Shahrazad has a gift for telling stories: wonderful tales of thieves, mythical creatures and jealous brothers… and her younger sister loves to hear them.  But when the King’s wife is unfaithful, he sentences her to death, and the lives of those in the kingdom are changed for good.  The King swears to marry for only one day, marrying a different girl each night and having her executed the following morning.  Shahrazad decides to try and change his ways and win the King’s heart, determined to save her village.

As she tells tale after tale, in order to delay her execution, we are introduced to a delightful array of characters from Ali Baba to Sinibad the Sailor… and the actor musicians work seamlessly to bring each story to life.  Taking on role after role, and transporting us to stories within stories, the talented, versatile cast bounce off each other, and work incredibly as an ensemble led by on stage Musical Director and pianist, Gareth Wyn Griffiths.

The colourful performances are emphasised by a stunning set, as sand and snakes lace the floor, mountains and caves come to life, and light bulbs sway in the wind.  Audience members young and old were intrigued and enchanted from the first chords of the piano, and the clever twists in the stories were vividly brought to life.

Wonderful, entertaining and charming storytelling, full of magic and mystery, enhanced by a beautiful set – Arabian Nights is a beautiful Christmas treat this year with the same values of family, love and a good old fashioned happy ending.

Arabian Nights runs until December 31st at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff.  For tickets and more information, click here.

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