The play’s the thing

What’s not to like about bite-sized theatre that helps skill a generation of storytellers?

Adopt or What 5. Courtesy of Short +Sweet festival

The title of this weekend’s theatre festival, Short+ Sweet, says it all. NYU Abu Dhabi will play host to two nights of plays that each run for 10 minutes or less. The festival, which has its origins in Australia, is designed to give budding writers, actors, directors and other theatre workers the chance to hone their skills in a professional environment.

It’s not just a win for the individuals involved; there will be positive knock-on effects for our burgeoning film, television and online-content industries. The people who cut their teeth at Short+Sweet may one day be involved in productions that help tell UAE stories to the world.

But what about the rest of us? For audiences, attending a night of short plays is the perfect opportunity to sample the world of live theatre. If you don’t like one production, don’t worry – it’ll be over very soon and a new set of players will be on stage telling another story. Now, that’s sweet.