A simple chair is the only prop. A black suit and white shirt held by suspenders is the only costume, completed with black and white gym shoes. Through acting, mostly with exaggerated gesture, John Devennie turns the scene into a palace ruled over by an evil king. Hop Frog is his jester, a cripple, and a dwarf. Devennie imitates Hop Frog’s walk with distorted limbs. But, with his jacket thrown off, he demonstrates very strong arms. He’s there because he was stolen from his faraway home, along with a beautiful girl dwarf, and sent to the King.
At a masquerade, the King forces Hop Frog to drink strong wine and insists he invent characters. Courts people stare and then laugh, as Devennie shows. When the girl dwarf begs Hop Frog be spared, she gets wine thrown in her face. Hop Frog sets out to avenge his friend by asking for the King and seven ministers to become true characters: Eight Chained Orangutangs. In the dimmed light of midnight, Hop Frog strenuously uses the links to bind and a torch to avenge his friend. All is accomplished under blue and then heavy red light and then purple.
Devennie does not become himself again until Hop Frog has had his “last jest” and lights up indicate he and his girlfriend have escaped. All is heartily appreciated by the audience, who use the Q and A to ask about Devennie’s various versions of the strenuous solo performance that he plays mainly in festivals and at fairs.
