King Stag

King Stag takes place in a theatre where we see the kingdom of Serendippo appear before our eyes with the help of the great and magnificent wizard, Durandarte. At issue is the wish of King Deramo to find an honest woman to be his queen. He does so with the help of the wizard's invention, a statue whose smiles can alert the king to lies and dishonesty. Unfortunately, his prime minister, Tartaglia, wickedly undermines his trust, his government and his marriage. Arlecchino, the zany clown, conducts us through Serendippo, where we are treated to surprising transformations. Deramo can be the king one moment and the stag the next; Tartaglia, the evil counselor, can turn himself into the king; and magical sprites turn into animals in the enchanted forest of Roncislappe. Paranoia threatens to unravel the whole kingdom, especially through the inept maneuvering of Capitano Spavento (head of the secret service) and his two henchmen, Cric and Crac. In the midst of this, romantic love blossoms between King Deramo and Angela, comic love between Leandro and Clarice, and farcical love between Arlecchino and Smeraldina. And it is love that emerges triumphant in this riveting and hilarious comic fantasy.