“Oh Scheherazade”.. A Jordanian-Russian tale restores the magic of storytelling on stage
Amman3 min read
Share
The Shams Theater stage in Amman is preparing to host performances of the theatrical work “Oh Scheherazade,” a Jordanian-Russian artistic project that brings together director Ilya Oshi and Jordanian actress Hayat Jaber. The play reinterprets the character of Scheherazade far from her traditional image, in a theatrical approach where the narrative intersects with questions of freedom, identity, and stereotypes.
The show recently participated in the “Istoki” International Theater Festival in Moscow, where it was hosted by the S.V. Obraztsov State Academic Central Puppet Theatre on September 12 and 13 to sold-out audiences. The theater's official website confirms that the work, which belongs to poetic theater, was presented in Arabic with Russian subtitles and lasts about 60 minutes.
The performance re-examines the image of Scheherazade that has settled in the collective imagination over centuries. It does not present the story as a direct recreation of the atmosphere of “One Thousand and One Nights,” but rather starts from the journey of a Jordanian actress arriving in Russia to prepare for the role of Scheherazade, before the preparation and rehearsal process turns into a space for reflection on the character and the molds and stereotypes surrounding her.
During this theatrical journey, the personal story intertwines with myth, and memory and internal questions coexist, while symbolic vocabulary is present, including the “inner child” and the “lost bird,” leading to the heroine's attempt to break free from ready-made tales and search for her own voice.
In an impressionistic reading of the experience of watching the show in Moscow, Russian Arabist and translator specializing in Arabic literature, Elena Chimon, described the work as an experience where the viewer does not feel the passage of time, noting that the show did not present Scheherazade in the stereotypical oriental image, but rather made the preparation for the show itself the subject of the performance.
She pointed to the direct interaction between Hayat Jaber and the Russian audience, her transition in some segments from Modern Standard Arabic to the Jordanian dialect, and the remarkable use of physical performance, including the engagement scene where she performs a dialogue between two characters using her feet.
In addition to director Ilya Oshi and actress Hayat Jaber, artist Yasser Al-Omari participated in the scenography, while the artistic collaboration included Salam Qubailat, Musa Qubailat, and Mamdouh Hamada, with production by Shams Theater in Amman.
The official theater in Moscow indicates that the show is produced by the Jordanian “Shams” Theater and that its premiere was on July 1, 2026.
Presenting “Oh Scheherazade” in Moscow comes as an experience of theatrical and cultural exchange between Jordan and Russia in a work that opens up to interpretation and experimentation, placing the character of Scheherazade in confrontation with the questions of modern man, far from merely retelling the well-known story.
The show is expected to return to its Jordanian audience soon on the Shams Theater stage in Amman, following its participation in the international experience in Moscow.
