I thought I'd help Elric out with some pictures:
The audience hush, the lights go down, and the curtains are ready to open.
Scene 1: Outdoors (the woods, the highway, the fields etc.)
Scene 2: Indoors (Grandma's cottage?)
From behind, with cardboard "curtains" holding the props and characters safely during transit.
Scenery reversed for a stage rehearsal.
Curtains removed, left side with the robber, boy and Kasper.
Right side, Policeman, girl and Grandma.
On stage, Policeman, robber and Kasper.
On stage, girl, boy and Grandma.
The actors line up to take a bow.
The sound box (I hid it under the stage) plays two different tunes, a laughter track (though it sounded more like general crowd noise to me), and a clapping/applause track.
The take-along theatre is beautifully produced, with two possible scenes (outdoors and indoors), six characters (seven including the crocodile), several props and a couple of stage-dressing items.
I was suprised to find no booklet included to explain who the characters are and what play they act out, but on further reading on Wikipedia I discovered that the characters are well known in Germany, so presumably no explanation was thought necessary. They are not well known in the the USA or UK (or other European countries?), and I feel that some explanation might help sales outside Europe.
The characters are (and German Playmofriends please correct me if this is wrong):
Kasper the Clown, narrator (?), hero, and the central character. He is a trickster, using his wits and repartee to thwart his opponents and make fun of (and with) his friends.
Seppel (or Hansel or Joey?) the boy, Kasper's good friend, with whom boys in the audience can identify. He is easygoing, strong, and occasionally clever.
Gretel the girl, Kasper's other good friend, with whom girls in the audience can identify. She is helpful, clever and practical. She helps balance Kasper and Seppel's wilder schemes.
These three get up to various adventures together.
Grandma, who provides calm advice, words of wisdom, and a haven of security. She also teaches good manners.
The Policeman, who represents authority, enforces the laws of the land, and catches the robber.
The Crocodile, a mindless eating machine and source of danger.
The Robber, strong but stupid, greedy and lazy, who is always caught to show that wrongdoing never goes unpunished
There are other characters possible who have not been included here, but could easily be added from one's own collection:
The King, the ultimate authority, and dispenser of good things
The Witch, evil, crafty, stubbron, easily annoyed, and able to cast spells.
The Wizard, who casts spells for good, but is pompous. Kasper often makes fun of him.
The Devil, the ultimate evil who motivates the witch and the robber, and gives them missions.
The reason there is no storybook included appears to be that Kasper plays vary from time to time, region to region, and country to country, so there is no single story to tell. The puppeteer makes up the story as s/he goes along, dependign on audience reaction and interaction.
In England the character of Kasper has transformed into Punch, aka Punchinello or Pulchinelle in other counties. Punch is slightly meaner than Kasper, using his slapstick to hit the other characters, and sometimes the villain of the piece. Punch and Judy shows were popular from the time they were first reported by Samuel Peyps right up until WW2 (an Italian Punch and Judy man appears in one Just William story around then time of WW2). They are less common now, but may still be found at seaside resorts.
I think this theatre has a lot of potential and is a beautifully designed set. For those families that enjoy spending family time together, the parents and children acting out various plays for and with each other, it could be marvellous. Whether they form a large enough market for this set to sell in good numbers is my worry, with all the distractions of TV, video games and the internet.
I would love to see follow up sets (maybe as DS add-ons) providing other characters and scenery for other plays such as Pantomimes, but these are not strictly necessary, as the basic theatre provides a great backdrop for any play that imaginative children want to act out.