Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20151206 | 20191219 (BBC7) 20191220 (BBC7) 20151212 (R4) | The immortal stories of The Arabian Nights are brought to life in an inventive fresh adaptation by Glen Neath, reviving favourites such as Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves and The Fisherman and The Demon along with lesser known tales. This is a world of wonder, magic and comedy - but also of contemporary realism. Successive generations in the east and the west have reinterpreted these tales, recognising the inept rulers, the resourceful slaves and the wondrous magicians. That's why this is one of the most enduring and influential books in literature. In this opener, we join Ata Madri (Indira Varma) as she heads to modern day Cairo to track down an elusive medieval copy of The Nights - one that is said to contain the original ending. A sea of stories awaits her. An extraordinary ensemble of actors from east and west come together to tell the tales. Narrator....................Nadim Sawalha Madri.........................Indira Varma Clive, King Yunan.......Ewan Bailey Taxi Driver, Hasan......Nayef Rashed Ali Baba......................Muzz Khan Ali Baba's wife............Noa Bodner Cassim, King of the City's Vizier......Noof McEwan Cassim's wife.............Alyssa Kyria Marjaneh....................Laura Hanna Cobbler, Vizier............Niall Ashdown Robber........................Waleed Elgadi Captain.......................Alexei Sayle Ali Baba's son, Young Man..............Amir El-Masry Shopkeeper, Fisherman..................Nabil Elouahabi Professor, Demon........Stewart Scudamore Sage Duban.................Renu Setna King of the City............Bhasker Patel Evil Wife.......................Sharlit Deyzac |
| 02 | 20151213 | 20191220 (BBC7) 20191221 (BBC7) 20151219 (R4) | The Hunchback Cycle is told in this episode, including the story of The Barber (Alexei Sayle) and his brothers, as well as lesser known stories. The immortal stories of The Arabian Nights brought to life in an inventive fresh adaptation by Glen Neath, as present and past merge into one. Ata Madri (Indira Varma) is in Cairo attempting to retrieve a lost manuscript of The Arabian Nights that is said to contain the real ending of the book. As we follow her search we slip into this sea of stories. These tales of wonder and imagination have beguiled both east and west over generations and remain as seminal and influential as ever. Here, the stories are told in a rich world of sound by an ensemble of actors from around the world. Narrator.....................Nadim Sawalha Madri..........................Indira Varma Clive, Steward............Ewan Bailey Ali Zum, Thief, Chief....Waleed Elgadi Tailor...........................Bhasker Patel Tailor's Wife................Alyssa Kyria Christian, Old Man.......Niall Ashdown Lame Young Man, Al-Haddar....................Muzz Khan Mother, Beautiful Woman..........Noa Bodner Barber..........................Alexei Sayle Jewish Physician's maid, Judge's Daughter.........Sharlit Deyzac Caliph...........................Renu Setna Bakbook, Jewish Physician...........Amir El-Masry Young Woman..............Laura Hanna Bakbak.........................Nabil Elouahabi Blind Beggar.................Noof McEwan Watchman, Al-Ashar.....Stewart Scudamore Hasan, Taxi Driver........Nayef Rashed |