About the Play:

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Qu'ran (English-language version of Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran) is a full-length drama by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, translated by Patrick Driver and Patricia Benecke. An internationally acclaimed play of cross-cultural friendship between a troubled teenager and a wise old shopkeeper. This warm and tender play relates their growing friendship.

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Qu'ran is a tale about growing up, the importance of family, friendship and tolerance. Moses is a teenage boy living in the Jewish quarter of Paris in the 1960s. With his mother gone after his birth, he lives in the shadow of his less-than loving father. When he's caught stealing from wise old Turkish Muslim grocery-store owner Monsieur Ibrahim, he discovers an unlikely friend and a whole new world. Together they embark on a journey that takes them from the streets of Paris to the whirling dervishes of the Golden Crescent.

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Qu'ran received its UK premiere at the Bush Theatre in 2006. This delightful, moving play was a huge hit in Paris and New York. Performed in thirteen countries and published in twelve languages, it was also adapted as an award-winning film starring Omar Sharif, who played the title role and won a César award for best actor in 2004.

Cast: 2 male

What people say:

"Moise is a combination of innocence and bravura, with a swaggering façade that covers his pain. And Monsieur Ibrahim is a wonderfully wise old man who takes life's punches and joys all in stride." — Backstage

"What a glorious story and wonderful feelgood production this is...." — The Stage (UK)

About the Playwright:

Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt is a French dramatist, novelist and fiction writer. Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, his plays have won several Molières and the French Academy's Grand Prix du Théâtre. His books have been translated into 43 languages, and more than 50 countries regularly perform his plays. He resides in Brussels.