Karagiozis as Rigoletto

Alternative Stage Founding Donor

Major Sponsor of the Greek National Opera

The most famous and beloved hunchbacked jester in shadow puppet theatre, Karagiozis, is called upon to carry out… an operatic mission: to portray the most renowned hunchback in opera, Rigoletto! In the new shadow puppet opera production Karagiozis as Rigoletto, written by the prolific comedian, director, and librettist Dimitris Dimopoulos and the experienced shadow puppeteer Alexandros Melissinos, Karagiozis unexpectedly finds himself playing the lead role in Rigoletto at an opera house founded by the Vizier’s daughter in the saray (palace), all while learning with humour and a disarming innocence everything required to stage an opera.
The performance combines traditional shadow puppet theatre with excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s masterful opera Rigoletto, performed in Greek by three opera singers. It humorously reveals the backstage of an opera house while providing knowledge and abundant laughter in an alternative way.
The character of Karagiozis is vividly brought to life with originality by Alexandros Melissinos, making this performance a fresh and interactive take on shadow puppet theatre. Karagiozis as Rigoletto is a production suitable for both young and older audiences, promising to entertain and educate while demonstrating that tradition and the art of opera can be combined with humour and creativity.