Omar Khayyam Club

A Mixed Bag

This is the third biography-themed show I've seen this year. One was presented as a tribute and another as an autobiographical interview/conversation. This one was a lecture in the guise of a fan club meeting but also punctuated with a recurring character causing trouble in-universe. While I stand behind the message of the interruptions, I would have killed that darling, as I found it a disruptive B-plot to the A-plot's history lesson. The conceit of the meeting being 100 years in the past wasn't a requirement either, but did allow for some lovely period costumes.

Entertaining and informative

Who knew (not me) that Omar Khayyam was such a modern thinker, a skeptic, and had such an influence on popular culture over 1000 years? Entertainingly told and you'll learn a lot. I enjoyed the engagement with the audience, we are all attending a meeting together. I also liked the looks forward and backward in time. It was easy to follow and the slide show added to the experience.

Entertaining and informative

Who knew (not me) that Omar Khayyam was such a modern thinker, a skeptic, and had such an influence on popular culture over 1000 years? Entertainingly told and you'll learn a lot. I enjoyed the engagement with the audience, we are all attending a meeting together. I also liked the looks forward and backward in time. It was easy to follow and the slide show added to the experience.

Excellent introduction to a Classic

I knew little about The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam before going to this show. Somebody I know recommended the show so I decided to try it out. The show made me go home and Google Omar Khayyam to learn more. It was an excellent introduction to a classic book of poetry, the genius who wrote it, and the Englishman who translated it.

Another poetry-based play

Is it just me, or are there many poetry themed plays this year? I learned about the poet/mathematician/astronomer Omar Khayyam, publishing and how a book goes viral in the mid-1800s, art styles, and women artists. From the menu on the program, it seems that the club had a pretty good dinner as well. I learned as much as in a lecture, but the format of the play made it easier to absorb. How did the British Museum get those poems that the friend copied for Edward Fitzgerald? Who did the copying, since it would have taken longer in the days of hand scribing than in our days of photocopiers? You will be both entertained and learn something when you go to The Omar Khayyam Club.

I learned something

I have no interest at all in this piece of literature. So much to my surprise this show held my attention and I found myself charmed and informed throughout. Glad I went. I wasn’t bored. Much more interesting than I expected. You will find it the same.

Fact or Fiction or Maybe Both

Entertaining and educational romp through what might be the history of a literary figure, translators, and fans allowed and not allowed into the old boy’s club. Possibilities abound, while questions remain. A fun show. The ending was brilliant. Thanks.

Nice idea, underexplored

Charming company and lovely costumes, and I was very happy to hear the poetry, which was presented in an accessible and unfussy style by the company of actors. I enjoyed this to start off with, but once we had learned the basics about the poems and their translator, the show became a compendium of lists: lists of illustrations, of commercial products with Khayyam tie-ins, and of restaurants and hotels that were named after him. There was a nice moment when the translator Edward Fitzgerald thanked the fan club for a gesture his readers made in his honor after he died (there's some time distortion going on here); I would have liked more like that--more dialogue across time between the poet, translator, and readers--and less about the Rubaiyyat Restaurant in Iowa, or repeatedly brushing off the critiques of Fitzgerald's translations.

So much fun!

Seeing this show was the most fun I’ve had at Fringe in a long time! The description doesn’t do it justice at ALL. I had no idea what I was walking into, but it turned out to be a beautifully crafted lesson/lecture almost in the body of a fun character play. I learned a lot and, as someone who struggles with lecture-based history lessons, I wish all the classes I took were in this format. A lot of visuals paired with impressive memorization, accents, expression, and genuine exploration of what it means to be lauded by a club of gentlemen (and women!). I can’t recommend this show high enough. Hands down my favorite fringe show I’ve seen this year so far!

Great background on a famous poem

While most people have heard of "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" I doubt that many know much about its history and cultural influence. This show is entertaining and educational. You can tell the passion that went into writing it. I came away knowing a great deal more. It is well presented by very talented performers. It is well-worth seeing.

Fun facts, beautiful poetry

You'll enjoy this play if you like beautiful poetry. Even if you aren't familiar with Omar Khayyam, you probably have encountered some of his most memorable lines: "a jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou." It's also a relaxed journey where you'll learn some fun facts about Khayyam and his most important interpreter and fans and the cultural place of his famous work, the "Rubaiyat," throughout history.

Oh, To Dine At The Omar Khayyam Club

If you are looking for a well-written show with scholarly content and clever lines this show should go on your list. The five people on stage move the show along. Props include slides, memorabilia and nice attire. This show is orderly, well paced and worth the time. If you like poetry, art and history consider this as one of your stops.

Pleasant Historical Diversion

If you have or had a copy of the Rubiayat on your bookshelf, this lightly dramatized presentation is for you. Celebrating the verse and the women's art that went with it.

Fascinating literary history, cleverly framed

I had heard of _The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam_ but ignorantly thought it was a modern work, and so I learned a lot from this show. But mostly, I enjoyed this calm, intellectually engaging, cleverly scripted, and well acted break from the many Fringe shows that are loud and emotionally intense. I was charmed as well by the portrayal of a "New Woman" protesting the all-male membership rules. However, I missed a parallel acknowledgement of the cultural dynamic of Orientalism that contributed to the popularity of The Rubaiyat. Could that dynamic have been depicted more strongly somehow by the devotees attending the club's dinner meeting? Or would shoe-horning a contemporary concept into a piece set a century ago ruin it? Since the playwright found ways to highlight future places and events in order to demonstrate Omar Khayyam's enduring influence on popular culture, when I thought about the play afterwards, I found myself craving a bit more critical depth. On the whole, however, it's a delightful production that I highly recommend!

A Revelation

Before attending this show, I knew Omar Khayyam by name but little about him. What a revelation to discover how much he has influenced our culture, both highbrow and lowbrow. So many interesting tidbits, like the fact that so many editions of "The Rubaiyat" had women illustrators (whose styles changed with the times). The play made the learning fun, with its pretend club (including membership cards), swag, and feminist challenger of the "old boy's club."