Along The Silk Road At artsdepot, Finchley

By Lise Smith Last edited 129 months ago
Along The Silk Road At artsdepot, Finchley

Along The Silk Road at ArtsDepot, Finchley

An international cast of dancers and musicians from the UK, Iran, Italy, Spain and India bring the story of Italian traveller Marco Polo to life in an enchanting dance theatre production with live music at artsdepot this weekend. Along the Silk Road – Marco Polo’s travels through music and dance follows the 13th-century trader, who started his global travels at the age of seventeen, along the 5,000-mile long Silk Road that connected China to Italy and North Africa for over 1,000 years.

Presented by the Toos Foundation,  Along the Silk Road shows Polo narrating his experiences at the court of the Mongol leader Kublai Khan to the writer Rustichello da Pisa while in prison. da Pisa's biography ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’ introduced readers of the day to the cultures and religions of the East. the story is told through music, dance and texts from places including Persia, Afghanistan, China and India. TV fans might recognise Arabic dancer Julia Naidenko from the third season of  Britain's Got Talent; other performers include actors Saman Khalaveh as Marco Polo and Darioush Alvand as Rostichello da Pisa, and musicians Andrea Mundy, Nasser Kondazi and Somaye Zadeh.

“We’re really looking forward to performing at artsdepot on Sunday,” says Jamileh Kharrazi, head of the Toos Foundation. “It’s a wonderful venue with great sightlines for the audience and a terrific sound system. There is also a nearby vibrant Iranian community, so we’re actually putting on two shows – one will be in English and the second show will be in Persian so we’re catering for everyone!”

The 5.30pm performance will be in English, and the 7.30pm performance is in Persian; the show is suitable for all ages. Tickets are £20 (£10 concs) and can be booked on  020 8369 5454 or at www.artsdepot.co.uk

Last Updated 19 June 2013