1001 Nights at The Unicorn Theatre

Transport Theatre Company have generated a buzz with a modernised version of eastern classic Arabian Nights . Based around staging work that is “highly visual, sonorous, physical and poetic” this innovative company have teamed up with the Unicorn Theatre to create a stirring story about telling stories. Fresh from its 2013 UK tour, 1001 Nights is proving enormously popular and has already been nominated for Best Production for Young People at the Off West End Awards. 

Based on ancient Eastern stories, 1001 Nights is reimagined in a modern London setting. The title is the time it takes the heroine to tell her magical stories. In the original, a king marries every woman in the realm for a single night, and executes her the next morning. Shrewd Shahrazad saves herself by enthralling the king with her story telling, and delaying her fate for 1001 nights. 

The two main actresses Samantha Béart and Kehini Misha show fresh talent as they team up to joyfully to recreate the stories, while Krystian Godlewski, playing Shahrazad’s father, provides occasional musical interludes on the violin. The classical heroine becomes Shaz, a young refugee adapting to a strange new life in contemporary England. Rather than saving her life, Shaz’s absorbing stories help her overcome cultural estrangement. She shares her extraordinary tales with a new-found friend and navigates the language barrier by using the things around her — saucepans become crowns, plastic sheets turn into demons— to relate the story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, Parizade and the Singing Tree and countless more. This beautiful adaptation turns a distant romantic epic into a more familiar exploration of friendship and the uniting power of storytelling. 

The translation of a classic Eastern tale to a modern English backdrop reflects the timeless appeal of storytelling traditions. The series of stories gives children a lively introduction to legendary adventures and a glimpse of a mysterious ancient land.

Perfect for audiences age seven and up. Performances are scheduled during the day to suit families (11am, 1:30pm and 2pm).