ARABIAN NIGHTS: Duffield, till 4 January

Birmingham

ARABIAN NIGHTS: version Neil Duffield
mac: Tkts 0121 440 3838
Runs: 1h 45m, till 4 January
Review: Rod Dungate, 17 December 2002-12-17

Highly energetic, great teamwork, a magic oriental carpet with many surprises.
There's no mistaking where this play is set: it starts in the way it means to continue as the stage rapidly fills with acrobats, tumblers and fire breathers. The energy never sags nor does the level of performers' communication with their young audience.

ARABIAN NIGHTS is a story within a story. Shahzaman's wife is unfaithful to him so he bullies his brother Shahryar into marrying, executing his wife the next morning, marrying again that day, executing his wife next morning and so on. After a 1000 days and nights there aren't many brides left and his Grand Vazir's daughters are brought to court. Daughter No 1 has a clever ploy to stop this barbaric nonsense and begins to tell a story – it's acted out by the characters in the first story.

I suspect Duffield's clever dramatic device goes over most of the children's heads, but I don't think that matters in the least. They follow the two stories in their own way and much enjoy the witty, vigorous and occasionally scary way the team of five actors encompasses all. Tumbling, puppetry, in places pantomime this is a rich and magical carpet.

It's a real ensemble piece. Among the team, Richard da Costa and Craig Painting create a terrific relationship as the two pairs of brothers – Sultans in the framing story and merchants in the inside story. Da Costa has some fine knock-about comedy moments and Painting wills you to feel sorry for him as the brother that hardly ever gets out from under his sibling's thumb.

Designer Helen Davies has worked her own magic within mac's limited physical space – Jawan the Terrible's cave of stolen goods is a constant source of delight – and sometimes clever humour – and the gigantic Genie in the Jar (made by Elizabeth Friendship) looks and sounds terrific.

Shahzaman, Kasim, Nomad Boris: Richard da Costa
Dunyazad, Marjiana, Nomad Jamilia: Rina Fatania
Shahrydar, Ali, Nomad Spikey: Craig Painting
Grand Vazir, Jawan the Terrible, Nomad Selim: Stewart Scudamore
Sheherazad, Nomad Serpent, Merchant, Heale, Robber: Helen Terry

Director: Paul Jonathan Savage
Design: Helen Davies
Lighting: Richard G Jones
Music: Andy Garbi

2002-12-17 21:16:39