The Wandering Star

Al Sirab, "The Wandering Star" or "The Comet" in Arventiri is the lead vehicle of the Starry Concourse's eponymous wandering caravan that travels the Eastern Ward of the Pāll-tanír, holding various performances for members of distant communities for whom visiting Madras would be impractical.
Though the nature of travel in the desert means that it is not feasible for Al Sirab to adhere to a regular schedule, the caravan manages to visit towns and villages around the Eastern Ward roughly once every five years. During times of plenty, the arrival of Al Sirab is viewed as a portent of further fortunes and a rare treat to indulge in while celebrating. During harsher times, Al Sirab is viewed as a much-needed break from the hardships of the world, a bright, if momentary, ray of sunshine that cuts through the darkness and rekindles hope.

Propulsion

As the lead vehicle of a caravan of performers and artists, no expense is spared in making a dazzling display of Al Sirab. The pair of camels that pulls the carriage are no exception. Each camel is equipped with the finest of tack, draped with rich cloth and silks with dazzling woven or embroidered patterns. While the camels are decorated with gold and brilliant jewels whenever the caravan approaches a community, while Al Sirab is traveling the open desert, the precious stones and metals are safely stowed inside the carriage.

Additional & auxiliary systems

The general structure of Al Sirab is no different from a typical passenger carriage. What sets it apart as a vehicle worthy of leading a troupe of entertainers through the desert is in the various modifications that are affixed to it, each meant to imitate a grand stage in one way or another. These attachments and modifications are not always visible, however. Unless the troupe is performing, they are typically lashed to the side of the carriage (or stowed inside for detachable pieces) and covered in tarp to protect them from the Pāll-tanír's harsh and unforgiving environment. Despite this, the troupe can release and deploy these attachments with remarkable speed, successfully setting up for a performance in mere minutes.

Scene Board

One of the most important pieces of Al Sirab is a wooden board affixed to one side of the carriage. The surface is painted black so as to be inconspicuous as it is meant to act as a backdrop for any performances involving the carriage. Since short skits are typically performed in front of Al Sirab, colorful wooden decorations are placed in front of the board to give the audience an idea of the setting of the skit. The most commonly used of these decorations are the wooden sun and moon which are used to show that the scene is taking place during the day or during the night.
These decorations are not directly affixed to the board. Rather, they are dangled from a rack above on tough, thin twine. The rack extends out from the roof of the carriage and is made of multiple narrow wooden sticks parallel to the board. This configuration was chosen so as to give the illusion of depth to the decorations.

Stage Assembly

In addition to the "scene board," as the performers call it, there is also the "stage assembly," which forms the core of every performance in front of Al Sirab. Its purpose, as the name suggests, is to create an area for the performers that is reminiscent of a stage. It does this with two curtains that extend out and to the side from each side of the scene board, and a canvas awning that stretches over and covers the entire area. Sometimes, but not always, performers also lay out a carpet in the space so as to further divide it from the surroundings, putting some necessary metaphorical distance between the audience and the performance.
To ensure that the awning and curtains are kept in a stable configuration, they are attached to two poles that can be planted (or driven) into the ground as is necessary. Two corners of the awning are attached to the tops of the poles while the two curtains that form the side "walls" of the performance area are affixed to the middle sections of the poles.
While the awning and curtains are typically made of simple, muted red linen and canvas respectively, sometimes the performance being put on by the troupe demands something more ostentatious. When this transpires, either the canvas, the curtains, or both, are replaced with rich silks or velvet decorated with patterns suited to the theme of the performance.

Performances

Al Sirab makes a circuit of the Eastern Ward of the Pāll-tanír every five years, returning to Madras at the end of each expedition in order to plan, prepare, and rehearse for the next tour. Each time the caravan sets out, it does so with a different repertoire of performances and a different crew of performers. For many would-be entertainers of the Eastern Ward, joining Al Sirab on one of its journeys is seen as a coming-of-age that is the prelude to taking the stage at the Starry Concourse in Madras.
Even though each tour of Al Sirab has a different programme, certain aspects of its journey remain the same.

Arrival

When Al Sirab approaches a community, the performance begins long before it enters the community proper. When the caravan expects that it would arrive at a community within the day, it briefly stops on the road to prepare. All the decorations stored inside the wagons are brought out and put on display, while a number of performers change into their costumes.
Once everything is done, the performance starts in earnest as the performers begin to sing, dance, play their instruments and, in general, make merry. As such it is nigh-impossible for a community to miss the arrival of Al Sirab. Often, the slow approach of the festive procession causes such anticipation in the villagers and townsfolk that they rush out of their homes to join the procession before it enters their community.

Opening Act

Once Al Sirab is in the center of the community, or somewhere that an audience can watch the performances carried out in front of it, caravan staff set it up for its first performance after arrival. Invariably, Al Sirab starts with a skit that would be familiar to their audience, which means that the opening act is almost always one of a number of parables and folk tales known all across the Eastern Ward. Some of the most popular skits performed tell the stories of Riqil and the Cup of Sunlight, Habir and the Camel, Cursed Jin, the Miser, and The Blessing of Madra.

Main Attraction

Over three or four days following the arrival of Al Sirab, many varied performances are conducted for the enjoyment of the villagers. Though there are a few minor acts such as jugglers, illusionists, and fortune-tellers that take place concurrently around the community throughout the day, the main acts are typically reserved for the evening hours and have no other acts to distract from them. Though there are a number of mainstay pieces that are performed during this time, a handful of new plays or performances are put on for the villagers, both as a way of keeping them informed of major happenings around the world, and as a trial to see whether these novel performances have any merit to be taken to the Starry Concourse. Acts that fail to pass the muster of villagers are deemed unworthy of the main stage without significant work.

Closing Act

At the end of Al Sirab's visit to a community, it puts forward its most accomplished comedians. The objective of the closing act is to bring the villagers to a rousing and raucous laughter so that the parting, while bittersweet, will be filled with smiles.

Nickname

The Comet

Motto

Shine like the stars

Owning Organization

Starry Concourse

Beam

6 feet (1.8 m)

Length

10 feet (3 m)

Height

12 feet (3.7m)

Weight

800 lbs (363 kg)

Speed

8-12 mph(13–19 kph)