Kismet - 1994
by arrangement with Samuel French Ltd.
Music & Lyrics by Robert Wright & George Forrest (from themes of Alexander Borodin)
Book by Charles Lederer & Luther Davis (based on the play by Edward Knoblock)
Production Team
Producer & Choreographer - Billy Love
Musical director - S. Gordon Lang
Assistant Choreographer - Margaret Hay
Cast
Iman of the Mosque - Jim Robertson
Beggars - Robbie Crawford, Wilson Paterson, Gilbert Wedgwood
Omar Khayyan (Poet Laureate to the Caliph) - Ken Lawton
A Public Poet (Later called Hajj) - Jim Barr
Marsinah (His daughter) - Kate McGhee
Fruit Seller - Bill Ginn
Hassen-Ben - Edward Peirce
Jawan (A brigand) - Alfred Newton
A Bangle Man - Robert McDermott
Chief Policeman - Jim Robertson
The Wazir of Police - Douglas Muir
Lalume (Wife of Wives to the Wazir) - May Campbell
The Three Princesses of Ababu - Nicola Bruce, Linda Raeburn, Sarah Urquhart
The Caliph of Baghdad - Peter Nevans
Prosecutor - Peter King
Princess Zubbediya of Zanzibar - Gillian Dickson
Ayah to Zubbediya - Elaine Anderson
Princess Samaris of Turkestan - Dawn Smith
Ayah to Samaris - Elizabeth Rennie
The Widow Yussef - Barbara McElroy
Worshippers, Citizens, Merchants, Vendors, Harem Girls, Attendants, Policemen, Guards, Wedding and Diwan Guests
Elaine Anderson, Morag Arthur, Dorothy Bedford, Alison Bennet, Nicola Bruce, Julie Carter, Sandra Crawford, Gillian Dickson, Gillian Dunker, Carol Edison, Norma Fingland, Hazel Hampson, Wendy Hayes, Shona Jenkins, Susan Lawton, Marylin Maxwell, Eileen Montgomery, Pauline Moscardini, Barbara McElroy, Lori McElroy, Margo McTaggart, Linda Raeburn, Elizabeth Rennie, Jaqueline Robb, Dawn Smith, Elizabeth Sorbie, Sarah Urquhart.
Bruce Arthur, John Cannon, lan Conroy, Donald Corbett, Robbie Crawford, Bill Crudge, Simon Dunkley, lain Fraser, Bill Ginn, Peter King, Jim Kirkpatrick, Ken Lawton, Robert McDermott, Jim Maxwell, Wilson Paterson, Edward Peirce, Martin Russell, Harry Sherridan, Bill Struthers, Gilbert Wedgwood.
Performance Details
28th February - 5th March
The Village Theatre,
East Kilbride
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Synopsis
Act I - From dawn to dusk
Scene 1 On the steps of the Mosque
Scene 2 A tent just outside the City
Scene 3 The Bazzar of the Caravans
Scene 4 A Side Street
Scene 5 A Garden
Scene 6 The Throne Room of His Exalted Excellency The Wazir of Police
Overture
"The Sands of Time" - Imam of the Mosque
"Rhymes have I" - Poet and Marsinah
"Fate" - The Poet
Ababu Dance - The Princesses of Ababu
"Not since Ninevah" - Lalume, the Princesses, the Wazir and Citizens
"Baubles, Bangles and Beads" - Marsinah, Bangle Man, Merchants and Citizens
"Stranger in Paradise" - Marsinah and the Caliph
"Gesticulate" - Poet, Lalume, Wazir, Guards, Wazir's Council
Finale - Poet, Lalume, Harem Ladies, Wazir's Council
Act II - From dusk to dawn
Scene 1 Along the route of the Caliph's Procession
Scene 2 The Garden
Scene 3 Ante Room to the Wazir's Harem
Scene 4 A Rooftop Pavilion in the Wazir's Palace
Scene 5 Ante Room to the Wazir's Harem
Scene 6 The Ceremonial Hall of the Caliph's Palace
Entr'act
"Night of my Nights" - Caliph and Entourage
Reprise: "Stranger in Paradise" - Marsinah
Reprise: "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" - Caliph
Reprise: "Night of my Nights" - Caliph and Entourage
"Was I Wazir?" - Wazir, Guards and Council
"The Olive Tree" - Poet
"Rahadlakum" - Lalume, Poet, Ayah and Harem Ladies
"And this is my Beloved" - Poet, Marsinah, Wazir and Chorus
Zubbediya's Dance - Princess Zubbediya, Ayah and Guests
Samaris' Dance - Princess Samaris
Ababu Dance - The Princesses of Ababu
Finale: "Night of my Nights" - Poet, Caliph, Marsinah and Guests
"The Sands of Time" - Poet
Stage Manager - William J Porter
Assistant Stage Managers - Brian Close, Graham McFadyen
Lighting - Carrick McGhie
Stage Director - Jack Tait
Club Accompanist - Nan McKechnie
Property Mistress - Susan Struthers
Wardrobe Mistresses - Margaret McFadyen, Anna McGillivray
Leader of Orchestra - Andrew Wilson
Prompter - Doreen McKenzie
Hon President - Hugh C. Gray
Hon. Vice-President - W. Gordon McNay, OBE
President - Ann M. Struthers
Vice-President - J.Bruce Arthur
Secretary - Elaine Anderson
Treasurer - Elizabeth Struthers
Committee - Robbie Crawford, Jack Tait, Barbara McElroy, Morag Arthur, Peter King, Pauline Moscardini
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Daybreak is heralded by the call of muezzins in ancient Baghdad. The vacant begging post
of the beggar Hajj is taken over by a sharp-witted public poet who assumes his name. By
doing so he is kidnapped by brigands and taken to their Jawan whose son had been stolen years
ago because of a curse laid upon him by the real Hajj. But the versatile sham Hajj tricks Jawan
into giving him a bag of gold which he gives to his daughter Marsinah, telling her to buy silks
and trinkets. While doing this in the Bazaar Marsinah is seen by the Caliph who immediately
falls in love with her.
Hajj is brought before the dreaded Wazir and sentenced to have his right hand cut off. Luckily the Wazir's amorous wife Lalume takes a fancy to Hajj and delays the execution of the
sentence during which Jawan is brought in. He proves the innocence of Hajj whom he denounces as a fraud for failing to restore his son. No sooner is this done than he recognizes the
Wazir as his missing son, but is callously sent to his death.
Hajj manages to escape and finds Marsinah waiting for her mysterious lover. Fearing for her
safety, he forces her into hiding just before the Caliph arrives. Pleased with Hajj because of
the turn of events, the Wazir makes him an Emir, giving him the chance to flirt with Lalume
and to put Marsinah in her charge in the harem. The Caliph instructs the Wazir to find his lost
love, and is amazed to discover she is now among the women of the harem. When the Wazir
lies to him that Marsinah is one of his wives the Caliph promises to choose a wife from the
candidates for his hand. At a Diwan held that night, Hajj finds out that Marsinah is being
forced into marriage with the Wazir and has sworn to kill herself. He then tricks the Wazir into
diving into a pool for a plaque which will have written on it the name of the Caliph's bride-to-be. Having got him into the water, he makes sure the Wazir does not come out alive. Marsinah
is rescued from the harem and reunited with the Caliph. Hajj's last task is to take Lalume to a
far away oasis, sentenced to toil constantly to remove all grief from her heart.
