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Narrative Arts Club: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

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Tuesday September 23, 2008 18:52

by The Oh-Aissieux - Narrative Arts Club

Plus storytelling a la carte

The storytelling club that "knows no boundaries and succumbs to few taboos" is delighted to offer another evening of innovative and international storytelling, featuring a new adaptation of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.
With The Oh-Aissieux and guest performers, Adam Wilson and Michael Phelan.
Library Bar Extension, Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2.
On Tuesday 30 September 2008 only.
Doors 7.30. Show starts 8pm sharp.
Admission EUR5, concessions EUR2.
Book to avoid disappointment. Text names to 086 060 3818.

Plot summary: While exploring an abandoned warehouse in the desert near Baghdad, Ali is startled by the buzz of engines and a cloud of dust that rages across the sands. Hiding, he watches as forty heavily armed men, dressed in the uniform of robbers, arrive in a convoy of humvees laden with loot. Ali's curiosity soon leads him into deadly confrontation with the robbers. Fortunately, his quick-witted, plucky cook Mariana is on hand to defend the household from attack.

The evening's show will also feature "storytelling a la carte", where members of the audience are invited to select stories for performance from a menu.

This is storytelling, but not as we know it. This is eye-contact theatre for the noughties.

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Belly-dancing Mariana delights a full house

Thu Oct 02, 2008 18:40

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim.

It was a great delight to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in the Narrative Arts Club, with a performance of tales from the Arabian nights for a house that seemed entirely unaware that Ramadan had just ended, and probably hadn't even seen the old moon, let alone the new.

Thanks to Michael and Adam for performing alongside me, and to everybody who turned up for another full house.

There was an intense hush from the moment the doors closed, a few minutes before eight, and the show started promptly on the hour. Following requests from members of the audience, the first part of the show ran as follows:
Starters: Mushroom soup
Late-comers asked for a second starter: Meet the Molbos
Tales of seduction: Moon woman
Main course: The fisherman and the djinn
Spicy side dishes: Don't tell a soul!
Desserts: The bumblebee

Interval from 9.05 to 9.30pm.

In the second half, the house engaged keenly with our new adaptation of Ali Baba, perhaps better known as Mariana and the forty robbers, as it is plain that she is the heroine and main character of this oh so ancient and yet so modern tale. Listening was intense as the robbers arrived in their humvees, and Mariana's appearance as a belly dancer both curvaceous and sinuous elicited a particular excitement, signalled by nervous giggles, but the way she dealt with the robber chief was no joke.

Michael and Adam performed steadily for about 25 minutes each, leaving The Oh-Aissieux to bring the tale to a close at 10.40.

Particular thanks to Sammy and Helena for bringing themselves and a delightful Tickles crowd. There could be no storytelling without such clever listeners.

Please share your impressions of the show, below.
Which stories or aspects of the show did you most enjoy?
How can we make future shows even more entertaining and enjoyable?
Thanks in advance!

Coilín.

PS: Our next show will be on Thursday 30th.

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Narrative Arts Club: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

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