Arabian Nights

Neil Duffield

• Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
• ISBN:
  9781911501886
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

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.

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, sacks, blankets, carpets, cushions, etc which can be moved around and used to create various scenes and locations, as well as providing props and items of costume.

The feel should be of a group of nomads telling a story with the help of whatever is around them.

Music in. Into song.

NOMADS

Here is the story of Sinbad the Sailor

Of Duban the Doctor and Tariq the Tailor

The mouse and the weasel, the bull and the ass

The prince and the ogress, the City of Brass

Be on your guard for the Queen of the Jinn

Terror rides out when she saddles the wind

As one story ends, another’s begun

And so it goes on and on

For a thousand nights and one.

The tale of the caliph from Samarkand

The city of gold buried under the sand

Burning bushes and singing trees

Bands of robbers and dens of thieves

I’ll tell you a tale of a horse that could fly

That carried a princess up to the sky

As one story ends another’s begun

And so it goes on and on

For a thousand nights and one.

I’ll tell you stories of ravens and bones

Of plagues of poison and raining stones

Oceans of red, a blood-ridden sky

The queen of serpents with pearls in her eyes

A jinnee created from smokeless flame

Who comes from nowhere to steal your name

As one story ends another’s begun

And so it goes on and on

For a thousand nights and one.

Song ends. Music continues under. One of the nomads (the one who will play Sheherazad) ceremonially opens the story-telling.

NOMAD

May the legends of old be lessons to the people of our time, so that a man may see those things which befell others beside himself, and wonder.

Music fades out. The nomads take turns to tell the story.

NOMAD

It is related, revered friends, that long ago in the tide and current of ancient time, there lived two brothers – both sultans at the height of their wealth and splendour.

NOMAD

Their names were… Shahzaman

One of them takes on the role of Shahzaman.

NOMAD

… and Shahryar.

Another becomes Shahryar. The nomads know the story well and delight in telling it. Plenty of fun and physical comedy.

NOMAD

The younger brother, Shahryar, was about to be married.

NOMAD

So he summoned a messenger.

One of them becomes the messenger.

NOMAD

And sent word inviting Shahzaman to the wedding.

Shahryar hands a note to the messenger.

NOMAD

The messenger journeys over lofty mountains and endless deserts to deliver his message.

We see the journey. Messenger delivers the note to Shahzaman.

SHAHZAMAN

Tell my brother I am most honoured to accept.

NOMAD

Shahzaman assembled a great caravan of camels…

Nomads form themselves into the caravan.

NOMAD

… and set off for the kingdom of his brother.

The caravan sets off in stately fashion. Plenty of fun.

SHAHZAMAN

Caravan… halt!

Comic halt.

NOMAD

They hadn’t travelled far, when Shahzaman realised he had left behind his brother’s wedding present.

NOMAD

The great caravan of camels turned around and hurried home.

Comic chaos as they do so.

NOMAD

But when he arrived back at the palace what should Shahzaman find but…

We see an image of two lovers embracing.

NOMAD

His wife!

NOMAD

In the arms of another man!

NOMAD

Shahzaman’s face darkened and his soul filled with fury.

NOMAD

He drew his sword…

NOMAD

and with one whispering stroke…

Shahzaman swings the sword.

NOMAD

… sliced off both their heads!

Gasp of horror from the nomads.

NOMAD

Then, with his heart a pit of hatred,

NOMAD

he returned to his great caravan of camels

NOMAD

and set off once more ...