Our whole school show saw ‘Arabian Nights’ play out over three nights and a matinee and each audience left impressed and happy.
‘Arabians Nights, (or ‘One Thousand and One Nights / Alf Laylah wa-Laylah) is a collection of Middle eastern folktales compiled in the Arabic language during the Islamic Golden Age. The stories are centred around the ruler Shahryar, being narrated the tales by his wife Scheherazade, with one tale told over each night, so that she can escape the ruler’s habit of executing his wives the day after marriage.
Our performance was based around this central narrative being acted out, with related scenes coming in to portray each of the stories told by Scheherazade. These stories included ‘Ali Baba’, ‘The Little Beggar’, ‘The Wife Who Wouldn’t Eat’, ‘How Abu Hassan Broke Win’ and ‘The Story of the Envious Sisters’.
Leading cast members includes our Year 13 Drama students Cameron Thain, Maiya Ogden and Emily Rice, whose performances go to their final qualifications, but the wider cast included over 100 children.
Elsewhere, the musical score was composed and created by Friary staff and students with the orchestra pit full of our young musicians playing their score live as the plot rolled out.
The full cast and show list can be seen here. The show was also played to local primary schools earlier in the Show Week.
Richard Hughes, Head of Performing Arts and Show Director, said: “This is a show we have been looking forward to laying on for a number of years so it has been wonderful to bring this aspiration to fruition. The cast were fantastic, the musicians too, and there was a whole team effort from the stage crew as well.”
Matt Allman, Headteacher, added: “There has been a tremendous amount of work that has gone on behind the scenes to produce this performance and I am delighted it went so well. Our next performance will be our Key Stage Three (Years 7-9) Show in the Summer Term.”
