The thing about classics is that every time you revisit them, you find something new again. This week, a Dubai theatre group will present a retelling of the Ken Kesey novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, that will run daily at The Junction from November 2 to 5.
The story, a dark and comic look at the human psyche, has been made into a successful Broadway show and an Oscar-winning film, starring Jack Nicholson, considered one of the greatest movies ever made.
The Dubai production is one of the biggest attempted by a local theatre in the UAE, according to director Gautam Goenka, who is also the chairman of H72 Production (previously known as Backstage Productions), the in-house theatre group of The Junction.
Asad Raza Khan (centre) plays Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest.
“It’s community theatre but I don’t think anything’s ever been staged in this scale before,” he says.
Goenka, who directed a version of the play in 2006, says he wanted to revisit it because he felt there were many things he could add to it.
Ahead of the premiere, the 32-year-old director gave us five things you should know about this production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
It’s big and it’s local
“We have about 16 cast members, spanning 11 nationalities and across ages: Our youngest actor is 16 while the oldest is 60. Including those in production and backstage, we’re close to 30 in total, which is big because no one is getting paid for this. They all have other full-time jobs. It’s community theatre and everybody’s there because they feel passionately about the project.”
We are not amateurs
“We refrain from using the word amateur when referring to our production, because it is not. All our productions are like any other productions you will see anywhere in the world. In fact, we have been nominated alongside international productions that have come to the UAE, such as Cirque du Soleil shows and Woman in Black.”
We’ve been preparing for five months
“Auditioning roles took about a month, because we had to find good actors who were willing to commit. Then we’ve been spending the last four months rehearsing. Asad Raza Khan plays the main character, Randle McMurphy. We’ve worked together in many productions before but we’ve never done a full-length play together. So when he came to audition, he was perfectly suited for it. He’s taken it to a different level.
Anna Northam plays the steely Nurse Ratched and she’s more than qualified for the job. She has a degree in Shakespearean studies. She is somebody who understands the pulse of a character and brought such amazing layers to it. She was the first actor who came to audition and nailed the character.”
The story is forever
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a beautiful story about an outsider, a rebel that comes in and shakes things up in an autocratic kind of society. It’s beautiful how he comes in and brings about a new order through chaos and anarchy, in his own terms. And how he liberates the people and frees them from the things they’ve been subjected to for many years.”
Why people should come see it
“Firstly, you should come see it because it is a Dubai production. It’s created by Dubai for Dubai, so come and support it. It’s also refreshing because we import so much of our entertainment.
Secondly, come and enjoy an evening of theatre that’s well-performed, nicely produced and entertaining. You will feel very hopeful after watching it.”
Don’t miss it!
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest runs daily at The Junction, Al Serkal Avenue, from November 2 to 5 at 7pm. There’s an additional matinee show on Saturday, November 5. Tickets, priced at Dh100, are available on tixbox.com.
