Updated 9 November 2026
Choose The Game’s Afoot at The Junction if you want a whodunit in a small Al Quoz theatre and everyone in the group is at least 15. Choose Elf The Musical at Raj Mahal Theatre if you want a story told through songs and choreography that younger children can attend. Both offer a 7:30 pm curtain on selected dates. The shorter musical still calls for extra time on the way in because you have to reach the theatre from the Riverland parking area. The Game’s Afoot tickets · Elf The Musical tickets
| Production | What you are booking | Evening timing | Listed admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Game’s Afoot at The Junction, Alserkal Avenue | English murder-mystery farce, 15+ | 27–29 November, 7:15 pm doors, 7:30 pm curtain, listed through 9:30 pm | From AED 120 on the checked dates |
| Elf The Musical at Raj Mahal Theatre, Riverland | English family musical, 2+ with an under-two lap provision | 18 December 7:30 pm or 19 December 6 pm, listed duration 75 minutes | From AED 195 on both checked sessions |
The Game’s Afoot · A whodunit in an Al Quoz black box
Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot begins on Christmas Eve in 1936. William Gillette, a Broadway actor known for playing Sherlock Holmes, invites fellow actors to his Connecticut mansion. Then a guest is murdered. Gillette tries to turn the detective skills he performs onstage into an actual investigation. The comedy comes from the gap between his confidence and the mess in front of him. If your group enjoys a mystery where accusations and misunderstandings move as quickly as the clues, this is the one to book. Dubai Calendar production synopsis
The play also goes by Holmes for the Holidays and won the Mystery Writers of America’s 2012 Edgar Award for Best Play. The script gives Gillette a house full of tricks and mirrors, so the setting has a part in the mystery. If someone in the group wants a Christmas play with the pace of a farce, the party setup is a better clue to the evening than the holiday setting alone. Ken Ludwig’s play notes
The Junction is a 177-seat black-box theatre in Alserkal Avenue that has staged local work since 2015. A play like this makes that setting part of the appeal. Watch the other actors while Gillette holds the floor. A small reaction to a line can be as interesting as the line itself. The venue’s green and yellow season announcement includes the play in its November programme. For the live seating and performance date, use the box office. The Junction auditorium · The Junction’s season announcement
Pick Friday Saturday or Sunday
The live seller lists 7:15 pm doors and a 7:30 pm curtain on 27, 28 and 29 November. Each performance has an advertised window ending at 9:30 pm and a starting price of AED 120. The seller also lists English and a 15+ age limit. That gives a group of adults or older teens three dates with the same published schedule. Compare dates by the places available to your group and how easily everyone can reach Al Quoz by doors. The Game’s Afoot ticket selector
At the listed starting rate, allow AED 240 for two or AED 480 for four, before any fees shown at checkout. Confirm whether your party can sit together before everyone books separately. If a guest needs a step-free approach or a seat with specific access, contact the theatre with the date and the number of accompanying seats. The listing identifies the room and the curtain time. The box office can answer questions about getting from the entrance to a particular seat. The Junction box office · The Game’s Afoot ticket terms
Get to H72 before the doors open
Send The Junction, Unit H72 as the meeting pin. Alserkal Avenue has entrances on 17th Street, 6A Street and First Al Khail Street. If you’re driving, the Avenue directs visitors to the parking area off 6A Street and identifies 364C for nearby RTA parking. Check the signs where you actually park. If you’re taking the Red Line, the Avenue names Onpassive as the closest station and gives the 110 bus or a short taxi ride as the onward connection. Alserkal Avenue directions and parking · The Junction address
Fifteen minutes separate published doors and curtain, which is a short window for gathering four people. If you want to see a gallery too, go before the show and check its hours. The Avenue’s general hours end at 7 pm and individual spaces set their own times. With a 9:30 pm listed end for the play, check the kitchen’s last order before planning dinner afterwards. Alserkal Avenue opening hours · Performance schedule
Elf The Musical for a shorter show with younger guests
Buddy has grown up among Santa’s elves. When he discovers that his father lives in New York, he leaves the North Pole to find him and brings the habits of the workshop into city life. The songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin and the ensemble choreography carry that change of scene. If your group includes children who enjoy a familiar story with music and movement, this gives them something to follow even when they miss a line. The organiser’s poster shows the family offer and names Raj Mahal Theatre. The ticket selector is the place to match an actual evening performance to your group. Art For All production and booking information · Official production announcement
The promoter and seller list English and 75 minutes. The promoter lists ages two and above, with children under two able to sit on a parent’s lap. Check how to declare an infant on the booking if this affects your group. The seller requires guests aged 16 or younger to be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or over. Give the group’s ages when arranging seats if you need to keep particular children beside a parent. Ask the organiser whether there is a break if a child needs one. The 75-minute listing is the planning reference for the show, and the doors, approach and return all add time. Promoter’s age and duration details · Seller’s show-specific rules
Pick Friday after work or Saturday before dinner
The selector showed Friday 18 December at 7:30 pm and Saturday 19 December at noon or 6 pm, with an advertised floor of AED 195 on the checked sessions. For an evening booking on Saturday, choose 6 pm. Doors are published as 30 minutes before curtain. On Friday that means 7 pm doors, with the advertised runtime taking the show to about 8:45 pm if it starts on time. On Saturday it means 5:30 pm doors and an estimated 7:15 pm finish. Compare how the two sessions fit dinner and the return journey before choosing the earlier start. Elf date and time selector · Elf door and runtime information
At the advertised floor, two standard admissions would start at AED 390 and four at AED 780 before checkout additions. The promoter advertises a limited four-for-three family offer. If you find it at AED 195 per paid seat, the four-ticket subtotal would be AED 585, before any fees. Confirm that the offer applies to your selected date and section and compare the actual subtotal. The seller’s event terms list no refunds, so check everyone’s availability before booking a group. If the Friday arrival is tight, compare Saturday while the group is still deciding. The displayed starting rate does not tell you whether four adjacent places are available or whether that section still has promotional inventory. Official family offer · Check the selected performance
Allow time to walk from Riverland parking
Use Raj Mahal Theatre, The World of Riverland, Dubai Parks and Resorts as the destination. Art For All puts the theatre about 750 metres from Riverland parking. If you’re driving, leave time to park and walk before the doors open. If an adult is taking the children ahead while someone else parks, agree on a meeting place near the theatre and make sure they have the relevant tickets. Ask the organiser about the actual step-free route, accessible drop-off and suitable seats if the parking walk matters to someone in your party. Art For All parking and directions
If the group wants to make a longer visit of it, decide when to stop other activities and head to the theatre. The shorter runtime can make the musical easier to fit around dinner, but the park visit has its own travel and admission decisions. If you just want the performance, plan the trip around the theatre and your return ride. The promoter advertises a separate attraction offer for ticket holders. Read its terms if you intend to use it and budget the theatre seats independently. Promoter’s show and attraction information
Choose between a black-box mystery and a full musical
At The Junction, the story depends on what the suspects say and how the cast reacts. A small room makes it easier to enjoy a look that undercuts a line or a reaction from a character who’s trying to stay out of the conversation. At Riverland, the musical uses songs and group movement to carry Buddy’s story. If you have older teens who enjoy trying to solve a mystery, start with the Al Quoz dates. If the youngest guest is under 15, the musical is the option to look at first. Both performances are listed in English. The Game’s Afoot production notes · Elf production and age details
Compare the whole evening, including the way in
Friday at Riverland and the three Junction shows all list a 7:30 pm curtain. The published Junction window runs through 9:30 pm, while the musical’s 75-minute runtime points to 8:45 pm. Choose by the trip you can manage as well as the finish you prefer. For The Junction, use Unit H72 and allow time to cross the arts district from the right entrance. For Riverland, give the group the parking or drop-off plan before setting a meeting time at the theatre. If you have a dinner booking after the show, allow time for the walk back or for your ride to reach the pickup point. The Junction ticket schedule · Riverland performance and arrival details
Find a row the group can use
At the advertised floors, four admissions would start at AED 480 at The Junction or AED 780 at Raj Mahal before any eligible family promotion or checkout additions. At The Junction, check the same production on the next date if the places you want are gone. For the musical, first decide if the children can stay up for Friday or if Saturday’s 6 pm start is a better fit. Then compare the available seats and ask about aisles or step-free access before buying. Share the exact date, venue, door time and curtain together when sending tickets to friends. The Game’s Afoot booking · Elf The Musical date selector
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