ARABIAN NIGHTS
This year ’ s Lower School play was based on The Arabian Nights , known for its range of different folk tales compiled from the Middle East during the Islamic Golden Age .
Adapted by Dominic Cooke , the play is set in the Middle Ages and follows the tyrant king Shahrayar , played with stern authority by David Abobade and Sam Tidball . Having had his heart broken by his first wife , Shahrayar decides to marry a different woman every night and kill her in the morning . However , Shahrazad , played entrancingly by Milana Robbens and Marjolaine Mauduit , uses her creativity , telling different stories every night which keep the king enthralled . Eager to hear another story the next night , the king refrains from killing Shahrazad and more women . Some of these stories include well-known tales such as ‘ Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves ’, which teaches you not to let greed blind you to what you already have , and also lesser-known tales such as ‘ The Story of the Envious Sister ’, which teaches you not to compare yourself to others and covet what they have , but to be thankful for your life as it is . The play impeccably encapsulates the importance of forgiveness and appreciation .
Arabian Nights was spectacular because of how well the ensemble worked together , manipulating the simple set of movable boxes with choreographed ease . It was clear that every single member of the cast was proud of what they had produced after months of rehearsing and hard work . It was also amazing how
48 DRAMA REVIEW