ELISSA, QUEEN OF CARTHAGE - 1995
S Y N O P S I S
To the Phoenicians, she was known as Alissar. To the Europeans, she was Dido. To the Berbers of North Africa, she became known as Elissa. No matter the name, this is a legend that lives on.
The storyteller transports us on a journey through the Book of Ages, whereby the Phoenician princess Elissa and her brother Pygmalion are proclaimed joint heirs to the throne by the ailing king of Tyre. Desiring sole sovereignty however, Pygmalion plots his sister’s downfall and removal. Elissa flees his wrath by sea and lands on the shores of North Africa where she and her followers encounter a native Berber tribe and are greeted by their king: Larbas.
Wishing to remain in this newly found haven, Elissa establishes the city of Carthage (Kart-hadasht meaning “New City”) and becomes its first queen.
EVENING STANDARD
Warlords of the dance
One performer was killed by sniper fire, another paralysed by a bullet. But the Caracalla Dance theatre survived the battle horror of Lebanon and tonight they make their London debut. By Anne Sacks.
THE INDEPENDENT
Arts: Giant steps
Throughout the civil war in Lebanon, Caracalla kept the spirit of the dance alive. But can Beirut’s current cultural revival survive the rebirth of Muslim fundamentalism? By Michael Church.
EVENING STANDARD
War may be hell, but this is heavenly
Throughout 17 years of bitter conflict in Lebanon, the Caracalla Dance Theatre of Beirut dodged bullets and sniper fire to survive intact as a leading creative force. The company opened in London last night with a flourish of exuberant energy that leapt right across the footlights.