THE Unity will be celebrating Christmas in the Middle East this year with its annual family show.

A giant Bedouin tent will fill the Hope Place theatre’s stage as a team of actors tell the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor.

Giants, genies and sultans all feature in the magical stories, which tell of how he was kidnapped by the wicked pirate captain Kouras, the time he discovered an island that was really a whale, his experiences of fighting one-eyed monsters and falling for a beautiful princess.

The show will be directed by The Unity’s artistic director??? Graeme Phillips, after a 12-year break from directing Christmas plays.

“We wanted to return to the roots of storytelling,” he says.

“The idea is that the cast have travelled far and wide and come together once a year to swap their stories.”

The actors will use items found around the tent as props.

“Obviously we don’t have sophisticated theatrical equipment here or machinery but this way of presenting the stories suits our Christmas shows,” adds Phillips.

The Unity has collaborated with arts organisations Hope Street Ltd and Puppetpool on the show, while Patrick Dineen returns to write the score.

THE Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor is at The Unity from November 30 to January 12.