Faëton

Synopsis

Registration of the 1987 perfomance by the Dutch theatregroup De Appel of the tragedy 'Faëton Of Reuckeloze Stoutheit' by the poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel from 1663. The story is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses and begins begins with the Sun God Phoebus who fathered four children with Clymene. When the children grow up, they go with their mother in search of father, but they wonder whether he really exists. When Phoebus hears this, he promises to fulfill every wish of his children. His son Faëton takes advantage of this and wants to spend a day in the solar chariot through the universe. That causes a lot of problems on earth, since Faëton's recklessness almost causes extinction.