Tales from Schehrezade's Arabian Nights

The Arabian Nights tales have an enduring charm; we are introduced to some of the more colourful characters in our children's story books, and they stay with us throughout our lives. The tales' appeal remains... we all know about Ali Baba, Sinbad, genies in lamps... and Aladdin is still a favourite at panto time. This adaptation of some of these tales sets out to combine some of the more familiar tales with those less well known. The aim was to produce a version that could be staged by...
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The Arabian Nights tales have an enduring charm; we are introduced to some of the more colourful characters in our children's story books, and they stay with us throughout our lives. The tales' appeal remains... we all know about Ali Baba, Sinbad, genies in lamps... and Aladdin is still a favourite at panto time. This adaptation of some of these tales sets out to combine some of the more familiar tales with those less well known. The aim was to produce a version that could be staged by even the most under-resourced of theatre groups, while retaining the 'magic' of the tales, along with their moral compass. In practice, this means that we have specified little by way of set, and stage directions are deliberately vague, giving scope (and a challenge!) to the director. In terms of actors, it can be staged with a minimum of five who take on several characters, or up to twenty, with individuals in each role. The tales are from a time and place far removed from the UK, and as such it offers an opportunity to explore that different culture. The music, costumes, settings and all other aspects of staging the play should - like the language used - celebrate that difference in culture. The breadth of the historic Arabic world gives enormous scope to any group looking to stage the play.