Travel back in time to the 18th century as Louvre Abu Dhabi’s auditorium is converted into the Royal Opera House of Versailles for a special series of immersive shows inspired by the museum’s latest exhibition, Versailles and the World.
Called The Royal Secret Soiree, the experience is curated by the Immersive Playground — a group that creates multi-dimensional theatre shows. The performances will take place from Friday to Sunday, with three time slots: 4pm, 6pm and 8pm.
Expect music and live performances such as spoken word poetry, beatboxing and more.
Guests will also become part of the night’s narrative in the fictional world created at Louvre Abu Dhabi. Upon arrival, they’ll be taken through a back entrance of the museum and snuck through corridors, while taking part in secret missions, for which they will need to use passwords to gain access to the auditorium to enjoy a sit-down performance.
“The Royal Secret Soiree starts with a walk-through journey meeting characters and becoming a part of the narrative on the way through. This is approximately 30 minutes of the one hour experience,” says acting cultural programming manager, Alia Saeed Al Shamsi.
Al Shamsi is excited to bring the show to Abu Dhabi.
“Having worked on multiple immersive productions over the last 10 years, I am confident in saying this has me the most excited. Unlike most experiences, I feel we have found a balance between immersive worlds and theatrical performance," she says.
“There will be a variety of performances for the audience to enjoy. It’s most definitely a fun show with good humour, as well as some truly beautiful performances that include dance, rap, live music and a few surprises. We are extremely excited to introduce the Louvre’s audience to immersive theatre and hope we can bring more exciting experiences in the future.”
Tickets start at Dh100 and can be purchased at Virgin Megastores online or in the UAE
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos from the Versailles and the World exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Poacher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERichie%20Mehta%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nimisha%20Sajayan%2C%20Roshan%20Mathew%2C%20Dibyendu%20Bhattacharya%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A