The Dubai leg of the Tony-nominated Shrek The Musical tour begins at Dubai Opera on Wednesday, and theatregoers can expect “big songs, bright colours and lots of fun and laughter”, one of its lead actors says.
The show, which is based on the DreamWorks animation of the same name, follows the story of the titular ogre who will do anything to get his peaceful swamp back, even if that means rescuing a princess trapped in a dragon-guarded tower for years.
The musical combines elements from the 2001 film, as well as its sequels Shrek 2 and Shrek Forever After. The show had its premiere in 2008, and has since been staged around the world, including in the UK, France, Singapore and China. This is its second visit to the UAE, having been shown in 2016.
“Shrek the Musical is the same story we’ve all grown to love, but this time with added flare and more in-depth characters,” Karla Lyford, who plays Princess Fiona, tells The National.
“This is a chance to be fully immersed in the story to see what Shrek and Donkey get up to on their adventure, to see what being trapped in a castle for 20 years has done to Fiona, and to enjoy the brilliant dancing and fun that the fairy tale creatures create right in front of your eyes,” she says.
The New Zealand actress, who has appeared in productions of Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera, says it is a “dream come true” to be performing in the Middle East, where the audiences are “incredible and very interactive”.
“I feel so welcome here by everyone, and I'm constantly pinching myself as I can’t believe this is real,” she says.
Her co-star, Falstaff Dowling-Mitchell, who plays Shrek, is confident the audience will have a good time.
“There are beautiful characters, hilarious jokes, unbelievable costumes, delightful music, lessons about believing in yourself and a hugely talented cast to perform for you,” he says.
One of the challenges playing the green ogre is the costume, which is a large padded suit and a green prosthetic head. Dowling-Mitchell says the role is physically demanding, wearing the “prosthetics and a heavy costume while singing and dancing”. The show features more than 20 musical numbers throughout two hours.
Dowling-Mitchell says he had to make sure he was physically “fit and strong”.
“I studied the way Shrek thinks, talks and moves, so that I’m the best ogre I can be.”
More than the production values of the show, Dowling-Mitchell says it's the theme, portrayed especially through Shrek himself, that's worth highlighting.
“Playing Shrek, when he dares to dream and understands that he might be able to achieve what he always thought would be impossible, I feel powerful.”
Shrek The Musical is at Dubai Opera from Wednesday until Sunday; from Dh275; dubaiopera.com
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
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FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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if you go
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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