BETRAYED by his wife, a king decides to reap his revenge on womankind by bedding, then slaughtering, one virgin every night, but then he meets Sheharazade.

So runs the story of The Crick Crack Club's One Thousand And One Nights, performed by Egyptian storyteller Chirine El Ansary at the York Theatre Royal Studio on September 21.

Sheharazade, who saved her own life and her children's lives too by telling stories for 1,001 nights, is one of the great cultural creations of the Arab world. Stories nestle within stories, with demons, errant spouses, thieves, fools and comedians all jostling for attention.

Chirine El Ansary returns to the Crick Crack Club to tell the most intriguing and deliciously seductive episodes from The Nights, stories that explore the deepest passions and desires of men and women, in a 7.45pm performance that combines grown-up folk and fairytale.

Born in Cairo, Chirine trained at Le Coq in Paris and Goldsmith's in London, and is now a storyteller and physical performer who lives in Egypt and France and performs in French, English and Arabic.

She was among the first storytellers to perform in the ancient buildings of the old city of Cairo and markets and old palaces of Damascus and Aleppo. She has since transported her talents to Sana’a, Nairobi, Zanzibar, Johannesburg, Rome, Naples, Rotterdam and Paris and made her mark at the Barbican and Soho theatres in London.

Her work takes in performances of The Arabian Nights; her adaptation of the Banu Hilal epic, premiered at the Barbican in 2005; experimental movement solos based on Italo Calvino's prose; Sufi tales and performance poetry. She also works as a radio actress, featuring in productions such as the Naguib Mahfouz trilogy on BBC Radio 4 and recordings of her own storytelling for Radio Monte Carlo Moyen-Orient.

Tickets are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Charles Hutchinson