Oman- Khalil Gibran 'Rest Upon The Wind' enthralls audience

5/11/2016 4:50:33 PM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat-

It was a mesmerising evening as some of the finest London West End stage actors recreated the life and times of Khalil Gibran, the Middle East's most accomplished poet, writer, painter and philosopher in the English play Khalil Gibran 'Rest Upon The Wind'.

The play was staged at the Oman Auditorium, Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Written and directed by celebrated actor and playwright Nadim Sawalha and produced by Ali Matar, the well-organised play by NPA Events had several 'wow' moments.

The specially designed sets with a stunning visual display on the screen transported the theatre aficionados to Chinatown, in the very heart of Boston in the United States of America, of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was there that Khalil Gibran immigrated along with his family at the age of 12. He started his career as a writer in Arabic and later switched to writing books in English. Here Khalil Gibran wrote his timeless classic The Prophet, the 1923 best-selling book which was translated to over 40 languages and sold over 140mn copies worldwide. Lines from Khalil Gibran's books have inspired world-famous personalities such as John F Kennedy, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Indira Gandhi, Johnny Cash, among others.

Fanourios Xenophontos played Khalil Gibran to perfection. He portrayed the rich values of the man, how he kept positive and turned his struggles into opportunities in America, his warm relationship with his sister Miryanna and the other people in his life.

Though he became world-famous after writing The Prophet, Khalil Gibran never forgot his roots and the people of Lebanon. One hilarious incident during the play that had the audience in splits was during a photo shoot to promote his best-selling book, he was decked up as an Indian maharaja with a turban and peacock feathers in his hand. He protested at the attire, saying he was Lebanese rather than Indian.

The opening of the play was indeed engrossing and artistic with Khalil Gibran showing his masterstrokes by moving his paintbrush on Elizabeth Anne Louise Evans who played Gibran's secret lover Annie. She stood like a mannequin who could move at her master's command.

Laura Angel Hanna who played Gibran's sister Miryanna showed what a true sister she was to her brother, doing his household chores but at the same time being his strongest critic. In return for her hard work, Khalil Gibran told his sister that he had dedicated one of his 26 poetic essays in The Prophet to her titled 'Giving'.

StephanieEllyne Golding essayed the role of Khalil Gibran's mentor and lifelong friend Mary Haskell. She portrayed what a friend should be, always egging Khalil Gibran to give his best and being there with him at all times, even at the end of his journey on earth in the final scene of the play.

The rest of the cast put up sterling performances too in the play that was an enthralling melange of drama, introspection and soul-searching discovery.

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.