Swish, slash, swoosh! For the first time, the legend of Zorro is coming to Abu Dhabi.
Few fictional characters can be identified by a simple gesture, but generations know that the three quick swipes in the shape of a ‘Z’ only mean one thing: Zorro has arrived. The masked hero stars in Zorro: The Blade of Justice at Abu Dhabi National Theatre from February 16-20.
Director Graham Fawcett says, ‘Zorro could be described as the forgotten hero from my childhood, as his character isn’t as famous as other masked avengers such as The Lone Ranger or Batman and Robin. But the stories and ideals remain as important today as when the original tales were written in the 1920s.’
The character Zorro originated in 1919, in the novel The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley. The name Zorro, which means fox in Spanish, is fitting, as the character is a sly and cunning hero. Zorro is famous for his bravery, quick wit and comedy – making him a timeless character.
The legend of Zorro has been adapted many times over in books, movies and plays, television shows, comic books and even a ballet. Many know the story from the 1998 Steven Spielberg adaptation, The Mask of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas.
Despite the many versions of Zorro, some qualities remain constant. The hero is never seen without his signature black eye mask, cape and hat. He shields the people of Los Angeles from tyranny with his sword and his horse, Tornado, and prevails against his less agile opponents.
This month, when Zorro takes to the stage in Abu Dhabi, he’ll bring all his trademarks – the costume, the sword, and of course, Tornado, which will be a real horse. The plot reflects a classic Zorro storyline, too, complete with sword fights, Mexican music and dancing and exciting visual surprises such as Zorro’s acrobatic entrances.
The tale takes place in the early 1900s and centres around a small village on the Mexican-American border. The governor of California stands to make a wealth of gold if he can buy the town from its greedy mayor, Don Sebastian, so he employs the help of the villain Ramirez to blackmail Don Sebastian into giving up the land.
At the same time, Ramirez is after the attention of Don Sebastian’s beautiful daughter Rosita, and plans to make her his wife. But the gypsy queen Juanita wants Ramirez to herself, creating a complicated triangle. Realising Ramirez’s admiration for Rosita, Juanita takes out her jealous anger on the innocent Rosita.
In the end of course, Zorro, who has been masquerading as shy farmer Don Diego de La Vega, comes to Rosita’s rescue – foiling the plans of the evil Ramirez and equally devilish Juanita.
This story has sentimental value for many adults who grew up with the virtuous Zorro character. As Graham puts it, ‘I believe all of us retain a hint of our childhood imaginations and dreams well into adulthood, and which young man wouldn’t want to come to the rescue of a beautiful damsel in distress and play the hero? And which young woman wouldn’t want to be swept off her feet by the dashing man of her dreams?.’
Dhs75. Zorro: The Blade of Justice, Abu Dhabi National Theatre, Airport Road, behind Abu Dhabi Media. February 16-22. Show times will be 9am and 7pm February 16-20, 3pm and 7pm February 21 and 11am and 4pm February 22. www.timeouttickets.com.
