorium an usher will look at my ticket and tell me where to go to find my seats. The numbers on the tickets tell me where I have to sit. I cannot choose where I sit. When I get to my seat I can sit and relax while I wait for the show to start. I can read or play games while I wait. When the show starts, the lights will go down and the auditorium will get darker (but not too dark). There may be an announcement from stage asking everyone to turn their mobile phones to silent. After this the actors will come on stage and start to tell the story of Puss In Boots. During the show I can still look at things on a phone or tablet on silent but I m not allowed to take photographs. page 4
Puss In Boots at City Recital Hall is not a movie or a cartoon, it is a kind of show called a pantomime. Actors dressed up as the characters tell the story by talking and singing. The story is nearly like the book but is very different to the movie. Here are some pictures of the actors that will tell me the story. The actors will look different to these pictures when they are dressed up as the characters in Puss In Boots. During the show the actors may ask the audience some questions. It s OK to talk back. I can say the answers loudly. During the show some of the actors may come from the stage down into the audience and then go back on stage again. I need to stay in my seat if the actors are close. I am not allowed on the stage. In addition to the actors there will also be a band on stage. The band will be playing live music and sound effects. If I don t like the sound I can wear my headphones or use my hands to block my ears if I want to. page 5
If I feel upset or worried at any time I can get up and go to a quiet room. The usher will show me how I get there. Some people will clap after songs or scenes during the show. Clapping is nice as it tells the actors that you are enjoying the show. I can clap if I want to. Half way through the show, there will be a 20 minute break which is called an interval. During the interval I can use the toilet and have a drink or a snack. page 6
When interval is finished everyone will come back into the auditorium. I will sit down in my seat again. The lights will go down and the auditorium will become darker. The actors will return to the stage and finish telling the story of Puss In Boots. When the show has finished the actors will form a line on stage and take a bow. When the actors are bowing many people will clap a lot to show the actors that they liked the show. After the show the lights will go up, I will leave the auditorium and use the stairs or lift to take me to the ground floor foyer. From the ground floor foyer I will exit the City Recital Hall. I will have a great time at Puss In Boots! SPOILER ALERT! The notes on the next page explain the plot of the show, so please don t read on or share this page if you don t want to know more! page 7
What happens in the story? The story of Puss in Boots opens with Harry, the third and youngest son of a Miller receiving his inheritance a cat. At first, Harry is disappointed since his oldest brother inherits the mill, and the middle brother gets the donkeys. But he quickly learns that Puss isn t just an ordinary cat, but a smart-talking, clothes-wearing cat. Meanwhile, over at the Palace, King Eric has received another demand from the Ogre who s been holding the kingdom to ransom for some time. The Ogre has taken almost everything from the King and fed up, the King vows to find someone to rid his kingdom of the Ogre. Determined to bring Harry fame and fortune, Puss comes up with a plan. First, he catches a rabbit and presents it to King Eric, telling him that it s a gift for his daughter Princess Lill from the cat s master, the fictional Marquis of Carabas. When Puss claims that the Marquis has recently slayed a dragon in a neighbouring land, King Eric decides the Marquis is just the brave person they need to defeat the Ogre. King Eric and Princess Lill want to meet the Marquis of Carabas, but Harry is still just Harry, the poor son of the Miller. Puss has a plan, and tells Harry to take off all his clothes and get into the river. Puss hides Harry s clothes and when King Eric and Princess Lill are near, Puss calls to them for help, telling them that a thief has just stolen all the Marquis possessions. King Eric offers the Marquis some of his finest clothes to wear and a place to stay, and Princess Lill and Harry transformed into the Marquis of Carabas fall in love immediately. King Eric promises that if the Marquis is able to defeat the Ogre that he and Princess Lill can marry. When it comes time for Harry to fight the Ogre, Puss has a plan. Puss has heard about the Ogre s Magical Transformation Cabinet that he uses to perform transformation spells, so Harry and Puss challenge the Ogre to a duel of magic. After the Ogre displays his skills by transforming into a lion, Puss tricks him into changing into a mouse, at which point Harry destroys the Magical Transformation Cabinet so the Ogre is stuck as a harmless mouse forever. The Marquis of Carabas becomes a hero and King Eric decrees that the Marquis and Princess Lill will be married that night. Harry is finally able to confess that he is not actually the Marquis of Carabas, he takes over the Ogre s castle, and everything turns out perfectly, just as Puss had promised it would. page 8