Tales from a Thousand Nights actor makes stage debut in Hexham

AN actor-musician will make her stage debut in an adaptation of a Middle Eastern classic.

Tales from a Thousand and One Nights, based on the collection of Middle Eastern folk tales One Thousand and One Nights, is a show adapted and directed by Eliot Giuralarocca of Dragonboy Productions.

The show will be at the Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham on Tuesday, April 18 at 7.30pm.

Maeva Feitelson in Tales from a Thousand and One Nights (Image: Dragonboy Productions)

Verity Bajoria, 23, is the lead actor performing as Scheherazade in her stage debut.

Verity said: "She's the lead storyteller of the show, she's feisty and clever and knows if she can tell a story well enough, she can keep herself alive. That's the crux of the whole play, she's keeping telling stories to keep herself alive for longer." 

The full cast on stage (Image: Dragonboy Productions)

Verity, from Hexham, grew up watching performances at the Queen's Hall and said she is excited to return.

"For our first touring job, it's a really good one to have. It's a lovely company, it's a lovely cast and it's quite exciting going to lots of different places in a short space of time. 

Verity performing as Scheherazade (Image: Dragonboy Productions)

"I've really enjoyed it. I think it's tiring and hard work, but I am really grateful for being hired for it.

"I remember growing up and watching things at the Queen's Hall, it's nice to be doing something there ourselves."

The ensemble show will feature music performed by the cast of actor-musicians.

Verity will perform several instruments throughout the show, which includes the violin, piano, guitar and drums.

Verity will perform on a range of instruments (Image: Dragonboy Productions)

"We're playing lots of different characters, and lots of different instruments to tell the stories of the Arabian Nights."

The adaptation introduces humour while maintaining the seriousness of the original stories and the morals within them.

Verity said the audience can expect to learn about the stories while having fun.

"They're fun tales and not all of them have reached us over in England, some of them are really well-known in the Middle East. It's nice to bring those stories here which is something that's important to a lot of the cast.

"People seem to have really enjoyed it, we've had a lovely reception in a few places we've been to. It's nice to bring something new, and it's getting a lovely response," Verity said.