The Arabian Nights
Fri 30 Nov 2012 – Sat 12 Jan 2013
written by Mary Zimmerman
Adapted from The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night
All performances £10 for Under 16s & Students
“In our heads, my lord, we do contain all the images of the universe.”
In Baghdad, a young woman starts a revolution through the power of storytelling.
For three years, King Shahryar has taken bloody vengeance against the women of his city, marrying a new bride every night and killing her in the morning.
Scheherezade is determined to stop the bloodshed using the only weapons she has – her wit and imagination. Night after night, the King’s newest bride weaves tales of seduction, silliness and suspense. How long can her stories save her?
A punky, modern reimagining of ancient tales.
Suitable for ages 10+
Cast includes Jonathan Bonnici, Denton Chikura, Tunji Falana, Sandy Grierson, Éva Magyar, Itxaso Moreno, Mercy Ojelade, Tahirah Sharif, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Adura Onashile and Hemi Yeroham.
Creatives include Lu Kemp (Director), Ben Stones (Designer), Richard Howell (Lighting Designer) and Elena Pena (Sound Designer).
★★★★ The whole ensemble dashes back and storms about, babbling fragments of a thousand and one new stories. Exhilarating.
[A] hopeful and visually appealing family show… From first to last it’s eloquent about the importance of stories – their power to excite, entice and preserve.
A beguiling piece of storytelling for family audiences.
With swaggering simplicity, Ben Stones has delivered one of the most gorgeous designs of the year.
This… is not the first Arabian Nights I have seen staged. But it is one of the most joyous, honest and intelligent.
Lu Kemp directs with a bold confidence.
In Lu Kemp’s supple production, the show grows like a set of Chinese boxes, opening up story within story within story.
A strong cast… weave in and out of roles with lightness and fluidity. The whole is a celebration of the imagination and its power to inform and transcend.
Arabian Nights is an all-round triumph and a gloriously entertaining evening out.
