Exciting, funny and unpredictable
- Mahmoud Basyoni
- Jun 6
- 8 min read
A theatre review by Mahmoud Basyoni
What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Shakespeare”? Tragedy. Some comedy, maybe. Heavy dialogues. One too many monologues, perhaps. This is what I expected to experience as I fought my way through morning traffic to get to Jumeirah Zabeel Saray two weeks ago to watch the school’s run of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged). It was my very first time in this hidden gem of a venue, and I was audibly astonished by the fact that we have such wonderful and well-equipped theatrical spaces in this city, giving all sorts of creatives a place to showcase their pieces of art at multiple levels. The elevated stage brought back memories of my days inside the theatres of Alexandria in my home country, Egypt. These theatres have witnessed some of the greatest performances in history, and many still do today. I arrived with time to spare and waited in anticipation in the opulent foyer of the Zabeel Theatre, wondering how it was going to be possible for three actors to perform 37 plays in 97 minutes. Having acted in a few Shakespearean plays myself over the years, I know first-hand how arduous and emotional just one plotline can become. And today the cast of West End Worldwide’s latest offering were going to traverse all of The Bard’s works in just one show?
Of course, West End Worldwide are no strangers to making the impossible possible in the theatre industry of the UAE. As a multi-award-winning team of producers, creatives, technical designers and cast members, they have been at the helm of a number of iconic pieces in the Gulf region for many years now. Under the visionary leadership of Lucy Magee, a trailblazing theatrical producer in her own right, the shows have been a hybrid of those produced within Dubai with local talent and others brought in from the West End with UK-based stars. None of these productions would have been possible without the creative direction and skill of John Payton, Magee’s long-time collaborative partner and the director of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged).
“We've been producing theatre for 20 years, and quite a bit of that right here in the UAE. The first time we produced this show about 15 years ago, it sold out. Six performances in a 500-seat theatre!”
This region has been so fortunate to experience the collaborative magic of Magee and Payton in a multitude of plays and musicals for two decades now, with their most recent success being The Woman in Black which ran for a week just last year. If 21st century theatre is defined by the strength of its artistic relationships, the unwavering friendship and unbridled flair of Magee and Payton is one for the ages.
And speaking of relationships… my own relationship with the legend named William Shakespeare began when I was just nine years old and involved a slim schoolbook bearing an illustration of a woman cradling a man with a donkey’s head. I later learned it was a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream—a play I would eventually perform in both Arabic and English. Back then, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d be watching those very same plays, performed live by professional West End actors, or that I would go on to embody some of Shakespeare’s most iconic characters on stage myself. The book was called Stories from Shakespeare and it was my first real encounter with the Bard. Imagine it – an Egyptian child reading Shakespeare in what was then called “modern English” but condensed into a pocket-sized anthology! As I sat next to my friend Lauren Noble from Collab Company, both of us admiring the ornate architecture of The Zabeel Theatre, I found myself wondering again how Robbie Capaldi, James Gulliford, and Christopher Laishley would pull off abridged versions of all 37 plays in just 97 minutes? What transitions would they choose? Which scenes and characters would the script highlight? How much energy would they expend on stage for such a feat to be possible? The questions mounted in my head, bumper-to-bumper, not very unlike traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road at rush hour!
Entering the auditorium surrounded by excited students, I had a series of expectations. But what I witnessed that morning exceeded every one of them completely. The performance was fast-paced, unpredictable, and – above all – funny! This wasn’t the Shakespeare people expected. The fourth wall was not only broken; it was never really there to begin with. Audience interaction was constant. At times, it felt like we were part of the show, even if we weren’t on stage. The actors moved freely through the audience, embracing strategic spontaneity and controlling the chaos. To command a space like this in a student performance is quite something to witness. The show ran for a general audience over the weekend and being in the school space led me to wonder how the cast adapt their approach when engaging with young people over adults? “I think the biggest thing with students is there has got to be a level of safety,” said Robbie Capaldi as we spoke after the show. A seasoned theatre actor, Capaldi comes from a city with a whole lot less sunlight compared to deserts of Dubai. His role in the show’s opening sequence established that tone of trust and ease—a necessary foundation for the kind of playful irreverence that followed. He became our guide, giving the student audience permission to relax and engage, even when things got a little out of hand on stage. Watching the student audience from our row just behind them all, it was fascinating to see how enthusiastically they responded. The actors invited them into the world of the play, and they joined without hesitation.
Of course, covering all 37 plays seems impossible and it is – in a traditional sense. But this production tackled it with relentless energy from start to finish. Costume changes were impressively swift, but what I was sure was even more demanding is the emotional and mental shift required to move from one character to another in seconds. James Gulliford, who handled the largest number of transitions, reflected on this challenge:
“There's a section which has five characters, and I had to think of four very different ways in physically. John really helped with those decisions. The physicality then gives you an idea for the voice. They immediately serve each other. And I think sometimes overthinking – with a show like this, especially – overthinking can be a bit of a downfall. If you get the right tones, you get the right character quickly, and you don't need to have too much depth.”
Whether donning Juliet’s dress or Ophelia’s wig, James switched characters with such fluidity that it felt as though a new actor appeared each time he was on stage. It was a marvel to witness the sheer volume of characters this trio could bring to life – and don’t get me started on the precise and hysterical use of accents!
As someone who has struggled with Shakespearean text before, I know how hard it is to translate not just the language but also the subtext and cultural nuance into an international space. Shakespeare’s plays are complex ecosystems, full of betrayal, ambition, heartbreak, magic, and death. In many ways, they echo real life. Minus the fairies and sprites... or maybe not? Christopher Laishley, the third member of the performing trio, joined the world of theatre at 27, proving that it is never too late to pursue the stage. When asked what he hoped audiences would take away from this, his response was telling: “The one thing I love about it most is the amount of fun it injects into Shakespeare.” His comment captures the essence of the show: it was educational without being didactic, but at its core it was just deeply entertaining. The goal wasn’t to lecture; it was to connect. And judging by the audience reactions, they really succeeded.
The visual aspects of the show were also a highlight. Despite a minimalist set, the carefully crafted projections and stage elements created a compelling mise-en-scène. Director John Payton – who has been at the helm of over 80 productions worldwide, including The Woman in Black for West End Worldwide last year – managed to maintain a sense of theatrical richness while allowing the text and performances to shine. “Each play has its own tone and message,” he explained. “This is a haphazard tour through something magnificent, wonderful, and vast.” At one point, Titus Andronicus was staged as a cooking show – a moment of inspired absurdity that somehow totally worked. Payton also emphasized the importance of keeping the verse alive, even in an adaptation this irreverent:
“Most of the Shakespearean pieces have the verse, whether it’s a line or two, and I’ve always been careful to point out to my actors: let the verse live.”
While I won’t spoil the visual gags or staging surprises, I will say: expect the unexpected. The show presents itself as the work of what Payton called the work of “three guys who’ve pulled something together with the help of their tech friend, Bob—fast, rich, and colourful.” And it feels exactly like that: a chaotic, joyous celebration of theatrical creativity.
In a region where staging a production requires careful calculation—between venue limitations, budget constraints, and building consistent audiences—West End World wide’s choice of The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) was both practical and visionary. “There are many reasons for picking a title,” Magee told us. “Budget is one of them. It’s very expensive to produce theatre here. But more than that, I want to show our versatility. That we work within different genres.” Coming off the success of a hauntingly eerie The Woman in Black, this production offered levity and accessibility. Christopher Laishley said it best, I think: “If anybody from this show had never wanted to see a Shakespeare production and then realised, ‘You know what? I’d love to see a real Shakespeare now!’ Well, that would mean the world to me. That’s what I want people to take away from this: that Shakespeare is still fun.”
As we left the cast to prepare for their next show, now for a very different audience than school kids, I found myself feeling envious. I wished I could see the show again for the first time. To relive those moments. Be shocked again, touched again, laugh again, feel from our hearts again. It was a 97 minutes but for me, that was far too abridged... I could have easily done another 97!
Collab Company wishes to extend our gratitude to West End Worldwide and the cast, crew and creatives of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) for making this #collabinconvo possible. For more please check out the official website of West End Worldwide and give them a follow on socials: Insta and Facebook.
© Written by Mahmoud Basyoni. Mentored and edited by Lauren Noble.
Collab Company's arts journalism initiative | 2025
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