It has to be said that theatre lovers get a pretty raw deal in Abu Dhabi. Since there’s not much by way of either amateur or professional theatre productions in town, anyone with a passion for the stage (whether as an actor or spectator) is often forced to trek to Dubai for a cultural fix.
Fortunately, Resuscitation Theatre is a hopeful spark of light on an otherwise rather gloomy scene. The company have already put on two extremely well-received shows in Abu Dhabi – an all-female production of Hamlet at The Club, followed by a heavily pared-down adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull in April, which was performed at the One to One Hotel. Both shows were a rare treat for the capital’s culture vultures, and with Resuscitation putting on its third production next week – their take on TS Elliott’s The Cocktail Party – the city is waiting with baited breath. Set during a cocktail party and its aftermath, four characters discover each other’s dark secrets, helped along by mysterious guardians. The twists and turns of their relationships are revealed, and lies are uncovered in a script that has been adapted to suit both the venue and the unconventional, edgy style Resuscitation is garnering a reputation for. Maggie Hannan, the company’s founder and director, says, ‘The whole point of Resuscitation Theatre is to revive (ie resuscitate) classic texts into contemporary theatre forms. I love to show how classics are still relevant today.’ But it doesn’t sound as though watching the performance is going to be an easy ride. ‘The audience can expect not to get too comfortable! We’re going to be moving them from room to room – it’s promenade theatre. The venue is Cubes, at One to One Hotel – it’ll be very intimate, and that’s why we’re going to only be selling 50 tickets per show. We want very close, very intimate relations between the actors and the audience.’
Maggie already has experience with the play, having put on a production of The Cocktail Party in a British theatre a few years ago. ‘That was my first venture, a community project with a sixth form group and some people from the local community. This will be a very different version – I’m trying to demonstrate cutting edge, experimental theatre, because that’s another thing not many people here understand.’
Actors of 11 different nationalities will be gracing the stage, including Emiratis, Canadians, Algerians, and Sri Lankans. Maggie says she’s not surprised the company has had such a broad appeal. ‘I think theatre does appeal to all sorts of people. Abu Dhabi is multi-cultural and, as the first grassroots theatre company, it is important that this aspect of the capital is reflected in the group’s casting. The only way live theatre
will take its place in the development of the arts scene in Abu Dhabi is if it is produced on a local level, rather than imported.’
Make no mistake, though – since many performers already have a background on the stage, this is far from amateur dramatics. ‘All are either students of the New York Film Academy, or budding actors and filmmakers and they really need a creative outlet.’ Well that’s one more reason to get down there then, and support this burgeoning scene.
Resuscitation Theatre’s performance of The Cocktail Party will take place on September 29-October 1 and October 6-8. Tickets can be bought from the One to One Hotel reception for Dhs50 each. For more information, visit www.resuscitationtheatre.com.
