This autumn, Iris Theatre will transform Hoxton Hall into a magical world where stories of Ali Baba, Ala’ad-Din and Sinbad the Sailor unfold in their new adaptation of Arabian Nights.
Adapted by Nessah Muthy (Heroine, The Host) and directed by Daniel Winder (Iris Theatre), this celebration of the cultural history of Islam and the wider ancient world promises to be a spectacular evening of storytelling.
At the grandest wedding of the year, amongst the music, magic and dance, King Shahryar’s tyranny looms. Every single night he marries a new girl and every single morning he has her killed.
This cycle of violence has continued for years but with the executioner’s sword hanging over her neck, Sharazad starts to tell King Shahryar stories. With every beautiful tale she tells, she stretches out the thread of her life a little further.
Iris Theatre will take the audience on a journey through the ancient world of the Middle East and into Sharazad’s life. With music inspired by Arabic history, and a set design utilising the aesthetic of souks from the time by Amber Scarlett, a cast of seven actors and a multitude of fantastic puppets created by Jonny Dixon will bring to life Sharazad’s comic, tragic and earthy stories.
Director Daniel Winder comments, “It’s so exciting to be bringing a show as big as our annual summer productions over to Hoxton Hall in our first major departure from St Paul’s in nearly five years. Arabian Nights is adapted by the incredible Nessah Muthy in a brand new script we’ve commissioned, and we’re so excited to have her on board. We can’t wait to head to Hoxton with the team that has helped make productions like Hansel & Gretel and Macbeth, and to transform the Hall into Shahryar’s palace, welcoming audiences to a bloody wedding feast.”
An engagement project, Encountering 1001 Nights, will run alongside the show and will focus on engaging with the local communities in Hoxton.
Arabian Nights is at Hoxton Hall 12th September – 13th October 2018.
