Arabian Nights

Duffield Neil

Description

When Sheherazad is brought to the palace to be the Sultan's new bride, her very life depends upon her skill as a storyteller. She tells him tales of lost cities and buried treasure, of slave girls and robbers, of genies in bottles and evil sorcerers. But will it be enough to save her?The stories of the Arabian Nights date back more than a thousand years and originate from Persia, India and Arabia. Neil Duffield has combined elements of many of them, keeping alive the excitement and humour to produce a show which will transport the audience into a world of myth and legend where fantasy and reality can never be separated.

Sujets

• Saudi Arabia
• Arabie saoudite

Informations

• Publié par: Distributed By PublishDrive
• Date de parution: 05 avril 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781911501886
• Langue: English

Extrait

Neil Duffield
Neil has worked as a full-time professional playwright for almost thirty five years and his plays have been staged extensively in theatres throughout Britain and abroad.
Past work includes The Machine Stops (York Theatre Royal), The Emperor and the Nightingale (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick), The Ugly Duckling (Northumberland Theatre Company), The Road to Glory (The Point, Eastleigh), A Christmas Carol (Derby Theatre, Edinburgh Lyceum, Bolton Octagon), The Firebird (Dundee Rep), Dancing in my Dreams (Oxfordshire Theatre Company), The Minotaur and Leopard (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Dukes Theatre, Lancaster).
His play The Lost Warrior (commissioned by The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster) won the Arts Council England Children’s Award in 2006 ‘for work which displays excellence, inspiration and innovation in children’s theatre.’
Neil lives in Bolton with his partner Eileen Murphy and spends as much time as possible with their four young grandchildren.
First published in the UK in 2017 by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd
67 Grove Avenue, Twickenham, TW1 4HX
www.aurorametro.com [e-mail]
Arabian Nights © 1997 Neil Duffield
Cover design © 2017 courtesy of the Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds
Production: Simon Smith
With many thanks to: Ivett Saliba and Matthew Rhys Daniel.
All rights are strictly reserved.
For rights enquiries including performing rights, please contact the publisher: [e-mail]
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
In accordance with Section 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Neil Duffield asserts his moral rights to be identified as the author of the above work.
This paperback is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Printed by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY.
Ebook conversion by Swift ProSys.
ISBNs:
978-1-911501-87-9 (print)
978-1-911501-88-6 (ebook)
ARABIAN NIGHTS
by
NEIL DUFFIELD
The Theatre Royal
Built in 1819 by the renowned architect William Wilkins (who also designed the National Gallery in London), the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds is one of the most significant theatrical buildings in Europe. As this country’s only example of a playhouse dating from the Regency period, it offers visitors a unique and unforgettable theatrical experience. One of eight Grade 1 listed theatre buildings in the country, it is also the only working theatre in the National Trust’s entire portfolio of properties. Inspired by its impressive historical pedigree, the Theatre prides itself on the quality and innovation of its artistic work and enjoys a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking arts organisations in the UK.
The building is owned by the Greene King Brewery. In 1975, it was leased to the National Trust which, in turn, has handed the day-to-day running of the Theatre to Bury St Edmunds Theatre Management Limited. Like many other theatres of its generation, the Theatre Royal has enjoyed a chequered history, closing and reopening its doors on a number of occasions. The most recent of these, in September 2007, followed a £5.3 million programme of restoration and development. This project, funded in part by the Heritage Lottery Fund, not only returned the building to its 1819 configuration and decoration but also provided improved customer facilities through the creation of a contemporary foyer space adjoining the Theatre.
Our work attracts around 75,000 visitors a year, plus over 2,500 young people engage in creative learning activities in schools or in the community. Over 20,000 come to see our renowned annual traditional family pantomime. A further 2,000 people visit for our heritage, either as organised groups year-round or for our Open Doors. The Theatre became licensed for weddings and civil partnerships in 2012. A wide range of local community and amateur groups regularly present performances on the Theatre’s stage and are essential to the cultural offer to the community.
The Theatre Royal celebrates its heritage and, as a National Trust property, welcomes visitors to enjoy the restored building through guided tours, talks and lectures. The Theatre employs a paid staff of 30 and supports a number of internships and apprenticeships. It also has a team of approximately 70 volunteers. It is overseen by a non-executive board of management. There is a Patron’s Scheme and a thriving Friends scheme numbering over 600 members. The Theatre receives regular grant and project aid from St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk County Council and Arts Council England (through project grants) and also enjoys strong support from the local business community.
Mission
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds presents a high quality programme of performances and creative activities that enrich and inspire children’s and adults’ lives.
Aims
– To present a broad performing arts programme of high quality work from leading arts organisations and emerging artists.
– To work within a range of producing models for Theatre Royal productions.
– To develop further the Theatre Royal as a Creative Learning organisation.
– To work within a sustainable business model with a skilled workforce and effective base for its operations.
– To develop and grow audiences.
– To build on the trust and support of the Theatre Royal’s supporters and stakeholders.
– To celebrate the Theatre Royal’s unique heritage.
Theatre Royal Youth!
Youth Theatre is the life-blood of a good theatre. At Theatre Royal our purpose is to facilitate workshops for young people run by experienced theatre professionals. Through the classes members can have fun and express themselves in a friendly environment whilst developing key drama and life skills. We work with members from aged 8–22 and throughout the year we put on main house productions and run lots of projects within the community of Bury St Edmunds.
I decided to direct Arabian Nights as I had worked closely on another of Neil’s adaptations the previous year – The Jungle Book , which was a huge success for us. His writing always captures people’s imaginations and at the heart of it all he is a really good storyteller. This new adaptation is just perfect for a youth theatre and I am sure many more groups will take on this fabulous piece of work.
David Whitney, Associate Artist & Director of Youth Theatre
Education at The Theatre Royal
Many of our visiting companies and in-house productions are supplemented with an education resource, workshop or even schematic lesson plans.
We offer a bespoke facility to schools, and work creatively and thoughtfully with to enrich the curriculum, attain Artsmark, Art Award and other accreditations, or provide meaningful CPD sessions for staff. We also have engaging enrichment programmes for schools, such as The Shakespeare Takeover Programme, Into the Mind Project and Once Upon a Festival, our annual celebration of all that’s great and wonderful in the arts for children in East Anglia.
CONTENTS
ARABIAN NIGHTS
Cast
This version was first performed at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds on 6th April 2017 with the following cast:
Tilly Alexander
Nomad, Jinnee
Alice Avis
Nomad, Thief
Trinity-Joy Bayliss-Mills
Nomad, Healer Woman
Jessica Bellamy
Nomad, Bushra (Wazir’s Wife)
Harry Carroll-Davis
Nomad, Thief
Megan Cater
Nomad
Hope Codrington Fernandez
Dunyazad
Jago Cooper
Ali
Imogen Cutler
Nomad
George Cutler
Shahryar
Erin DeFrias
Sheherazad
Joshua Ely
Shahzaman
Alia Farquhar
Nomad, Thief
Evie Harrison
Nomad
Soprana Kapela
Nomad
Pippa Kemp
Nomad
Finley Kenneally
Nomad, Hasan the Thief
Verity Patel
Nomad
Éloise Probitts
Marjiana
Danny Rainford
Nomad, Thief
Rebecca Rees
Nomad, Slave Merchant
Michael Serioux
Nomad, Thief
Elliot Stribling
The Grand Wazir, Jawan the Terrible
Theo Turner
Kasim
Production Team
Production Manager – Dave Thwaites
Deputy Stage Manager – Hannah Leeper
Producer – Adrian Grady
Technicians – Chris Last, Nath Penhallow
Head Chaperone – Becky Easdown
Chaperones - Hayley Murrow, David Whitney
Creative Team
Writer – Neil Duffield
Director – David Whitney
Composer and Musical Supervisor – Andy Garbi
Costume and Set Designer – Heidi McEvoy-Swift
Choreographer – Julia Cave
Rehearsal Assistant – Hayley Murrow
Lighting Designer – Dave Thwaites
Wardrobe Supervisor – Heidi McEvoy-Swift
Photographer – Tony Kelly
Thanks to
All the staff at The Theatre Royal
Our rehearsal venues:
Conservatoire EAST
All Saints Parish Church
ARABIAN NIGHTS
Commissioned and first produced by Action Transport Theatre Company, December 1997.
Re-writes for the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, January 2017.
Cast size flexible (minimum 13).
A small cast version of the script (minimum 5 actors) is available from the author.
Characters
Shahzaman (M)

Shahryar (M)
– Shahzaman’s younger brother
Sheherazad (F)

Dunyazad (F)
– Sheherazad’s younger sister
Wazir (M)
– Father of Sheherazad and Dunyazad
Kasim (M)
– A rich merchant
Ali (M)
– Kasim’s younger brother, a woodcutter
Slave Merchant (F)

Marjiana (F)
– A slave girl
Jawan / Bashir (M)
– A robber chief
Healer (F)

Jinnee (made up from chorus) Thief (F)

A chorus of storytelling nomads (M and F) become various things at various times throughout the play.
ACT ONE
The set is a collection of boxes, jars,