Fifty years ago, four lads from Liverpool with mop-top haircuts came on to the popular culture scene and revolutionised music. With celebrations all over the world this year, Dubai also plans to honour The Beatles and their enduring influence
They say it’s your birthday
The Beatles’ 50th anniversary is being marked around the world with various events this year, including a musical tribute in Dubai. The theatre director Duck Chowles (Under African Skies, Rock on Beethoven) is bringing The Fab Four: Music of The Beatles to Madinat Jumeirah from September 6 to 8.
All you need is love
“I had the idea of creating something beautiful to honour The Beatles for a long time,” says Chowles, who is from South Africa and, in fact, the first single he ever bought was their song Come Together. “After several trials and endless practices, the show was born in 2000. Ever since, it has been running on and off for 12 years.”
The most challenging part of putting the show together was organising the song list in an order that would allow for the “magic” to flow.
The Beatles’ magic was not just because they had a record 27 Number 1 UK and US singles and sold more than 700 million albums. The reason why the band’s music is timeless, Chowles believes, is because they “did everything in pop music before anyone else”.
“They were the first at everything that really mattered back then and still have priceless value.”
All together now
The evening will start with the cast in suits and mop-tops performing the early hits before progressing to the Sgt Pepper’s era with their trademark colourful uniforms. One of the main ideas behind the show is to pay tribute to the late John Lennon and George Harrison. During the second half of the show, expect a few surprises with some unexpected new arrangements of famous songs.
“If our show will inspire the audience and will leave a good memory in people’s hearts, it would mean that the Liverpudlians will always be remembered,” Chowles says.
“I believe their story is a great example of a journey to success through hard work, dedication, massive talent and a bit of luck. The fact that they spent those early years in Hamburg, Germany, playing in unknown clubs and polishing their craft, already gives their story a lot of depth.”
With a little help from my friends
To make the show as realistic as possible, Chowles found a strong cast and used fewer “gimmicks”, focusing more attention on the performance itself, making it simply about the music.
“Myself and the guitarist Andy Murray were able to get the correct harmony blend that is so important in a Beatles tribute. The rest of the cast were selected one by one. The female vocalist Celeste Ribeiro from Dubai, who appears as a guest singer, is adding a special vibe to the whole -performance.”
Judging from past shows, the Tina Turner version of Help has proved to be a show stopper, with Hey Jude also an audience -favourite.
With the success of shows such as the recent sold out Under African Skies, Chowles and his team, who currently run several shows at a time in South Africa, are planning to bring more productions to Dubai in the near future.
And in the end
The Fab Four: Music of the Beatles starts on September 6 and 7 at 8pm and on September 8 at 7pm at the First Group Theatre, Madinat Jumeirah. Tickets cost Dh185 and are available at the First Group Theatre box office. For more information, call 04 366 6546 or visit www.madinattheatre.com for more details.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
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Investment raised: $4 million
The biog
Date of birth: 27 May, 1995
Place of birth: Dubai, UAE
Status: Single
School: Al Ittihad private school in Al Mamzar
University: University of Sharjah
Degree: Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Hobby: I enjoy travelling a lot, not just for fun, but I like to cross things off my bucket list and the map and do something there like a 'green project'.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
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Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
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What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
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with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
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If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
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