ARABIAN NIGHTS: Hebden, Derby Playhouse till 28 January.
Derby
ARABIAN NIGHTS
by Karen Louise Hebden.
Derby Playhouse To 28 January 2006.
Performance times: Mon-Sat 7.30pm mat 2.30pm 10, 14, 15, 17, 20, 21, 24, 28 – 31 Dec, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14–18, 21st–25, 28 Jan no performance 15, 25, 26, 31 Dec.
Audio-described 14 Jan mat, 25 Jan eve.
BSL Signed 12 Jan mat, 26 Jan eve.
Backchat 26 Jan..
Runs: 2h 30m: one interval: till 28th Jan.
TICKETS: 01332 363275.
www.derbyplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Alan Geary: 8 December.
A rich and magical visual experience for nearly everyone, it’s unashamedly moral and at times almost existential.
This rich and magical experience makes you want to rush home to read the ancient tales on which it’s based. They’re the sort, stored in corners of the mind, you think you’ve read but haven’t.
It’s an enchanting journey for everyone except very young children, who might start out expecting Widow Twankey territory and be disappointed.
On a sumptuous, partly revolving Persian palace set - shadowy passages seem to ooze gossip and intrigue from the brickwork - two Storytellers begin a story containing stories, some of which themselves contain stories. You’re carried over the potential confusion by sheer narrative thrust and visual interest, not to mention the smells of incense and, [was it?] sandalwood that fill the auditorium.
These are unashamedly moral tales about power, not just of a tyrannical Sultan, evil wizards and the like, but women - Morgiana in Ali Baba for instance, as well as Shahrazad – who use courage and resourcefulness to outwit men. The recurring insistence that you’re free to step away from your own past and live by your choices is at times almost existential.
In the context of an evening crowded with humorous caricatures, Sultan Shahriar and Shahrazad, each dignified in a different way, are difficult to play. Glenn Carter and Kirsty Yates make it seem easy.
Carter’s movements suggest that his self-consciously clung-to dignity has been deeply damaged. Yates makes Shahrazad coax him back to mental health, not with sexual wiles but steadfast love and the guts to overcome her own fear.
In spectacular contrast, there’s some brilliant physical theatre. Watch Lucien MacDougall’s hand as he lowers the imaginary lamps and you’re convinced you’re seeing a flame being extinguished.
Great mime is enhanced by funny and magical effects from the almost constant musical underscore. Except for the Sultan’s unnecessary final song, which sounds a little like spiked Sondheim, Kelvin Towse’s music, a skilful inter-weaving of the Persian, the Arabian and the Chinese, is masterly. Simon Thomas [Aladdin] and Aura Deva [Princess Yasmin] do a beautiful love duet.
Very occasionally Karen Louise Hebden’s script hits a false note. But the way it draws out the humorous elements in our perception of Middle East culture at the same time as showing respect for its timeless depth is admirable.
Javar: Mark Carlisle.
Shahriar The Sultan: Glenn Carter.
Mohammed the Storyteller: Christopher Chilton.
Princess Yasmin: Aura Deva.
The Old Storyteller: Lucien Macdougall.
Aladdin: Simon Thomas.
Grandmother: Josephine Welcome.
Shahrazad: Kirsty Yates.
Director: Stephen Edwards.
Designer: Toni Jane Bysouth.
Lighting: Tina Machugh.
Sound: Matt McKenzie.
Composer/Musical Director: Kelvin Towse.
Choreographer: Caimin Collins.
2005-12-10 11:02:30