ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

Alf Layla wa-Layla

Commissioned by Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity
Dramatised and directed by Tim Supple | Stories adapted by Hanan al- Shaykh

World Premiere: June 2011 | Luminato, Toronto 
August 2011 | Edinburgh International Festival

Full cast and crew list here

Dramatised and directed by Founding Joint Artistic Director Tim Supple, with stories adapted by the seminal Lebanese novelist Hanan al-Shaykh, and commissioned by the Luminato Festival, Dash Arts present one of the world’s great folk story-cycles.

Written by Arabic writers from tales gathered in India, Persia and across the great Arab Empire, the One Thousand and One Nights are the never-ending stories told by Shahrazad night after night, under sentence of death, to the king Shahrayar who has vowed to marry a virgin every night and kill her in the morning.

The web of tales woven by Shahrazad were exoticised and adapted for children in the West under the title of the Arabian Nights. This production unearthed the true character of the One Thousand and One Nights as it is in the oldest Arabic manuscripts. In turns erotic, brutal, witty, poetic and complex, the tales tell of love and marriage, power and punishment, rich and poor, and the endless trials and uncertainties of fate. The great cities and thriving trade routes of the Islamic world provide the setting for these stories that employ supernatural mystery and intense realism to portray the deep and endless drama of human experience.

One Thousand and One Nights was created with actors, musicians and designers gathered over two years of travel and development across the Arabic speaking world. After three months rehearsal in Fez, Morocco, the production – performed in Arabic, French and English - premiered at Luminato, Toronto and went on to enjoy award-wining, sell-out success at Edinburgh International Festival.

Further UK and international touring of One Thousand and One Nights is planned; further details to be announced.

One Thousand and One Nights Playtext

We have a limited number of One Thousand And One Nights playtexts for sale; this exclusive edition contains all the dramatised stories from Dash Arts’ acclaimed 2011 production, along with introductions from the author Hanan al-Shaykh, and the dramatist and director Tim Supple. It also features dramatisations of additional stories that were not included in the performed version.

Price: £12 inc. postage+packaging (UK delivery only).
If you would like to purchase a playtext for International delivery, please contact us on info@dasharts.org.uk 

TOUR DATES:

Toronto (Luminato Festival)
Canadian Opera Company
The Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre
7th - 19th June 2011

Edinburgh
Royal Lyceum Theatre,
Edinburgh International Festival
Part One:
23rd, 25th, 30th August 2011
21st,27th,28th,31st August 2011
2nd, 3rd September 2011

Part Two:
21st, 24th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 31st August
1st, 2nd, 3rd September 2011