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29 March 2024

Dubai Diary: What to do in the UAE this weekend?

Published
By Bindu Suresh Rai

Dubai denizens were probably waiting with bated breath to learn if this would turn into a long weekend as the UAE marks the birth of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
 
When a public holiday was finally announced for February 4, concert organisers grappled to ensure that events will continue ahead with a date change here and there; so ladies and gentlemen, the show is ready to go on.
 
Please check back with organisers to learn of your revised dates; the correct ones are listed below for your smooth transition.
 
Thursday, February 2
 
Swiss Days Dubai Duo Fullhouse – Action Comedy at Centrepoint Theatre

 
Here’s a giggle-fest that you wouldn’t want to miss out on. With a sense of humuor rooted somewhere between New York and Effretikon Switzerland, Duo Full House’s extravagant programme sparkles with wit.
 
The unlikely mix of naughty New York glamour and Swiss countryside naïveté generates a gripping performance, which holds the audience spellbound.
 
Cultural clashes, polyglot puns, improbable balancing acts and anything from clubs to furniture are juggled to perfection in the hands of Henry Camus and Gaby Schmutz, as they transform the stage into a feast of extraordinary entertainment.
 
If you too want to sample a bit of this comic cabaret then head down to the Centrepoint Theatre, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai this Thursday (event moved from Friday) from 7pm.
 
Organised by Swiss Art Gate, UAE, tickets are priced at Dh100 for adults and Dh50 for children between 12 and 16 years. Call: 04 395 8782
 
Arrested Development and The Beat Live at Chi Garden
 
American alternative hiphop group, Arrested Development, has a date with Dubai on Thursday, performing live at Chi@The Lodge, alongside British revivalists, The Beat.
 
With nearly two decades of hit music under the best, the group was founded by Speech and Headliner to bring a ray of sunshine to the gangsta rap that shook up the world in the ’90s.
 
Tracklist to tune into includes “Tennessee”, “Mr Wendall”, “People Everyday” and “Revolution” from Spike Lee’s superb film, “Malcolm X”.
 
Performing alongside in Thursday’s gig will be Dubai’s very own DJ Bliss, with DLB and Flow Master J.
 
Tickets are priced at Dh150 and Dh250, with doors opening at 9pm. Call: 050 675 0816
 
Friday, February 3
 
Stephen King’s Misery Live at First Group Theatre

 
From the producers of “The Women in Black” and “The Sound Of Music” and from the pen of the master of horror, Stephen King, comes the critically acclaimed stage version of “Misery”, starring UK TV and West End stars Darren Day and Yvonne O’Grady.
 
For those of you who have never managed to read the classic or watch the Oscar winning film, the plot takes us into the life of Paul Sheldon, a world famous author of the ‘Misery Chastaine’ romance novels, who is crippled in a terrible car wreck.
 
Instead of waking up in hospital he comes to in a dilapidated farmhouse, isolated from the outside world by a blizzard, occupied by the schizophrenic Annie, his ‘Number One Fan’.
 
When Annie reads his new novel where her beloved Misery is killed during childbirth, she forces him to destroy the manuscript and write another.
 
Imprisoned in the house, Paul finds that Annie is not the angel of mercy she first appeared to be and finds that he has entered a kind of hell beyond anything he might have imagined.
 
Trapped in the middle of no-where with no one coming to his aid, it’s a terrifying race against time for his survival.
 
Brilliantly adapted for the stage by Simon Moore, if you are fan, you simply cannot miss this dramatic and chilling show.
 
Playing at the First Group Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, the show runs until February 11, with tickets priced at Dh140 for 2pm shows and Dh160 for 8pm ones. Call: 800 4669
 
Saturday, February 4
            
Harris on the Edge at Dubai Festival City

 
Harris Jayaraj is touring the world and making a pit stop in Dubai for his “Harris On The Edge” 3D musical experience.
 
He will be performing live all over the world accompanied by a troupe of Tamil playback singers, including Karthik, Haricharan, Chinmayi, Tippu, Naresh Iyer, Harini, Harish Raghavendra, Krish, Aalap Raju, Kay Kay, Benny Dayal, Andrea, Chinmayi, Suvi Suresh, Sunitha Sarathy, Srilekha Parthasarathy and Shweta Menon and international musicians and dancers.
 
The event will be coordinated by Techfront and is to be directed by AL Vijay of “Deiva Thirumagal” fame.
 
The stage will reportedly be among the biggest in the world, with a 270-degree view, a first of its kind in the country.
 
The concert would feature a futuristic video technology, complementing music strains of the composer, and will have 3D visuals for audience, interactive visuals, unique choreography and engagement with spectators.
 
To catch this theatrical experience, head down to Dubai Festival City Concert Arena, from 8pm. Tickets are priced at Dh50, Dh60, Dh100, Dh200 and Dh300. Call: 055 558 6587
 
Billy Ocean at the Irish Village
 
Get ready to dance and, of course, sing along to the sounds of such unforgettable, everyone-knows-them tunes such as “Caribbean Queen” and “Love Really Hurts Without You”.
 
For those not in the know, Billy Ocean is considered as one of the most successful British black male artists of all time.
 
Organised by Jump Media, the concert will be held at The Irish Village, Dubai, with doors opening at 7pm, show commencing at 8pm. Tickets are priced at Dh120.