Updated 9 November 2026
Book Roshan Abbas’s Indradhanush if you want personal stories shaped by a career in radio, television and live performance. Abdurahman Afia’s The Unlikely Hostage puts one life story inside an immersive theatre, with visuals and sound alongside the telling. At This Is Impro at Courtyard Playhouse, the performers make up scenes and songs from ideas offered by the audience. All three have an 8 pm start. The important differences are what happens onstage, when you need to arrive and whether you choose a seat before the show.
| Evening | Place and time | Audience commitment |
|---|---|---|
| The Unlikely Hostage | Fri 13 Nov, 8 pm, ToDA at Souk Madinat Jumeirah | From AED 175. Doors at 7 pm. Recommended 15+ |
| Indradhanush: A Pitara of Stories | Sat 14 Nov, 8 pm, Sima Performing Arts at Alserkal Avenue | AED 195 general admission plus service fee. About 90 minutes |
| This Is Impro | Mon 16 Nov, 8–10 pm, Courtyard Playhouse | Free RSVP. Arrive by 7 pm for first-come seating |
Courtyard Playhouse · Watch a story made from audience suggestions
This Is Impro is listed for Monday 16 November, 8–10 pm, at the Courtyard Playhouse in Al Quoz 1. The venue describes two acts of scenes and songs built on audience suggestions. You may hear a prompt turn into the opening line of a scene, then watch the cast decide who is in it and what happens next. Choose this if you like seeing how a story takes shape in front of you. Expect several scenes and songs during the evening. Courtyard Playhouse programme and RSVP
The show is listed as free. Open the event’s guest-list form, enter the number of guests and save the confirmation. Seats are first come, first served even with an RSVP. The Playhouse asks people to arrive at least an hour early, so set 7 pm as the meetup time. For six or more, the venue gives hello@courtyardplayhouse.com for group enquiries. Check that the guest list is still open before travelling. Guest list and arrival instructions
If the host asks for a prompt, offer something short and specific. Two cousins who haven’t spoken in years give the cast a relationship to play. The last train out of town gives them a setting and a reason to hurry. You can also sit back and listen. The Playhouse’s reel introduces the regular Monday series and shows two people talking on a yellow sofa. The event page gives the 16 November guest list. Check with the venue if the performance language or age guidance matters to your group. Courtyard Playhouse’s Monday Night Comedy reel
For the journey, use Courtyard Playhouse at The Courtyard Building. Abbas’s show is also in Al Quoz, at Sima Performing Arts in Alserkal Avenue. Send the full venue name along with the arrival time. If someone can only arrive at eight, make sure they understand that joining the guest list earlier gives them no assigned seat. The Courtyard’s venue details
Leave the full two-hour window if you want to see both acts. When the cast moves on to a new scene, listen for which part of the prompt survives and which parts come from the players. That’s the pleasure of this format. A joke, a character or a line in a song can grow from a suggestion that seemed ordinary when it came from the room.
The Unlikely Hostage · One true story with sound and projection
On Friday 13 November, Abdurahman Afia tells his story at the Theatre of Digital Art, in the Central Courtyard of Souk Madinat Jumeirah. The authorised listing describes a solo performance that spans family, homelessness, faith, captivity, loss and rebuilding. Afia’s announcement frames the evening as a chance to hear parts of his life he has kept out of public view. Choose it if you want an autobiographical performance where sound and projected images are part of how the story is told. The poster shows Afia seated in a dark room beside a lit doorway. It is artwork for the show, while the event listing gives the performance and its terms. Afia’s event announcement · Authorised show details · ToDA directions
The seller lists 7 pm doors, an 8 pm start and about 90 minutes, putting the expected finish around 9:30 pm. It recommends age 15 and above because of mature themes. The listing leaves the performance language unspecified. Check that with the seller if it affects your group. Photography, filming and audio recording are prohibited during the performance, and ToDA can hold late arrivals until a suitable point. The Unlikely Hostage timing and house rules
Decide whether the view or meeting the performer matters
The live seat map showed filters of AED 175, 250, 350, 550 and 750. Two tickets at the advertised floor would be AED 350, and two at AED 250 would be AED 500, before any fees. Select the actual seats to see what you can buy together. The seller describes the balcony as an elevated view. VIP Diamond specifically includes a post-show meet-and-greet with Afia, so leave extra time if you choose it. Check the exact section and category rather than assuming a price filter includes that experience. The seller asks guests with access requirements to contact it before buying. Live ToDA seat map · Category and access details
Indradhanush · Spend an evening with one storyteller
Indradhanush: A Pitara of Stories brings Roshan Abbas to Sima Performing Arts, Alserkal Avenue, on Saturday 14 November. Dubai Calendar lists an 8 pm start. The live Ticketsfy selector lists General Admission at AED 195 per person, with a service fee added at checkout. The seller gives a 90-minute show. On that schedule, the performance would finish around 9:30 pm. At the advertised starting price, two admissions would cost AED 390. Dubai Calendar confirms the date, venue and 8 pm listing, and directs buyers to Ticketsfy. Check the total and the seating and arrival instructions before booking an onward plan around the finish estimate. The general-admission label gives no specific row. Dubai Calendar event listing · Ticketsfy live booking
Abbas draws on memories from his personal life and work in radio, television and the performing arts. The premise is a collection of stories told by one person who lived them. The humour has room to sit beside reflection, and a single encounter can carry more of the evening than a string of punchlines would. If you enjoy hearing how somebody remembers the turning points in a public career, this is the closer fit. The seller describes Abbas as a co-founder of Kommune and creator of Spoken Fest. On this bill, the evening is built around the storyteller’s own memories and the people who shaped them. Ticketsfy’s show description
The ticket seller’s reel introduces the Dubai performance in Abbas’s own words and confirms the venue, date and advertised length. The ticket and tourism listings describe a performance for listeners. They give no public storytelling signup or audience prompt format. Ask the seller about language, age guidance, seating and any access requirements before purchase if those details affect who can join you. Official ticket seller’s announcement
Alserkal Avenue lists Sima at Warehouse 38. For the Red Line, the district directs visitors to Onpassive and then the 110 bus or a short taxi ride. Use the warehouse number as the meeting point and ask the seller when doors open if you want to arrive together. The published 8 pm time is the performance start. Sima’s Alserkal address · Alserkal transport directions
Choose by the role you want in the room
For a prepared personal story, look for a named storyteller and a description of the material. A good listing gives you enough to tell whether the evening follows one person’s memories, collects several voices around a theme or stages a fictional work. With Abbas and Afia, you know whose perspective carries the evening. If you want to hear how a media career looks in hindsight, choose Abbas. If you want a life story with images and sound around it, choose Afia. Both are tickets for an audience member to listen.
For improvised storytelling, look at how the host uses audience input. Giving a prompt from your seat takes a few seconds. Being invited to tell a story on stage is a different role. The Playhouse describes the former for this show. It offers the fun of recognising something the room supplied after the cast has transformed it. If a friend feels nervous about participation, explain that they can enjoy watching the story develop.
For a true-story open mic, check whether the organiser has a call for storytellers as well as a listener ticket. Some hosts choose stories ahead of time. Others draw from a list in the room. If you want to tell one, ask about the theme, time limit and whether notes are allowed. A strong short story has a specific incident and a moment when something changes. In a five-minute slot, you can often get there by starting with the encounter itself and bringing in background only when the audience needs it.
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