Thousand Nights and One

“A mesmerising tapestry of tales” promises the blurb. Written and directed by Rasika Agashe, it’s a magical look at the fate of Scheherazade, the narrator of the original ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. Rasika Agashe says she has long been fascinated by the Arabian Nights stories; “reading them now, I realize they are about strong women who navigate their survival through storytelling. That’s the power of storytelling!”

At the core of her approach to the Scheherazade story (a Sultan weds anew each day, only to have the bride slain at dawn to preempt any treachery: Scheherazade bucks the trend by captivating him with her stories, sparing her life with each new sunrise) is the enigmatic Fakir (Dee Gee), who holds the key to Scheherazade’s storytelling; and Amina (Audrey Vaz), whose journey of secrets and survival embodies the resilience of women in the face of destiny.

There’s a second performance on 9 March.