Theatre back with all-tales blazing

ARABIAN NIGHTS, Lowry, Salford, to January 12
AFTER a slightly disappointing show last Christmas, the Library Company comes out all-tales blazing this year with a play that isn’t exactly seasonal, but has strong entertainment value.

Everyone has heard of the 1001 Tales of the Arabian Nights but I suspect few have read many of them — though most of us know the famous ones, particularly Ali Baba and Sinbad (or Es-Sinibad, as he is here).

The over-arching story, of course, is that of Shaharazad, a beautiful and gifted storyteller who is daughter of the king’s Vizier (Mark Carlisle). She offers to marry the king knowing he hates women after his wife’s adultery — to the extent that he now marries a different girl each day and executes her next morning. A cutesy Christmas family show this at first is not.

Shaharazad (Rokhsaneh Ghawam-Shahidi) marries the king (Emilio Doorgasingh) and tricks him into listening to one of her stories, then another and another, until it’s 21/2 years later and he decides he won’t kill her anyway. Very touching.

Dominic Cooke’s adaptation of half a dozen of the stories-within-the-story is fast-moving, occasionally funny and beautifully put-together by director Amy Leach.

Unusually for the Lowry’s small Quays theatre, the stage is set with audience members all around the action, even on stage, and the proscenium arch is now a semi-derelict Moorish archway through which the only major prop, a cart, is wheeled in and out.

The evening reaches a high with the final tale, about another marriage gone wrong and three siblings raised by the Royal steward not realising they are the king’s children. And the evening reaches a low — in low-humour terms anyway — with the senior official who runs away to India after monumentally breaking wind and suffering great humiliation. You’ll be pleased to know it’s a sound effect...

Along the way there’s a giant Rukh (a big bird), several deaths, lots of heartbreak and even a bird in gilded cage.

The small cast — which includes Paul Barnhill, Kezrena James, Jo Mousley, Tachia Newall, Mitesh Soni and Claire Storey — plays dozens of roles between them and works strongly together throughout. The show starts a little slowly and is hampered occasionally by having more narration than dialogue, but overall the effect is charming.