The Hunchback Cycle is told in this episode, including the story of The Barber (Alexei Sayle) and his brothers, as well as lesser known stories.

The immortal stories of The Arabian Nights brought to life in an inventive fresh adaptation by Glen Neath, as present and past merge into one.

Ata Madri (Indira Varma) is in Cairo attempting to retrieve a lost manuscript of The Arabian Nights that is said to contain the real ending of the book. As we follow her search we slip into this sea of stories.

These tales of wonder and imagination have beguiled both east and west over generations and remain as seminal and influential as ever. Here, the stories are told in a rich world of sound by an ensemble of actors from around the world.

Narrator.....................Nadim Sawalha
Madri..........................Indira Varma
Clive, Steward............Ewan Bailey
Ali Zum, Thief, Chief....Waleed Elgadi
Tailor...........................Bhasker Patel
Tailor’s Wife................Alyssa Kyria
Christian, Old Man.......Niall Ashdown
Lame Young Man,
Al-Haddar....................Muzz Khan
Mother,
Beautiful Woman..........Noa Bodner
Barber..........................Alexei Sayle
Jewish Physician’s maid,
Judge’s Daughter.........Sharlit Deyzac
Caliph...........................Renu Setna
Bakbook,
Jewish Physician...........Amir El-Masry
Young Woman..............Laura Hanna
Bakbak.........................Nabil Elouahabi
Blind Beggar.................Noof McEwan
Watchman, Al-Ashar.....Stewart Scudamore
Hasan, Taxi Driver........Nayef Rashed

Sound design by Alisdair McGregor
Music by Michael Ward with David Lewin and Peter Rophone

Director: Boz Temple-Morris

A Holy Mountain production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2015. Show less