George Büchner's stage play Woyzeck has all the elements of a good story.
Its themes of love, deceit, jealousy and tragedy are just as relevant today as when the play was written – but left unfinished – more than 150 years ago.
This week the Resuscitation Theatre group, in Abu Dhabi, are taking on an “Arabicised” version of the work, adapted to fit with today’s culture and trends.
Maggie Hannan, the founder of the theatre group and artistic director of Al Khayef, the adaptation, says it is important for the group to not simply "import" art, but to try to create something that not only blends with the local culture but also leaves a legacy.
“We are not amateur dramatics, that’s not what we do, we are really trying to make a dent on the society and leave something here.
“We try to merge cultures, we don’t want to impose our cultures. This is one thing that really gets up my nose, people talk about arts and theatre, and it’s all imported.”
Woyzeck was left unfinished when the German playwright died in 1837. It was first published in 1879 after being reworked by an Austrian novelist.
In its original form it focused on the young soldier Franz Woyzeck. In Resuscitation Theatre’s version, Al Khayef is a young labourer who lives a miserable existence sweeping the streets in an unnamed Arab country and running errands for a business executive.
When he suspects his wife is being unfaithful, his life begins to unravel. The female lead, originally called Margaret, is now called Lulu, which means “pearl” in Arabic.
"The original play is an example of modern theatre," says Robert Liddington, the former chairman of the Abu Dhabi Dramatic Society and the man responsible for adapting Woyzeck into Al Khayef.
“It could quite easily be the script for a television show as much as it is a stage play. It has a structure in itself that is quite modern.
“The reason I decided to adapt it was I like what Resuscitation Theatre does, they blow smoke up the skirts of old and quite often not currently performed plays and transform them into something which is interesting.”
The company was set up by Hannan in early 2008 when she moved to the UAE from England, where she had already been running it for seven years.
Her aim, she says, is to find plays – most of them very old – which have strong themes that still apply today.
Their most recent version was of Euripides' Trojan Women, which was written in 461BC.
“There’s no shortage of themes, and almost any plays that were done in Europe in the 1700s and 1800s can apply now,” she says.
Plays with such themes as the divisions between rich and poor, which feature in Al Khayef, are perfect to adapt for today's audience, she says.
“It’s a very dangerous play and we have to really sanitise it. It’s not the bad language in the play that makes the play, it’s the theme of the play itself and it stands just as well sanitised and Arabicised.
“You pick out one simple theme like poverty, the gulf between rich and poor. In the original he was a soldier, and it was in the military, but here we have made him a labourer. That in itself is controversial so we don’t need anything else.”
Al Khayef is being put on by the theatre group in conjunction with the Emirates Writers Union and the Goethe-Institut. The latter works in the UAE to promote the German language and culture.
The Emirates Writers Union, supporting Emirati writing talent, is also involved, holding a competition for Emirati and international artists to contribute a painting, drawing or sculpture inspired by the themes in Woyzeck – Al Khayef. The best works will be displayed in and around the performances.
Al Khayef will be performed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8pm at The National Theatre, off 15th Street, in Abu Dhabi. Visit www.resuscitationtheatre.com for more details.
Mitya Underwood is a features writer for The National.
munderwood@thenational.ae
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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
The biog
Birthday: February 22, 1956
Born: Madahha near Chittagong, Bangladesh
Arrived in UAE: 1978
Exercise: At least one hour a day on the Corniche, from 5.30-6am and 7pm to 8pm.
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi? “Everywhere. Wherever you go, you can relax.”
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Watford 2 (Sarr 50', Deeney 54' pen)
Manchester United 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Gothia Cup 2025
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