The UAE entertainment scene continues to be redefined by Covid-19, and foodies can now enjoy with dinner and a cabaret show at a sparkling new venue in Dubai. Located in The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, Papillon is the brainchild of seasoned singer, model and Dubai resident Layla Kardan.
Running four nights a week, each show comprises a series of song and dance routines reflecting the Parisian glamour and artistry of the genre. The on-stage action is paired with an elegant multi-course French and Mediterranean menu.
Speaking to The National on the eve of Papillon’s one-month anniversary, Kardan says the positive reception the venue has enjoyed thus far underlines a fundamental shift within the UAE’s events and entertainment sector. “What the pandemic did is force people to think broader than just clubs, and that’s both for customers and organisers,” she says.
“Clubs really haven’t come back since Covid began, and now people are used to going out and sitting down and still wanting to experience something entertaining but also enriching. This is why there is a growing appetite for concepts, for example, that bring different elements together like food, theatre and dance.”
A purpose-built venue
Papillon joins a growing number of Dubai dinner shows such as Billionaire Dubai, launched by Italian entertainment mogul and former Formula One team executive Flavio Briatore, and The Theatre, led by Lebanese-Armenian composer Guy Manoukian.
While both of these incorporate the occasional cabaret sequence, Papillon is fully dedicated to the 15th-century art form with its heady blend of music, dance and theatre.
Kardan says the pandemic allowed her to execute the idea in five months. “It was a dream of mine for a long time, but I have just been so busy working on other immediate projects, whether it is in fashion or music, that I felt I will eventually get around to it years later,” she says.
“But when all the clubs and venues shut down, and I was spending more time at home and not travelling, it became the best time to dedicate myself to the idea.”
The timing, despite the bleakness of the period, was also fortuitous, as The Westin Mena Seyahi approached Kardan earlier in the year in their search for a concept to take over the space vacated by the restaurant China Grill. “I really couldn’t ask for a better partnership, in that they gave me carte blanche in terms of the show and designing the venue."
This meant a total refurbishment to create a large purpose-built stage (where the China Grill kitchen used to be), private booths on the first floor, and installing audiovisual equipment from lighting rigs and speakers to a dedicated production booth.
A touch of Hollywood
When it came to assembling the creative team, Kardan turned to an established name in Broadway and Hollywood. American Denise Faye is the creative director for pop star Cher and choreographed her Dressed to Kill and Classic Cher world tours, as well as choreographing sequences for Academy Award-winning musicals Chicago and Nine.
While Faye created the various set pieces focusing on Kardan’s theme of “sensual liberation”, Kardan auditioned dancers from France to Argentina via Zoom. Those who made the cut relocated to Dubai and underwent an intensive five-week period of rehearsals with Faye.
On the culinary front, Kardan and business partner Hamdan Al-Khafaji (founder of Mexican restaurant La Carnita) were also at work creating a menu fit for the venue.
"To be honest, the menu was more based on our own personal experiences than the show itself and addressing what we don't like about certain dining experiences," Kardan explains. "We want the food to be elegant and not require all the extra frills like fire and smoke. We focused mostly on the quality of the produce, the best ingredients and decent-sized portions."
The result is a blend of classic French and Mediterranean staples, such as escargots with herb butter and mushroom risotto, mixed with international favourites such as lamb chops and Wagyu tomahawk. Desserts include a decadent chocolate tart and cheesecake.
A natural progression
When the culinary and show elements come together, Papillon sings. In the sold-out show The National attended on Christmas Eve, the place exuded a chic, speakeasy vibe.
The enormity of the stage is accentuated by the high ceilings and the venue’s intimate capacity of 96 people. The performances are superb, with audiences being able to appreciate each of the eight set-pieces individually – due to stage design, an eclectic music score and vibrant costumes – or as part of a bigger and abstract story of a woman’s quest to find emotional and physical liberation.
Interestingly, Kardan is not a mainstay of Papillon. She appears occasionally to perform a jazz or soul ballad, such as Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, but otherwise, she is content to allow others to shine. “I am performing occasionally because there will be a certain segment of the audience who would have come to see me,” she says.
“But I will gradually phase myself out of the show and work behind the scenes, because, for one thing, it will be challenging to sing four times a week and every week. Also, I do feel the quality of the show, from the talent to the production, speaks for itself already.”
Papillon also speaks to a wider truth facing all artists as their careers were upended by the pandemic.
Kardan says Covid-19 taught her the importance of diversifying her talent and income. "It's a very volatile time now for artists," she says. "That uncertainty shows the importance of diversifying what you do, while still being in line with what you are doing.
“While this sometimes happens as a natural progression, we should consciously aim to do bigger and better things."
Papillon shows run from Tuesday to Friday, 8pm to 3am. The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina. Free entry with Dh500 minimum spend. New Year's Eve dinner packages on Friday, December 31 begin from Dh1,500. For information and reservations, email contact@papillondxb.com or call 050 252 4098.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah.
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Switching%20sides
%3Cp%3EMahika%20Gaur%20is%20the%20latest%20Dubai-raised%20athlete%20to%20attain%20top%20honours%20with%20another%20country.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVelimir%20Stjepanovic%20(Serbia%2C%20swimming)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20raised%20in%20Dubai%2C%20he%20finished%20sixth%20in%20the%20final%20of%20the%202012%20Olympic%20Games%20in%20London%20in%20the%20200m%20butterfly%20final.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJonny%20Macdonald%20(Scotland%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBrought%20up%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%20and%20represented%20the%20region%20in%20international%20rugby.%20When%20the%20Arabian%20Gulf%20team%20was%20broken%20up%20into%20its%20constituent%20nations%2C%20he%20opted%20to%20play%20for%20Scotland%20instead%2C%20and%20went%20to%20the%20Hong%20Kong%20Sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%2C%20rugby%20union)%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20daughter%20of%20an%20English%20mother%20and%20Emirati%20father%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20in%20Dubai%2C%20then%20after%20attending%20university%20in%20the%20UK%20played%20for%20England%20at%20sevens.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
Saturday results
Qatar beat Kuwait by 26 runs
Bahrain beat Maldives by six wickets
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by seven wickets
Monday fixtures
Maldives v Qatar
Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
Bahrain v UAE
* The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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