Abu Dhabi to get first taste of Short+Sweet
Abu Dhabi is to get its first taste of Short+Sweet at the end of the month when the largest 10-minute play festival in the world comes to the Emirate as part of a day of activities designed to showcase the concept, before the inaugural Short+Sweet Abu Dhabi Theatre Festival opens later in the year.
Short+Sweet Dubai, the first Short+Sweet Festival in the UAE, has grown exponentially since its first run back in 2012. So much so, it’s spawned a touring show called Shorter+Sweeter – the Best of Short+Sweet Dubai Theatre Festival, which packs in some of the best bite-sized dramatic treats from the last three years into one highly entertaining and energized show. Shorter+Sweeter stunned audiences at the Madinat Theatre on 7th and 8th May, and on Saturday 30th May it will play at the Abu Dhabi Theatre.
At present, Dubai is the only place within the GCC to host Short+Sweet, which currently runs in seven different countries, across 23 different cities. However, with a recent burgeoning of theatrical activity throughout the region, spearheaded by groups such as Resuscitation Theatre in Abu Dhabi for example, there’s a call for Short+Sweet’s short-form theatre platform to expand to other areas.
Says Alex Broun, festival producer of Short+Sweet Dubai and world-leading 10-minute playwright, “Each year, we have actors, writers and directors submitting work from Abu Dhabi into Short+Sweet Dubai. There’s a groundswell of theatre talent in Abu Dhabi, and what’s needed is an event that can challenge talented individuals and ignite their creative passion.” He continues, “It’s time to cultivate and enjoy the wealth of local talent that we have here, including Emirati talent. Short+Sweet Abu Dhabi will be the start of international careers for some of these people, and the development of a high quality theatre scene for audiences.”
The day-long event A Taste of Short+Sweet will be held at the Abu Dhabi Theatre and will comprise of a Short+Sweet Acting Workshop with Liz Hadaway, festival director of Short+Sweet Dubai and an experienced actress from London. Running from 11am-1pm, the workshop will cover all the skills needed on stage to compel an audience. From 2pm-5pm there’ll be a Short+Sweet Writing Workshop with Alex, which teaches participants how to put together a knockout 10-minute script.
The workshops will be followed at 5.30pm-6pm by a free seminar for teachers and from 6pm-7pm there’s An Introduction to Short+Sweet Abu Dhabi, which will explain to local actors, writers, directors and independent theatre companies all they need to know in order to get involved in the festival in the autumn. At 7.30pm guests are invited to watch Shorter+Sweeter- the Best of Short+Sweet Dubai Theatre Festival, consisting of seven of the best plays from the Dubai festival, featuring local stand-up supremo and Ahlan! Hot 100 2015 star Salman Qureshi taking to the stage in four of the plays as part of an ensemble cast of five of Dubai’s best performers. Salman stars in The Royal Shakespeareans Present Romeo and Juliet a hilarious twist on a classic tale, in which we see the hero and heroine survive at the end!
The two workshops and the Shorter+Sweeter show cost AED100 for adults or AED 50 for under 18s and students with valid ID. An Introduction to Short+Sweet Abu Dhabi is free to attend. A Taste of Short+Sweet day pass costs AED220 for adults and AED120 for under 18s and students, giving access to all of the events. All events are free for Abu Dhabi based teachers. Tickets will be available from Virgin Ticketing, TimeOut Tickets and ticketmaster. For more information contact jane@constellation.ae.
