Former professional wrestler Dave Bautista is joining one of cinema's most exclusive families in his new role as a James Bond villain. As Mr Hinx in Spectre, due out in Britain next week and worldwide and in the UAE on November 6, Bautista, 46, joins a pantheon of bad guys that are as interesting as the British spy himself. Fans are especially fond of Jaws – the towering Richard Kiel, who bit through power cables with his metal teeth as he faced off against Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker in the 1970s. There is also Spain's Javier Bardem as a twisted cyberterrorist in Skyfall (2012) and Denmark's Mads Mikkelsen as crime lord Le Chiffre in Casino Royale (2006). Bautista's Mr Hinx works for the shadowy criminal group SPECTRE – the acronym for Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. The other lead bad guy, Franz Oberhauser, portrayed by Austrian Oscar-winner Christoph Waltz, is also a SPECTRE member. – AFP
Backstage theatre launch new season
Community theatre group Backstage launch a new season on October 22, with a collection of short plays. Published by American playwright Mark Dunn last year, Seven Interviews is a stripped-back set of seven chapters aiming to illuminate some aspects of the human condition, from comic to tragic. Among the encounters are a job interview, a biographer and subject, a psychiatrist and patient, and a parent-teacher meeting. Catch the production at Dubai's Ductac, in Mall of the Emirates, from October 22 to 24 at 7.30pm, plus a 2.30pm matinee on October 24. For reservations, call the box office on 04 341 4777. – The National staff
Aussie X-Factor star takes Dubai bar residency
Former X-Factor Australia heartthrob Jaymie Deboucherville is taking a residency at a Dubai bar. You can catch the 22-year-old's acoustic covers of tunes, such as Wonderwall, five nights a week, at Aussie-themed joint Bushman's Restaurant & Bar, Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, Mondays through Fridays from 7pm. To book, call 04 567 8304. – The National staff