A troubled empress has three sons and a kingdom to bequeath. Not only has she to decide which of her sons is the most deserving, but a bird is stealing the cherry blossom from all the trees in Japan.
She orders each boy in turn to spend a night on watch. The eldest two fall asleep and fail, but the youngest is amazed to discover that the culprit is a beautiful and mesmerising firebird. The boy is transfixed by the firebird whose simple message of love brings about dramatic results. This timeless fairytale is brought vividly to life by a cast of local talent, performing Blanche Marvin’s version, which borrows richly from the Japanese tradition.
