DOHA: People from various cultures have applauded “One Thousand and One Nights” ballet which recently opened at the Katara Opera House.
The ballet in two acts, based on an anthology of folk tales in Arabic collected during the Islamic Golden Age, continues until June 23.
Bringing together Eastern and Western influences, the show runs for one-and-a-half hours, featuring flawless movements and a mix of East and West classic music. Colourful costumes and theatre designs adds vibrancy to the show.
The ballet tells the story of a young sultan, Shahrayar, who ruled a country in the Far East and loved his wife Noreda very much. But after returning from a hunting trip, he finds her in the arms of a servant and in rage kills her.
Fuelled by embarrassment and resentment, Shahrayar decides to kill all girls in the country, marrying a new one every night only to have her decapitated the next morning until he meets Scheherazade.
Scheherazade, knowing what awaits her next morning, devises a plan to avoid her death by narrating a story every night to the sultan, only stopping at a captivating point at dawn.
Her stories enchant Shahrayar so much that he keeps postponing her execution.
In the end the sultan begins to believe in love again and on the last night opens his heart to Scheherazade and pardons her death.
The show is aimed at bridging the gap and enhancing cultural exchange between different nations and diversifying events hosted by Katara to meet varied tastes of different segments of visitors.
Earlier, Katara presented Cinderalla, Snow White and Nutcracker ballet performances.
The show starts at 8pm.
Tickets are available at Virgin Megastores at Villaggio and Landmark Mall.
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