"It's All Been Done Before" | A collection of 8 short plays in 1 show

Third Half Theatre, in partnership with The Junction, presents an evening of some of Dubai’s most celebrated original shorts. Multiple award-winning plays rub shoulders with plays that have travelled to Delhi and to LA, in addition to performing in Dubai at The Junction, DUCTAC, The Madinat, The Emirates Litfest and the Sikka Art Fair.

After an open audition, many new faces joined Third Half regulars and veterans. And after a whirlwind rehearsal schedule, here we are, this weekend (Sept 1, 2, 3, 7 pm) at The Junction, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, bringing you what promises to be a roller-coaster ride of emotions.

Get set for an evening of fun, laughter, poignance, and reflection. Reconnect with the magic of the theatre with some of Dubai's best talent with almost forty team members collaborating to bring you an unforgettable night out.

We’ve been covered on TimeOut as one of the things to do this weekend and also featured on CurtainRaiser. Do also check out this wonderful video prepared by the team. The words were inspired by this production and the sound and music too has been prepared from scratch by team members.

Show details:
'It’s All Been Done Before'
The Junction, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
September 1st, 2nd, 3rd 2023
Gates Open 7.00pm | Show starts 7.30pm 
120 mins duration, Tickets on Platinumlist.net

The drive, the enthusiasm, the spirit really, of the entire team was beyond anything one could have imagined. It may sound hyperbolic, but we have genuinely been overwhelmed by the camaraderie and bonhomie of the team at the—at times chaotic but mostly exhilarating—process of bringing this production to you.

We hope you laugh, cry, think, wonder, and after the curtain falls, carry home a little bit of the theatre in your hearts.

 

Audition call for our September Plays

Third Half Theatre announces OPEN AUDITIONS for its plays in English to be staged at The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue on 1st, 2nd, & 3rd September, 2023.

Audition Details

Working Title     : An Anthology of Plays
Writer/Director  : Sanjeev Dixit
Audition Dates   : Monday, 3rd July 2023, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
                           Tuesday, 4th July 2023, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Venue                : The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE
Casting for        : Multiple characters for 8 short plays (18+) 

Auditions are open to all nationalities. Please come prepared with a short monologue. In addition to the speaking parts, there are also singing and dancing parts for one of the plays which is a short musical.

Kindly register here for the auditions.

Prior registration is not mandatory but will help us organize the auditions better. If you have any further questions, message us on facebook or drop us a line in the comments below.

About the Plays:

Flare up at 311 - Freddie tries to convince Sharon to sell their flat and move to a more affordable neighbourhood. 1M, 1F
Garçon - Three men happen to meet at a cafe, they all seem to be waiting for that special someone. 4M, 1F
I Am - Inspired by real events, I Am follows the journey of a girl growing up in a traditional society. 4M, 3F
It's All Been Done Before - A beleaguered writer struggles to finish his script while the characters keep interrupting. 4M, 3F
Janus - A monologue. 1M (Accent work required)
The Monkey's Paw - Stage adaptation of the short story by W.W.Jacobs. 4M, 1F
The Tragic Queen - A ten minute musical. 4M, 2F + Singers (Chorus), Dancers
Tréteau - 'Think inside the box'--an ode to the theatre. 4M, 3F

Rehearsals are scheduled to start from the second week of July for 2-3 sessions a week.

See you at the auditions, all the best!

Still Dancing 2023

Every six minutes, someone is diagnosed with Parkinson's in the US alone.

Just six minutes of your time could help spread awareness about the condition. And in that spirit, Movement Mantra and Third Half Theatre have come together once again to bring you our play, Still Dancing.

Based on the true story of a Parkinson's Hero, Still Dancing weaves together music, dance, and the theatre to create awareness about Parkinson's Disease (PD) and highlights the real-life issues and challenges faced by people with PD and their families. At the heart of it, the play is the story of a family. A family like yours and mine, with the same hopes and dreams. The play follows their lives, their joys and of course, their hardships.

It is an attempt to humanize PD and show the real-life issues and challenges faced by people with PD, their caregivers and their loved ones. It is an attempt to sensitize the general public, dissolve the stigma associated with the condition and create awareness on the possible interventions available for those afflicted. It is a portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.

Moments from the 2019 staging of Still Dancing

The play will be staged at The Emirates Theatre, Jumeirah on Friday the 26th of May and Saturday the 27th of May 2023 at 7:30 pm. Tickets on Platinumlist.

It is our wish that through this production, more people will become aware of the condition and take action to help the cause. We thank you for your support and hope that the play encourages you to go ahead and #Take6forPD.

Anthea

Anthea did what she felt was right, always. If she thought someone needed help, she would be the first person there, going out of her way to do the best she could. If she thought of someone, she would reach out and call. No wondering, no second guessing. Perhaps that is the biggest lesson I learnt from Anthea. And it is a lesson one must take to heart. So, pick up that phone, call that person you’ve been meaning to call. There isn’t always time, you know.

What was striking about her, also, was that she was such an astute observer. Perhaps that’s what made her such a fine actor. She would notice things that most wouldn’t and then she’d pass on these little nuggets of wisdom and insight that would go a long way in keeping the show on the road. As a director, more than her wonderful acting abilities, it was this innate quality that shone out when working with her. Not to mention the cakes, the pastries, the yummy stuff that somehow magically mushroomed around her.

Then there is the childlike glee she took in most things. Her approach to life was one of joy and wonder. She lit up the room with her laughter, her lilting voice carrying across far, and when you heard it, you knew that happiness was around.

So, there you have it, that impossible combination of the Elder Statesman and the Inner Child. That was Anthea. Some stars just shine too bright and are gone too soon. And those left behind can only feel blessed to have been touched by them.

Goodbye, dear, dear Anthea, I hope I can presume to speak on behalf of the Dubai Theatre community—so many of whom have now spread their wings all around the world—by saying that you will be missed, you are remembered ever so fondly, and thank you for just being you.

Third Half wins big at The Junction Awards 2019

In a fun night at The Junction, Dubai, Third Half bagged three awards, including Best Play.

Winners all...

Nilesh Deshpande won Best Actor for his sensitive and poignant portrayal of a Parkinson's Hero in Still Dancing.

A moment from Still Dancing

We also won Best Original Script as well as Best Play for Sutradhar. 

A moment from Sutradhar

 Find a full list of nominees here, and the winners in all categories here

Third Half at the awards

We are thankful to The Junction for recognizing the efforts of all the theatre enthusiasts in the city.

Third Half at the awards

 Third Half once again establishes itself as a pioneer in Original Theatre content in the UAE.

Still Dancing

Third Half Theatre in association with social enterprise Movement Mantra proudly presents Still Dancing, an original theatre production to raise awareness about Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in the UAE.

Based on a true story, the play is an attempt to humanize PD and show the real-life issues and challenges faced by people with PD and their families. It is an attempt to sensitize the general public, dissolve the stigma associated with PD and create awareness on the possible interventions available for people afflicted with the condition in the UAE.

The story follows a family's history. While our focus has been on Parkinson's, we thought it just as important to highlight the effect of the condition on the caregivers and the immediate family as well. At its heart, it is a story of any family, really. The specific details and struggles may vary, but we all go through the ups, the downs, the joys, the sorrows that reaffirm our faith in family values.

Movement Mantra uses dance as a tool to motivate PD heroes to be more active and take control of their condition. We thus have a deeply personal play, and an expression of the emotions associated with the play through dance, music, and poetry as well. Brought to you by a cast selected from an open audition and a team featuring Dubai’s multicultural talent, Still Dancing is a portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.

The play will be staged at The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue on Friday the 12^th of April 7:30 pm, and Saturday the 13^th of April 2019 at 3:30 and 7:30 pm to support our effort in raising PD awareness. Tickets available on Platinumlist and directly at the venue.

The theme of this year is to #StartAConversation. We hope the play not only raises awareness on PD but also moves the audience to start their own conversations about the condition, and movement in general. We could all benefit greatly from the simple act of making movement our mantra.

See you there!

Audition Announcement for our play in April to spread awareness on Parkinson’s

Third Half Theatre is proud to collaborate with Social Enterprise Movement Mantra to create an Original theatre production aimed at raising awareness for Parkinson’s Disease (PD) in the UAE.  The play will be staged at The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue from 11th to 13th April. It will be the only initiative of its kind in the Middle East to give voice to this condition during Parkinson’s month and will Premiere on World Parkinson’s Day.

Audition Details

Project	:	A Play to raise awareness for Parkinson's
Writer/Director	:	Sanjeev Dixit
Audition Dates	:	Saturday 16th Feb 2019, 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. Monday 18th Feb 2019, 7:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Venue	:	Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts 1302, Tiffany Towers, Cluster W, JLT, Dubai
Casting for	:	9 Characters, 4F, 5M. Various ages (+21)

Auditions are open to all nationalities. Please come prepared with a short monologue.

Kindly register here for the auditions.

Prior registration is not mandatory but will help us organize the auditions better. If you have any further questions, message us on facebook or drop us a line at ThirdHalfTheatre[at]gmail[dot]com.

Based on a true story, the play is an attempt to humanize PD and showcase the issues and challenges faced by people with PD and their families. It is a unique take on the condition seen through the journey of a family of a real-life PD Hero who succumbed to the disease in 2009.  While celebrating the struggles and triumphs of the human spirit, it is also an attempt to sensitize the general public, dissolve the stigma associated with the disease, and create awareness on the possible interventions available for people afflicted with the condition.

Rehearsals are scheduled to start from late February for 3 sessions a week.

See you at the auditions, all the best!