Shazia Maskati
antigone
Shazia’s theatrical journey initially began in the classroom with Lauren who guided her through GCSE Drama. Having first been exposed to the stage in a school production, Shazia was quick to fall in love with acting and the creative approach taken within the performing arts. She wholeheartedly appreciates the integration and effortless merging of diverse artistic aspects as well as watching everything piece together perfectly on stage in the end! Her academic training has enabled her to gain an essential understanding of not only the basics of theatre, but an immersive view of the processes that go behind perfecting a devised piece. Since then, Shazia has worked extensively with co|laboratory on different projects, most notably the award-winning, postmodern, collective play for the Theme 8 Festival in October 2021, Checkmate, as well as The End for the 2021 Short+Sweet Festival. Between juggling her time studying for A-levels and attending rehearsals, Shazia is busy seeking every opportunity to explore the depths of artistry to continue to grow holistically.
​
Antigone is one who speaks her mind freely; unafraid and unrelenting when advocating for what she believes in. Playing the role of this character has meant a particularly great deal to Shazia as it has given her the chance to embody the very sense of fearlessness and fortitude that Antigone upholds throughout this play. Aside from that, Shazia recognises the immense talent that extends across the cast of Antigone Retold and greatly admires the unified process within this play that not only takes advantage of each and every cast member’s skill set, but has collaboration rooted at the forefront of everything they do!
Aditi Agarwal
ismene
Aditi has always been interested in the field of arts, where she has explored several areas within the industry... including being graded by Trinity College of London for music. Inside the classroom, while studying for her GCSEs, Aditi was introduced to the theatre industry where she felt a sudden spark which quickly developed into an entire world of imagination, creativity and collaboration. Since then, she has taken on many projects with co|laboratory including the award-winning play Checkmate for the Theme 8 Festival in October 2021. She also participated in the semi-finals of the Short+Sweet Festival last year, performing in The Bench with her director, Lauren Noble. Now Aditi is ready to take on any opportunity that presents itself to further explore the diversity of the performing arts and gain a more nuanced perspective on theatre.
​
Ismene’s character is defined as compassionate, loving, and loyal. While playing the role, Aditi was able to witness the depth and complexity present within such a multi-faceted individual. As Antigone’s direct contrast in both voice and personality, Aditi is excited to showcase the juxtaposition between these two characters and portray the diverse representation of women and sisters to the audience. "This has truly been a wonderful experience so far, and I can’t wait to continue my journey with the amazing and talented cast of Antigone Retold!" she says.
Sadiq Saboowala
creon
Sadiq has been performing onstage from a young age. After performing in Bombay through school and university, and a sabbatical of 20 years his first Dubai appearance was in The Accused in 2021. He has since appeared in The Importance of Being Ernest, The Play That Goes Wrong, The 39 Steps, Bert’s Big Invention, a number of interactive murder mysteries as well as Blind City.
​
Antigone Retold is a unique project that combines the classic and the contemporary in a way I’ve never experienced as an actor. The role of Creon in this story is an exciting and challenging one and I’ve had to look deeper within the character to find his many layers. Lauren’s vision for this play is grand, and I am excited to be part of this journey with this amazing group of talented actors and dancers.
Abishek Nair
haemon
Abishek is a professionally trained actor, teaching artist and director currently based in Dubai. He teaches theatre at his alma mater, the American University of Sharjah. He has performed at venues in the USA, UK and UAE.
​​
Antigone is a wonderful play - I am quite partial to the classics. When the opportunity to audition for the role of Haemon came along, I grabbed it with both hands. The dynamic between Creon and Haemon is of particular interest to me and Sophocles does a masterful job of capturing a loving yet fractured relationship between father and son. Honouring the inherent poetry of the playwright’s language while connecting to the truth of the relationship has been an interesting process - Sadiq and I had a lot of fun working on our dynamic under Lauren’s guidance. Working with everyone involved in this project has been a joyous and educational experience and I look forward to sharing our work with everyone.
Kirin Hilliar
tiresias
Kirin was always interested in acting (any type of performance, really), but studied psychology at university so she could have a “real job” to fall back on. Her journey has come full circle, however, as she finds that psychology and acting compliment each other so brilliantly. Kirin really appreciates the outlet that performing gives her, and it is her main form of self-care when managing her jobs as a University Psychology Professor, and as a working Psychologist in a private practice. Kirin has performed with a wide range of theatre groups in Dubai since 2016. She is a member of co|lab collective, the artistic ensemble platform of co|laboratory, and is also a committee member of Dubai Drama Group (DDG), Dubai’s oldest community theatre group. Kirin also does work in television, commercials and short films.
​
Having directed Lauren Noble in DDG’s May 2022 production of Lulu Raczka’s A Girl in School Uniform (Walks into a Bar), Kirin was very excited to “flip the switch” and have Lauren direct her this time. In the process of helping behind-the-scenes, Kirin has been in awe as she’s watched the production morph from a ‘typical’ stage production into a multi-faceted, interactive arts and education experience, almost like a mini-fairground! "And, of course, the chance to play a character as unique as Tiresias is just the icing on the cake." she says.
