Arabian Nights

Thursday, 19 March 2009

As a child I was captivated by the stories from the Arabian Nights - they were right there next to my copies of Grimms Fairy Tales, Enid Blyton and the fabled legends of Greek, Roman and Norse mythology.

It's been a while since I've indulged in reading fantasy (though author Mercedes Lackey has coaxed me back to the fold by respinning the fairytale genre with her Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms and Elemental Masters series); but there was still enough of a pull that when I saw that WAAPA was putting on a dramatic production of this classic I had to buy a ticket to check it out.

Dominic Cooke's TMA/Equity award winning Young Vic Theatre adaptation introduces us to a heartbroken and consequently cruel King who having been betrayed by his Queen, resorts to wed a new bride every evening and then execute her at dawn. Many women die by this edict, and one day clever and brave Shahrazad, the daughter of the Vizier comes up with a plan to save the remaining women and ultimately her kingdom by offering herself as the next bride. She asks for her sister to stay with her after her marriage and just before dawn, as secretly instructed earlier, young Dinarzad asks her elder sister to tell her a story...

Most of us know that Shahrazad then proceeds to weave tale after tale of magical, humourous, dramatic and thought-provoking adventures involving Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor and many others, day by day gaining a stay of execution as the King goes from indifferent to entranced by her storytelling skills.

Finally, Shahrazad decides to test his heart - after 1001 nights she refuses to tell him a tale and prays that she has managed to heal the pain of betrayal through her love, as it soon becomes evident that it's not just her life that is on the line...

This was a wonderful production, I had no idea what to expect from the 2nd year Acting students at WAAPA's Enright Studio, and the surprise and joy at such a imaginative performance made me feel like I was a child, discovering these fantastical stories again for the first time.

The ensemble worked together seamlessly under the expert and inspired direction of Lisa Scott-Murphy and the audience could tell that the company was having just as much fun bringing us this show as we were having watching it.

Special mention must be given to the following: costume designer, Katie Christie for her simple yet adaptable pieces for the many multiple characters the actors portrayed; lighting designer Tom Stoney for transporting us, not unlike a magic carpet ride, into the heart of all the adventures and within the King's memory and mind; and the invisible and very effective props crew of Dean Gibbs, Jorja Christensen and Nicolas Horne who supported and anticipated all the actors needs.

An enchanting evening.