The Al-Hamlet Summit

The Al-Hamlet Summit is yet another fascinating choice of play for Danu Dubai, undoubtedly one of the most interesting theatre companies working in the UAE at the moment who recently brought a Middle Eastern Adaptation of A Doll`s House to the stage with huge success.

This is Hamlet (The original was in Arabic with English subtitles; Danu Dubai is doing an all-English version) as you`ve never seen before and it’s already received critical acclaim from newspapers including The Guardian and The Times. The Guardian described this as “a brilliantly simple theatrical conjuring trick that has Elsinore fitting the current explosive state of Middle East politics like a silk glove”. Kuwaiti playwright Sulayman Al-Bassam`s fantastic reworking and contemporisation of Shakespeare`s classic directed and produced by Padraig Downey makes it a treat to watch.

This version of the Hamlet story is set in a modern Middle Eastern state whose leader has just died, to be replaced by his brother, a ruthless, westernized dictator who juggles petro-dollars, arms dealers, and democratic slogans in an attempt to quell the rising tides of Islamic extremism. Yet a catastrophic war is brewing, he is besieged by enemy neighbors and a growing Islamic extremism from within, whilst his predecessor’s son, Hamlet, is plotting revenge. The Al-Hamlet Summit is a remarkable piece of twenty-first century theatre set in the cauldron of Middle-Eastern discontent.

A must watch for all Shakespeare and Hamlet fans!