DUBAI // It took a while, but Mina Liccione eventually worked out how to coax a chuckle from audiences in the UAE. "When I first got here I realised people didn't laugh enough," said Ms Liccione, a professional comedienne and tap dancer from New York, who performed on Broadway in the percussion dance show Stomp. "I had to tweak my physical show of improvisation to find out what worked for people here and once I figured it out, I couldn't leave."
Three years ago she started and then almost immediately merged her comedy school Laugh Out Loud with the entertainment firm Viva Dubai, which was run by her now-business partner and fellow professional comedian Ali al Sayed. The performing arts school Dubomedy Arts will hold its first festival of live dance, drama, music and improvisation on November 10 and 11 at Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (Ductac). Two more days are to be added at additional venues.
The festival marks the culmination of a new nine-week term of courses launching Saturday. They will include a weekly comedy class, three levels of tap dance, body beats, improvisation and training for those who want to learn how to write for a performance. Mr al Sayed, who grew up in Dubai, said his dream was for the festival to become a regular fixture and to eventually attract international attention. "As long as I remember we have been importing entertainment to Dubai," he said. "My vision is to start exporting it. Instead of flying in Arab-American comedians, why can't we fly out our own Arab comedians to America?"
The four-day festival will also give most of the students their first exposure to an audience. "The whole thing is about giving more performance opportunities for local artists," Ms Liccione said. "There are few outlets in the city for that." Although Ms Liccione had a completely different background from Mr al Sayed, they both had an appreciation of the universally bonding nature of comedy, she said.
She said: "Dubai is a transient city, people come and go but we all know about the drama of driving on these roads, the heat, the mall culture. This is what we have in common and this is where comedy is. The first thing I teach in my class is that comedy is truth. "You don't have to lie or fantasise, you just have to observe and realise the more details you add the funnier it is." Ms Liccione will be joined by guest teachers including Jamil Abu Warda, producer of the comedy show Axis of Evil, Nick Karavatos, a professor of English and writing at the American University of Sharjah and Sol Abiad, the director of a physical theatre group called Star Too.
The prices of the nine-week courses, which take place at Ductac in the Mall of Emirates, range from Dh850 to Dh1,500, and the training will all be geared towards the final performance in November. For more information, email LOL@vivadubai.com. @Email:aseaman@thenational.ae
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
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If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
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Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
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