The school production of Arabian Nights was a charming, feel-good celebration of the enduring power of story-telling, as the audience were transported into an exotic world of mystery, adventure and colourful, flamboyant characters.
The play starts with the suitably cruel, tyrannical King Shahryar (Bertie Taylor) who – having had his heart broken – marries a new woman every day, only to have her executed the next morning. Desperate to save his daughter from this terrible fate, the Vizier (Abhay Khanna) attempts to change the king’s mind, capturing his imagination via the very stories he claims to despise.
From the first bars of music, the cast embraced the magic of storytelling with an infectious sense of fun. The audience were whisked away on a breathless, roller-coaster journey through a rich tapestry of tales. Haunting music, atmospheric lighting, and the enchanting, versatile set conjured the grandeur of the palace and infused the stage with a vivid Middle Eastern atmosphere, while also transforming effortlessly into a sweeping desert landscape as the stories unfolded. Forde’s adaptation demands rapid character shifts, spirited narration, and a constant stream of imaginative invention, all of which the cast delivered with remarkable gusto. Each tale felt like a freshly-opened treasure chest, revealing yet another sparkling performance.
This was, at its heart, a true ensemble production. The 40-plus-strong cast created a pageant of vivid characters. As the story of the dashing Ali Baba (Gabriel Mills) and the resourceful, quick-witted Morgiano (Jazz Dovey) unfolded, the high-energy, expressive thieves set the tone for what was to follow, including beautifully choreographed sequences with plenty of posing and posturing. The visual spectacle of boiling oil being poured into the thief-filled jars was a particular highlight. William Nicholson was suitably menacing and charismatic as the larger-than-life villain, Chief Thief.
The tale of the humble Fisherman (Jack Neale) brimmed with physical theatre: from the appearances of the genies to the clever use of the fishing net to capture various marine items, including – finally – the wicked and evil genie in the bottle (Alex Heritage). Meanwhile, the “death” of the Little Beggar (Akshay Pillai) fizzed with comedic turns as a succession of characters – including the Doctor (Teddy Sutherland), Cook (Luca Baybara) and Slave Haseed (Nathan Eeles) – blamed themselves for the increasingly absurd causes of death.
The audience was finally transported back to the treasure-laden, enchanted Aladdin’s cave, complete with the iconic Open Sesame, glittering riches and all-important magic oil lamp. Strong, convincing performances came from the youthful Aladdin (Alexej Coffee), Aladdin’s mother (Henry Hawkins), and his evil and scheming uncle Abadnazar (Charlie Gooch).
Comedic touches were one of the show’s undoubted triumphs: whether through exuberant physical theatre, playful asides, or delightfully over‑the‑top villains, the cast embraced the play’s light-heartedness with wholehearted enthusiasm. The result was a production brimming with imagination, teamwork, and youthful confidence: a rip-roaring, frenetic journey through a succession of stories. The final message, centred on the power of love and the healing magic of storytelling, provided a fittingly heartwarming conclusion.
As the cast launched into the grand, all‑singing, all‑dancing finale and the applause rolled on, it was clear the production had thoroughly enchanted its audience, clearly rubbing them up the right way: total genie-us!