(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) This immersive performance includes up to 25 audience members sat round the group sharing dinner with the actors and watching the piece unfold.
Running in London to critical acclaim Angry Bairds Theatre Productions’ EAT opened in the UAE yesterday under the altered name EAT Dubai. Similar only in title the version currently showing at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding in Bur Dubai has been completely re-written to incorporate attitudes and prejudices towards different cultures which the city’s residents and visitors will be all too familiar with.
One of the protagonists Emma is a British expat with a PhD in Comparative Cultural Studies. She hosts a traditional Emirati dinner to promote local culture. The guests include her husband Dave who is struggling to be supportive Kim an outspoken materialistic Lebanese lady Ali an aspiring Emirati stand-up comedian Bruce the unconventional Filipino waiter and…you.
That’s correct you. This immersive performance includes up to 25 audience members sat round the group sharing dinner with the actors and watching the piece unfold.
“We wrote EAT Dubai after we had cast the parts with actors from here” said London resident Sophie Foster one of the three writers of the project all of whom make up Angry Bairds Theatre Productions.
Sitting alongside fellow writer from England Nazish Khan and one of the two directors Emirati filmmaker Thabit Al Mawaly the trio popped into the Khaleej Times on Tuesday for a chat.
“It was a strange casting process” Sophie continued. “When put out the call and we held auditions so many different people showed up. As with all auditions some showed up who really shouldn’t be actors. They were very good looking but not what we were looking for and there were far more women than men.
“Then we were really fortunate to get the cast we have because they are amazing. We wrote bits of their character around them.” The third writer in the group Farheen Khan who resides in the UAE is the local connection which was a factor in EAT being brought to Dubai.
“I also lived in Dubai about five years ago” said Nazish. “I knew what we did with EAT in London could work here. There are so many cultures and many people aren’t aware of the subtle differences. There’s a lot of stereotyping.
“There also tends to be a lack of knowledge about Emirati culture which this play addresses.”
This particular issue is not lost on co-director Thabit who proceeded to ask whether we had ever even eaten Emirati cuisine.“So many people who live here do not. They stay in their groups. Everyone is represented in this play. We go outside stereotypes.”
Directing alongside Nina Hein Thabit explained the process behind directing actors in a semi-improvisational work.
“In immersive theatre where the audience is part of the show anything can happen. The actors need to know their back-story.
They can make it up but they need to be sure about it. You never know if audience members will take it upon themselves to ask a lot of questions. So while the plot is scripted and should go from beginning to end you can’t always prepare for every case.”
“In London we had some audiences that were very quiet and some on Friday night that got a bit loud. You just had to go with it” said Nazish.
“Whatever happens it is definitely going to be a new experience for Dubai theatre-goers” said Sophie.