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Sharjah starts World Book Capital reign with legend of Arabian Nights

Sharjah - The show is the first of its kind in its unique integration of concept and performance arts.

On World Book Day this Tuesday (April 23), Sharjah is kicking off its year-round festivities to celebrate its recognition as Unesco's World Book Capital for 2019. The emirate won the title last year for its cultural achievements.
And what better way to start the celebrations than with a grand, never-before-seen spectacle? Dubbed the 'greatest story ever told', the 1001 Nights: The Last Chapter production is set to take over the Al Majaz Amphitheatre tomorrow, serving as the curtain-raiser for the Sharjah World Book Capital festivities. 
Throughout the year, all segments of the UAE community - including Emirati, Arab and international literary figures and intellectuals - will be engaged in a series of book-themed events and activities.
Amani Al Ali, director of the Sharjah World Book Capital Office (SWBC), said: "The SWBC has set an interactive platform to promote one of this year's planned initiatives - the Mobile Beach Libraries, which will be established in cooperation with Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Sharjah Ladies Club (SLC), Knowledge Without Borders (KwB) and Sharjah Municipality."
Everyone involved in the celebrations' opening production - the 1001 Nights: The Last Chapter show - has said "there has been nothing like it".
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, head of the inauguration ceremony committee of the Sharjah World Book Capital and chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, said this show is bound to "change the face of live entertainment in the UAE and it will reinvent the genre of performing arts".
"The show is the first of its kind in its unique integration of concept and performance arts. The production will see the kind of audio-visual technology only seen in a handful of theatre productions globally," he said.
A crew of 537 theatre artists and acrobats, innovators, technologists and storytellers of 25 nationalities have all worked together to bring the theatrical masterpiece to life.
"With the show, Sharjah will be crossing a significant cultural milestone and reinforce its commitment to human development through a grand celebration of the arts - a vision inspired by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah," Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed said.
The show, according to him, features a new narrative for a the universally popular old tale of the 1001 Nights. The untold story of Scheherazade will come alive on Al Majaz's 1,030-sqm stage. "The performance is inspired by some of the most important chapters of human literature written on this part of the world," he said.
"Audiences can expect to see world-class performers unravel the tale's mysteries with masterful acting and extraordinary acts including duo straps, aerial chains, tumbling, dancing, horse-riding and, of course, a live musical orchestra."
Behind the scenes of 1001 Nights: The Last Chapter
Sharjah has pulled out all stops to create the epic 1001 Nights: The Last Chapter. 
This production, led by Al Majaz Amphitheatre, has been developed by Multiple International in partnership with 7Fingers and Artists in Motion. A number of choreographers associated with recent Cirque du Soleil productions were also involved in putting the show together.
Crew members have crossed the 1,000-hour mark in their preparations, spread across a duration of more than a year.
After giving the UAE the 'Clusters of Light' operetta in 2014 - when Sharjah was named the Islamic Culture Capital by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation - Philippe Skaff, CEO of Multiple International, has returned to the emirate as creative director of the show.
The director's chair, on the other hand, has been occupied by Sébastien Soldevila, the multi-awarded, artistic director of The 7 Fingers, an artist collective based in Canada.
The creative content production is headed by Richard Lindsay, the founder of Sydney-based company Artists in Motion who has more than 20-years of experience in the field.
Artists and performers will be presenting the 1001 Nights story with live musical background, courtesy of a 51-piece oriental orchestra that is led by Harout Fazlian, the principal conductor of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.
Maxim Lapage from Canada has also teamed up with Fazilan to combine classical and electronic styles and create dramatic acoustics for the show. The sound effects, on the other hand, are created by sound designer Mark Vreeken. 
The show's choreography and acrobatics were conceptualised by Canadian dancer, choreographer and artistic director Geneviève Dorion-Coupal, while the costume design is a product of creative genius James Lavoie.
Achievements of Sharjah
>Cultural Capital of the Arab World' by Unesco in 1998
>Capital of Islamic Culture by Organisation of Islamic Countries Conference in 2014
>World Book Capital by Unesco in 2019
1001 Nights: The Last Chapter
>April 23-27 (runs once daily)
>Al Majaz Amphitheatre
>Doors open at 7pm
>Show starts at 9pm
>Tickets are priced at Dh135
>Available at https://sharjah.platinumlist.net
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com