THE SHIP OF FOOLS 

 
 
 
The Ship of Fools
 
a high see vessel from 1916
that continues the old tradition
of the traveling buffoon
on a festive pageant around the world.
 
   The Shyp Of Folys
(Das Narrenschiff - Sebastian Brant,
Basel, 1494)
is the first best-seller in the history of world literature, acclaimed by its contemporaries  as a ‘divina satira’. 
This universel image of mankind adrift –
of society who lost its course,
became the embleme of the
carnavalesque popular culture of laughter
that engendred modern literature.  
 
 
  
 
For more then 20 years the Ship of Fools is a travelling laboratory of comic theatre, playing for a public of all cultures and ages. They performed in about 180 cities in 20 countries. Their voyage is an endless pilgrimage around the world to celebrate popular theatre. Their Magnum Opus is In Praise of Folly. The year 2012 brings them to the Spanish Basc country in a bid to collaborate as Extraordinairy Ambassadors with Donostia San Sebastian Cultural Capital of Europe 2016
 
The ship is a high see veteran of 30 meters transformed into a bizarre sculpture. Her costume is a green/yellow Razzle Dazzle camouflage, a paint scheme inspired by cubism and futurism and invented during WWI to make it difficult for the enemy to estimate the type, size, speed and heading of a dazzling ship. Green and yellow are the emblematic colours of the mediaeval fool. The ship serves as stage and back drop for a seating of 250 persons erected on the quay-side. At times, ship and seating serve as a stage for a local festivals. The show starts at sunset. The entrance-tickets consist of victuals, drinks, presents or children’s drawings or else the spectator is gauged by iy’s weight, in pesos, pennies or pias pro kilo. This is inspired by mediaeval allegories of the age-old fight between the rich and the poor.

Being a sailing World-jester, the Ship of fools meets with Mayors, Ministers, Chiefs and other High Dignitaries. But, as interesting, she invites meetings, wherever she sails, with the disabled, the unemployed, the mentally handicapped, the prisonners, the dispossessed of all the continents and many other fellow traveller on the Universal Ship of Fools.  
 
 The Ship of Fools proposes several theatrical manifestations of a high symbolical value
 
The Disastrous Arrival of the Ship
The ship enters the port with improbable maneuvers - throwing a wooden anchor.
 
The Press Conference on Board
An open invitation to the press and the public to meet the crew, see the ship
and know about the calendar of the activities.
 
The Parade of Fools
 An extravagant parade to the City Center to announce the arrival of the ship.
 
A Theatrical Visit to High Dignitaires 
A Parade, mostly to the Town Hall, for an exceptionnal and ceremonial reception
in which small presents and jolly sermons are exchanged – and sometimes a calligraphic Letter of Invitation. This gives lieu to a Wine of Honor, sometimes to a solemn banquet.
 
A Theatrical Visit to Institutions 
A joyful meeting in a psychiatrical or penitentiary center, a hospital, home for the elderly,
school, factory or other for a theatrical performance and a simple, shared meal.
 
A Guided Theatrical Visit of the Ship 
A serie of scetches (intime theatre, puppets, stories and songs from Everywhere)
in seven different places on the ship: Garden, Pent House, Steer Hut, Motor Room, Dressing Room, the Clandestin’s Cabin and the Big Artist’ Hull.
  
The Sad Departure of the Ship
Dramatic, because nobody knows if the boat returns.