Lucio Berio's opera Un re in ascolto (A King Listens) was premiered in Saltzburg in 1984 and given its first British performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1989. The King is a dying theatrical impresario named Prospero, whose company is staging a musical version of The Tempest. The opera's Prospero watches rehearsals and is lost in his own thoughts, dreaming of a production very different to the extravaganza planned by his director. The stage is filled with acrobats and dancers, some dressed as the animals on the island inhabited by Shakespeare's Prospero.

Animal costumes are a challenge for designers and costumiers. Should they be as realistic as it is possible to make them, or should they simply suggest the creature that they represent? If worn by dancers they must be lightweight and allow easy movement. This costume combines a realistic headdress with lycra one-piece bodytights painted with scales. Large headdresses which completely conceal the face can be uncomfortable and this one is padded with foam rubber.