New Stage

Synopsis

Act I
Scene 1
Tauride Garden
A boy nicknamed Piggy-wiggy is walking with his parents in the Tauride Garden. As soon as he sees a dirty puddle, the little rascal makes a beeline for it. Attempting to assert his independence, he keeps slipping out of his mother’s grasp who is trying to shake the mud off his clothes. 
Passersby appear, including Wizard and a little girl called Fresh as a Daisy. Everyone admires Fresh as a Daisy, who is as pretty as a picture, but no one wants to talk to the grubby little boy. Uncle Croc is the only person who seems to understand Piggy-wiggy and therefore the latter looks on him as his friend. Pretending he is totally oblivious to Fresh as a Daisy, the little terror parades his grubbiness.

His parents are upset, but Wizard calms them down. Enter Chimney-sweep and his gang: Piggy-wiggy is the only person to notice them. Feeling uneasy, the little boy hides behind Uncle Croc’s back. Engrossed in their photography, Mama and Papa walk off in the opposite direction. Uncle Croc, friend to Piggy-wiggy, leads him to his parents. Wizard and Fresh as a Daisy are standing right by them. The children meet but, running off in different directions, they do not make friends.

Scene 2
Piggy-wiggy’ Room
Dead of night. Kitty wakes up and stretches herself. But suddenly something very odd starts to happen... Wizard climbs through the window into the bedroom. Muttering “Chukokkala, Chukokkala”, he touches everything he comes across with his magic, shining cane, and the things begin to come alive. Wizard disappears through the doors into Piggy-wiggy’ parents’ bedroom. Gradually, Piggy-wiggy wakes up. He carefully pulls up his eiderdown which is falling off his bed, but it flies away from him and, for some reason, everything he tries to pick up, he drops. Due to the little boy’s clumsiness, Candle ends up in the stove. The domestic utensils and toys are indignant. Closing ranks, they surround Piggy-wiggy and advance on him with threatening look. The little boy pretends this does not frighten him in the slightest. He chases them all off with Papa’s newspaper and is left entirely on his own.

The doors are flung open and Moidodyr appears on the threshold. Great Wash-basin’s army immediately occupies the stage. Sponge-in-Chief is in charge of the parade. Piggy-wiggy tries to hide from Moidodyr’s army. Making a fool of Sponge-in-Chief, he tears round the room and eventually manages to escape. Everyone rushes off in pursuit of the little boy.

Act II 
Scene 3
Tauride Garden. The World of the Chimney-sweep
Piggy-wiggy does not recognize his beloved Tauride Garden. He is trying to find his friend Uncle Croc whom he hopes will save him from Sponge-in-Chief’s intolerable harassment. Uncle Croc’s cloak flashes here and there between the chimneys, Piggy-wiggy flings himself after it, but all this is no more than a mirage. Chimney-sweep’s suite and his Guttersnipe underlings do their best to confuse Piggy-wiggy and lure him into their world of soot and lamp-black. 
Suddenly Sponge-in-Chief falls upon the little boy, the cunning Guttersnipes, however, immediately get rid of her. Enter Chimney-sweep: he and his gang pull wool over Piggy-wiggy’ eyes. And when it seems the rascal’s fate is all but decided, Fresh as a Daisy puts in an appearance. The little girl is wearing a snow-white dress, while floating round her are a mass of different coloured soap bubbles — this frightens off Chimney-sweep and his stooges. Fresh as a Daisy presents Piggy-wiggy with a magic shell, it is as if she is giving him a chance of changing himself and his life — all he has to do is to go home. The little boy puts the shell on one side: he is fine where he is. This is just what Chimney-sweep is waiting for. The Guttersnipes seize Fresh as a Daisy. But, suddenly, thunder claps are heard and the rain starts pouring down; a bright rainbow forces the Guttersnipes to retreat. Accompanied by the Raindrops, Fresh as a Daisy leaves Chimney-sweep’s garden.

The little boy is left on his own: he realizes he is in no way different to the inhabitants of this dirty spot. The though the nearly caused Fresh as a Daisy’s undoing, makes Piggy-wiggy feel really ashamed. He decides to go home.

Scene 4
Return Home
In Piggy-wiggy’ room, Moidodyr’s suite are dancing and preparing to give the little boy a welcome. Great Wash-basin is carefully monitoring the proceedings. A parade of bathroom accessories is underway.

Enter the young owner of the room and, behind him, the exhausted Sponge-in-Chief who is so tired she immediately collapses. Hanging his head, Piggy-wiggy asks Moidodyr’s forgiveness. He is ready to wash himself clean and, together with Sponge-in-Chief and Generalissimo Soap, he jumps into the bath. After his bath, he is seized by Towel who carries him off to the cupboard to get dressed.

Enter Wizard and Fresh as a Daisy.
The little boy emerges from the cupboard transformed, he holds out his hand to Fresh as a Daisy who, in turn, holds out hers and their palms meet.

Epilogue

His parents return home. When they see their clean and handsome son, they are overjoyed at the transformation. But the little boy knows full well it is Fresh as a Daisy and Wizard whom he has to thank for this miracle.