There’s a scene in season two of the comedy 30 Rock when the main character, Liz Lemon, is asked out on a date. “So, I’ll pick you up around 10?” her would-be suitor asks. To which she responds: “At night?!”
I admit to channelling Lemon’s incredulity when I was invited to the opening night of Venus, the new show at The Theatre Dubai, with the performance starting at 10.30pm. I’ve lived in the UAE long enough to have known and loved the night-time culture, but with work, three children and more to contend with, the only 10.30 in my life for a while now has been firmly of the morning variety.
But as a diehard dinner-and-a-show fan, I rallied three friends and left my house at 9pm, a time when I would usually be on the sofa in my pyjamas watching Widow’s Bay.
First impressions
The launch of the show has been timed to coincide with The Theatre Dubai’s fifth anniversary. Venus puts the celebrated fiery passion of the planet of love at the heart of a spectacular filled with live singers, aerial acrobatics and lashings of dancing.
Hitting the red carpet and strolling through the lobby into the main dining room evoked old-school Hollywood glamour mixed with the mysterious air of a film noir, making us want to channel Barbara Stanwyck, Hind Rostom or Rita Hayworth. Later we felt like we had been dropped into a Baz Luhrmann movie, specifically the party at the Capulet mansion in Romeo + Juliet.
Tables are arranged around the main stage and on daises, with small stages dotted around on which dancers and singers appear throughout the night, giving everyone a great view wherever they are sitting.
The dinner
At dinner and cabaret shows, all too often the food seems secondary to the entertainment. With so much attention on the show, the dinner can feel like an afterthought under the illusion that no one is there for the food. But this time, I was pleased to discover that what was on the plate was as important as what was happening on stage.
For the anniversary dinner and show launch, we were treated to a greatest hits of The Theatre Dubai’s Japanese and Mediterranean-influenced menu, accompanied by some of pop’s greatest hits blasted out through the speakers and by the live singers.
We began with shrimp tempura (Dh95) and Japanese guacamole with Togarashi plantain chips (Dh80), a flavour-packed twist on the classic dish.
This was followed by truffle arancini with wild mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella (Dh100), Samurai salmon maki (Dh115), queen margherita pizzetta (Dh120) and a delicious baby spinach salad dressed in a rich goma sauce (Dh120).
For the second course, we tucked into black truffle risotto (Dh195), veal Milanese in a butter and sage sauce (Dh550) and prawns Siciliana (Dh220), with sides of broccolini (Dh85) and truffle fries (Dh95). Dessert was the popcorn mille-feuille (Dh125). For those looking to splash the cash, there’s also caviar, oysters, chef’s selection sashimi and a tomahawk with truffle jus.
The show
The red velvet curtains opened to the strains of the Bond theme, The World is Not Enough, as a giant disco ball descended from the ceiling and the female singer began swinging back and forth while she belted out the song. As far as entrances go, it was impressive, and the male and female singers were easily among the evening's biggest stars. Between them, they followed up with The Weeknd’s I Feel It Coming, Beyonce’s Cuff It and a memorable take on Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s Die With A Smile, accompanied by the crowd for every song.
The performances were interspersed with aerial acrobatic and gymnastic displays while dancers writhed below, before theatre founder and artistic director Guy Manoukian took to the stage for an anniversary performance.
The chart-topping Lebanese-Armenian musician, composer and pianist does not appear at every show, but he was there to celebrate the new production and perform his signature fusion of Oriental, Middle Eastern, Armenian melodies and western music, traditional and contemporary.
“Every season, we challenge ourselves to create something completely new, and each show takes on a life of its own,” he said. “As always, our goal is to entertain, but with Venus we also want to create something more personal. The show explores the power of restraint, that moment before something happens, when anticipation is more powerful than the moment itself.”
Even before Manoukian took to the stage, everyone was on their feet dancing to a mix of western and Arabic hits, and from that point on, there was no sitting back down. As the DJ set kicked in, dry ice blasted from the ceiling, sparklers were handed out and waved in the air before what I would describe as a combination of the most fun wedding, prom and New Year’s Eve celebration I’ve ever been to. I left my friends dancing to Abba’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! while making plans to return, and I got home at an unprecedented 2am.
The details
The Theatre Dubai at Fairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road is open Wednesday to Saturday, from 10pm to 3am. A minimum spend of Dh500 per person is required. From November 1, guests can also book the theatre's Sunday Experience at Dh350 per person, which includes a five-course sharing menu and two drinks per person. Reservations can be made by calling 04 222 2268.
