Arabian Nights (RSC)

Drawing on just a few of the tales, Cooke’s adaptation skilfully weaves a beguiling narrative accessible to people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Music, physical theatre, choral speaking, slapstick and many other tradtions come together in a masterful piece of storytelling.

As ever, the production team have exploited the Courtyard theatre to the full. A deceptively simple set of a sand-filled circle set against a shimmering wall transports us from palaces to mountains, forests and beyond with the sweep of a cloth or a sprinkling of glitter. The costuming is both simple and sumptuous. There’s an enormous attention to detail which pays off with some wonderful stage pictures.

I very much doubt you will see a more consummate example of an ensemble cast working together to tell stories and entertain audiences. They switch between multiple roles with ease and create vibrant and identifiable characters seemingly effortlessly. There are some stand-out performances from Ayesha Dharker (as Shaharazad) and Simon Trinder (particularly in his incredibly physical Little Beggar) but, in truth, there’s not a single weak moment in any of the scenes.

Technically, the production offers moments of theatrical magic. The puppetry in the Sinbad sequence is superb, the sleight of hand perfect and the crystal ball entranced the entire audience who were all talking about that moment as they left the theatre.

This is, without doubt, one of my theatrical highlights of the year. I would recommend it without reservation to anyone with a love of storytelling and good theatre. The RSC have ended the year on a real high with a rich, exotic, pitch-perfect piece of top-quality entertainment.