The Prince is melancholy, tragic poetry to blame. Prescription? Laughter! While the court scrambles to amuse the prince, it's a witch that finally does the trick; tripping over and revealing her knickers. His laugh angers the witch, who curses the Prince with an obsessive love for three oranges. The Prince and his jester march off to find the oranges, kept in the kitchen of a murderous cook. But not everyone is on the prince's side; the Prime Minister is plotting to kill him! Does true love lie under that thick orange skin? Will the witch come back for revenge? Will the evil Prime Minister succeed? In this farcical fairytale, you never know what's around the corner.
Richard Strauss' Intermezzo is an autobiographical piece - a domestic comedy of marital strife, told in fourteen scenes. John Cox's stylish production is set in the 1920s and stars Felicity Lott as the volatile Christine Storch. The splended art nouveau settings by Martin Batters by evoke perfectly the luxurious lifestyle of Strauss' Vienna.
In a breach of promise case, the Learned Judge and Jury are somewhat smitten by the pretty Plaintiff's charms, and the Defendant is hard pressed to explain that indeed he loved this girl once, but fell in love with another. Despite his suggestion that he marry both women, the Learned Judge has his own solution... he will marry the Plaintiff himself!
