No longer booking
  • Venue Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 14 January 2023
  • Running time 2 hours 15 minutes (including interval)

Ancient tales reclaimed in the candlelit surrounds of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse

Share in the unifying power of storytelling as ancient tales are reclaimed, rewritten and reimagined for Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Hakawati /hakəˈwɑːti/. Noun: Storyteller. From the Arabic terms hekaye meaning story and haki meaning to talk.

This fearless new play, a co-production with Tamasha Theatre Company, is directed by their Artistic Director, Pooja Ghai (Lotus Beauty, Hampstead, Lions and Tigers, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse) and written by Globe Resident Writer Hannah Khalil (The Fir Tree, Henry VIII, Globe), with contributions from Hanan al-Shaykh, Suhayla El-Bushra and Sara Shaarawi.

Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights is booking to 14 January 2023 at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe.

A tyrant revenges his wife’s infidelity by wedding, bedding and beheading a new bride every day. Years later, only five brides-in-waiting remain.

These women are unapologetic, and united in their fight to keep themselves – and the whole of womankind – alive. They’ve got other ideas for their future, and it starts with a story…

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Hakawatis?

The cast includes Houda Echouafni as Wadiha The Dancer, Alaa Habib as Fatah The Young, Laura Hanna as Zuya The Warrior, Nadi Kemp-Sayfi as Akila The Writer, and Roann Hassani McCloskey as Naha The Wise.

Who are the creative team of Hakawatis?

Directed by Pooja Ghai and written by Hannah Khalil.

Important Notes

Content guidance: This production contains strong and sexual language, and themes of oppression and slavery. 

Venue Information

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse , 21 New Globe Walk, London, SE1 9DT

Nearest Tube or Train: London Bridge (Jubilee line, Northern line)

Nearest Buses: 45, 63, 100, 15, 17, 11, 15, 17, 23, 26, 76, 381 , RV1, 344

Directions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Hakawatis is playing at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in London
The running time of Hakawatis is 2 hours 15 minutes (including interval)
Yes, Hakawatis has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, Hakawatis has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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