Monsieur Ibrahim @ the Bush

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The Bush is once again looking well beyond Shepherd’s Bush in the Spring of 2006, with a new year that begins with a cross-cultural story of an unlikely friendship, MONSIEUR IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE QUR’AN, adapted and translated from the French by Dialogue Productions, and continues with a fascinating and eclectic season of staged readings of plays from around the world.

Set in Paris in the 1960s, MONSIEUR IBRAHIM… tells the story of Moses, a 13-year-old Jewish boy living in the shadow of his repressive father. When he starts to steal from the wise old shopkeeper Monsieur Ibrahim, a Sufi Muslim, the two of them embark on a joyful cross-cultural friendship and a journey that will change their lives forever. From the streets of Paris to the whirling dervishes of The Golden Crescent, the story of their friendship is moving, funny and exquisitely crafted. It reveals how we learn the most essential truths about life when we least expect to.

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt’s novella was originally written in French and the stage adaptation played extensively in France, Germany and the USA, and was made into a film starring Omar Sharif. In this new adaptation, the myriad roles, from Momo and Monsieur Ibrahim to Parisian whores and even Brigitte Bardot, are played by two versatile actors, Nadim Sawalha (All I Want is British Passport, The Spy Who Loved Me) and newcomer Ryan Sampson (A Brief History of Helen of Troy). It is directed by Patricia Benecke, who also directed Dialogue’s hit show TOP DOGS.

MONSIEUR IBRAHIM AND THE FLOWERS OF THE QUR’AN
by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
Translated and adapted by Patricia Benecke and Patrick Driver
Directed by Patricia Benecke

At The Bush Theatre, London, 17th January – 11th February 2006

December 21, 2005