A British theatre company is promising Dubai audiences plenty of "jumps" and "surprises" during a tense and gripping tale of obsession, entrapment and inner demons.
The stage adaptation of one of Stephen King's most memorable psychological thrillers, Misery, will be brought to the First Group Theatre at Madinat Jumeirah from February 1 to 11 for 16 performances by the London-based theatre company Popular Productions.
The American writer is known for his scary fantasy and science-fiction novels in which clowns are never good, pets are seemingly possessed, husbands a little unstable and women a tad unpredictable. And the latter is true of his female lead Annie Wilkes, Misery's main character.
The story follows Wilkes, a psychologically unstable woman who rescues famous novelist Paul Sheldon from a near fatal car crash after having just finished his latest book. An increasing sense of danger begins to settle in as his "number one fan" takes him home and he realises nobody knows he is there. Brought to life in the 1990 film starring Kathy Bates and James Caan (Bates won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal), this stage adaptation by Simon Moore features Wilkes played by the British actress Yvonne O'Grady, while the British actor Darren Day takes the role of Sheldon.
Taking a break during a rehearsal in London recently, the director John Payton said the Dubai production would be an intimate show that delves deep into the concept of celebrity obsession. The show was first produced by the company in 2006 for the London stage.
"Thrillers are popular and Stephen King is a master of such genres," said Payton. "He's great at creating characters far removed from reality but realistic at the same time. It's a clever adaptation that stays true to the book with an exciting back-and-forth between the main characters and sudden twists. Here's a guy trapped by his 'number one fan', and we explore reasons why."
Popular Productions also have an office in Dubai and are no strangers to taking local audiences out of their comfort zone. In 2009, they brought the critically acclaimed adaptation of The Woman in Black to Dubai, now a movie starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and due to be released in cinemas this year.
"We always aim to bring something different. It's not often you see talent like Yvonne and Darren together," said Payton. "Moore didn't want to deviate from the book, so it's a slow-burning example of how someone can do something so bad. It's pretty macabre and there's a real sense of tension because it's theatre."
The set is "big and dark", mainly consisting of the house.
"It's slightly surreal. It's a story of imprisonment, so the audience will experience claustrophobia mixed with black humour. The music will also make you jump," said Payton.
There are no local performers on the 10-member cast and crew. With Day being a familiar face to British television (The Bill, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here) and the West End (Grease, We Will Rock You), he immediately stood out.
"I'm extremely excited and because it's pretty intense, it's even exhausting in rehearsals. The movie was fantastic, but there's no question the book is darker with lots of layers," said Day. "It's scary because obsession is very real."
Day himself had his fair share of being scrutinised by the British tabloids. He also once took an injunction out on an individual for stalking.
"Sometimes my personal life would be spread out across the front pages," said Day. "I've had stalkers and what's unnerving is, sometimes, I even received letters from fans who address me by my character's name expressing anger over what he did, so I took some of that and channelled it into my performance of Sheldon."
O'Grady, who starred in popular TV series such as Coronation Street and The Bill, agreed that the intensity is "amazing" which is emboldened, she added, through their onstage chemistry.
"Wilkes is psychologically disturbed. What's interesting is the audience gets a glimpse of her past for an idea as to why she goes through these moods," said O'Grady. "She is isolated, lonely and judgemental and we see a string of events in her life that she may have been involved with."
The fact that humans are capable of such acts towards each other makes it even more chilling, she said.
"Anyone who has seen the film will still be surprised," said O'Grady. "When playing the character, one becomes the cause not the act. It's set in a dark house - a dungeon of terror, if you like - where Wilkes has a fantasy they will live happily ever after, but he's fighting to get out, so she tries to physically and psychologically destroy him."
- The first performance begins at 8pm on February 1, and tickets are Dh140 each. All other evening shows are Dh160. For matinées (2pm) tickets are Dh140 each. For more information, visit www.madinattheatre.com or www.popularproductions.com
melshoush@thenational.ae
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Brief scores:
Kashima Antlers 0
River Plate 4
Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
The full list of 2020 Brit Award nominees (winners in bold):
British group
Coldplay
Foals
Bring me the Horizon
D-Block Europe
Bastille
British Female
Mabel
Freya Ridings
FKA Twigs
Charli xcx
Mahalia
British male
Harry Styles
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Michael Kiwanuka
Stormzy
Best new artist
Aitch
Lewis Capaldi
Dave
Mabel
Sam Fender
Best song
Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber - I Don’t Care
Mabel - Don’t Call Me Up
Calvin Harrison and Rag’n’Bone Man - Giant
Dave - Location
Mark Ronson feat. Miley Cyrus - Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
AJ Tracey - Ladbroke Grove
Lewis Capaldi - Someone you Loved
Tom Walker - Just You and I
Sam Smith and Normani - Dancing with a Stranger
Stormzy - Vossi Bop
International female
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
Camila Cabello
Lana Del Rey
Lizzo
International male
Bruce Springsteen
Burna Boy
Tyler, The Creator
Dermot Kennedy
Post Malone
Best album
Stormzy - Heavy is the Head
Michael Kiwanuka - Kiwanuka
Lewis Capaldi - Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent
Dave - Psychodrama
Harry Styles - Fine Line
Rising star
Celeste
Joy Crookes
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'THE WORST THING YOU CAN EAT'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Results
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKenneth%20W%20Harl%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHanover%20Square%20Press%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E576%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
League Cup, last 16
Manchester City v Southampton, Tuesday, 11.45pm (UAE)
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk