We arrive at the Armed Forces Officers Club, mid-Friday afternoon, to find director Robert Liddington wrestling with the curtain. Not physically, of course. He’s too laidback for that kind of thing – surprising, given that his latest production opens in a little over three weeks. But he’s a commanding presence, and he seems to have the respect of the company, even if the stage apparatus won’t do what he wants.
‘I’ve been doing this since I was about five years old, but I’ve been directing shows for the last 15 to 20 years,’ he tells Time Out. In the grand tradition of amateur dramatics, he explains that he spends his days doing something not very luvvie indeed. ‘I’m the head of public relations in an oil company,’ he laughs. ‘A completely different kind of thing.’
Not that this group of players comes across as particularly amateurish. Katie Pritz, the female lead in this year’s production, sings with the kind of confidence you’d expect from a much more seasoned performer. She’s not boastful, but she will admit: ‘I have experience singing with crowds this big, in theatres this big. I did theatre all through high school and college, then I got married and I haven’t done it in a while. But I guess it doesn’t leave you.’ She’s equally as suited to acting; in fact, it’s surprising how well the company comes across as a whole. We’ve seen worse actors call themselves pros and get away with it.
Particularly impressive is ‘the Beast’, New Zealander Lele Tusitala. He puts on a sympathetic yet prowling performance, and he’s got a great story for anyone who’ll listen. ‘My background is just in choral singing,’ he tells us. ‘I haven’t done a lot of theatre, except in high school. Up until recently I’ve been more involved in rugby, but I called the coach and I said, “I’ve got other commitments”, and he said, “what are they?” and I said, “singing in a choir”. As you can imagine, I got a bit of flack for that, but they’re all coming – the whole team!’
As far as preparations are concerned, everything seems to be going swimmingly. ‘They’re singing very well,’ explains Simon Green, musical director. ‘I’m impressed with how fast they learnt it. The band might give them a bit of a fright, because we’ve got ten musicians coming in. They have to go from the piano to having a lot to compete with, but it’ll certainly enhance it, and probably also give them a lift.’
‘We started rehearsals towards the end of January,’ concludes Robert Liddington. ‘The show goes up at the beginning of May. From my point of view, we’ve still got quite a lot to do, but we’re in the right place.’
Come May 5, the right place will be the Armed Forces Officers Club and Hotel. We’ll see you there, shall we?
Beauty and the Beast, Abu Dhabi Choral Group. May 5-6, 8pm; May 7-8, 2pm and 6pm. The matinee on May 8 is for women and children only (boys until the age of ten). Tickets to the matinees cost Dhs50, all other tickets Dhs75. Purchase from Khalidiyah Spinney’s video desk, or reserve on abudhabichoralgroup@gmail.com. For a more in-depth look at Abu Dhabi’s singing community, check Time Out Abu Dhabi magazine, May edition.
