A good play impacts audiences across all levels, whether they are die-hard afficianados or casual observers. One company that has been putting on good shows with tremendous success in the city is Resuscitation Theatre. With their fifth production hitting the stage this week, the company is demonstrating how a multicultural platform is both entertaining and eye-opening.
Resuscitation Theatre was started by Maggie Hannan in 2002, initially as a college community project. The idea was to take classic texts and give them a modern twist; to resuscitate them, if you will. The plays performed by the theatre use an approach that engages the whole space allotted to them. They aim to breathe life into old classics through audience interactivity and performance art.
The first production took place in the United Kingdom, before Maggie moved out to the United Arab Emirates. To date, Resuscitation Theatre has hosted four very successful plays in the city, including an all-female Hamlet, and productions of The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The Seagull by Anton Chekhov and The Cocktail Party by T.S. Eliot.
The current production is a modern and humorous take on the Irish classic Playboy Of The Western World by J.M. Synge. The work touches upon Emirati and Irish cultures, drawing upon parallels between the two and highlighting differences in a light-hearted way. A unique feature of Resuscitation Theatre’s work in Abu Dhabi is the meshing of local and Western culture. Since the city can be predominantly divided into Arabic and English-speaking groups, the theatre incorporates aspects of the cultural divide into its works.
This piece was a collaborative effort between Maggie and Faisal Salah, an Emirati who had performed in some of Maggie’s earlier productions. ‘Having an Emirati partner is crucial to the Emiratisation process. Faisal
and I work very closely on the script together and I, for one, have learned a tremendous amount from him about the culture and heritage of the UAE. Additionally, rehearsals are always lively and funny when so many cultures collaborate on the project. It is always a very rewarding experience!’
The story is about a boy who runs away from his family and ends up in a small village. In order to impress the rather simple-minded people, he begins telling one lie after another. He soon finds himself in a very sticky situation on account of all his embellishments.
The cast represent many different nationalities, such as Jordanian, Irish, Algerian, British, French, Sri Lankan, Indian, Filipino and Emirati. ‘We have a multi-national cast reflecting the rich tapestry of the residents of Abu Dhabi.’ Actors are recruited through the company’s Facebook page, as well as drawing upon talents from those enrolled in their workshops and courses. Not only do the people trying out diverge in nationalities, but in age as well. ‘We have people as young as 14 trying out, as well as those well in their sixties,’ says Maggie.
Resuscitation Theatre stresses that it holds the utmost professional standards and that even though many of the actors might have day jobs, all the cast treat rehearsals and the play very seriously. Maggie tells us that, ‘many of the actors who work with the company have worked professionally outside of the UAE’.
Apart from providing some great entertainment and good laughs, Playboy Of The Western Region is a work that celebrates cultural diversity, which is essentially what the Abu Dhabi experience is about. ‘Our audiences are very multi-cultural,’ says Maggie. It is precisely this cosmopolitan nature of the city that has made Resuscitation Theatre’s last works such successes and which are sure to make this production a success as well. ‘Audiences have absolutely loved the work and all of the Resuscitation Theatre shows perform to sell out crowds.’
Playboy Of The Western Region will play at Café Arabia on November 15, 16 and 17. Shows start at 8pm and there is a matinee performance on Friday 16 at 5pm. Tickets are Dhs75, cash only policy. It is necessary to book in advance. Café Arabia, between Al Karma and Airport Road (02 643 9699).
Meet the cast
Marianne Kennedy is the manipulative widow Quin
Rashid Ali is the hapless hero
Zena Al Nazer is the obstinate Mariam
Assyl Yacine is the bumbling fiancé of Mariam
Sanoop Dinesh is the feeble minded café owner
John Lavelle is our hero’s bully of a father
Prabhath Devindre and Khristene Astoriano play several parts
