David Ley tells us about inspiration, pre-show nerves, and new acts
What brought you to Dubai?
I was previously working as director at this place called The Box in New York and there was interest in developing a more commercial version of that project here in Dubai. It was called The Act, and I came out here to head up the development and launch of it. I’ve stayed on board since then.
How would you describe the show?
It is a staged variety show that borrows from the traditions of music hall and cabaret-style entertainment and updates it for the modern audience. We have several shows running at different times depending on what day of the week it is. Some evenings we have a classic variety show; we also run a show called Propaganda, which is different. We have a few shows such as D.W.A. (Dubai With Attitude), Squad and the This Is.. going on now. We recently had an interactive dinner concept based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, titled Alice.
How do you go about creating a new production?
With Alice it was really a no-brainer as it was the 150th anniversary of the original novel. Directors in general will try and tap into the zeitgeist of something that the public can identify with. From there you try to flip it on its head a little and do things that are unexpected so that people are drawn in by what’s familiar to them and then pleasantly surprised by whatever is new.
You’ve had a very artistic life so far, including experience as an actor and musician: what is it about theatre that attracts you?
It’s how in-the-moment and experience-based it is. I think it’s probably the most direct form of entertainment as it happens right before your eyes. I enjoy that aspect of it and the reward of seeing the response of an audience in real time.
What’s a typical day for you?
I have a core cast of host, singer and dancers as well as a few locally based artists, but we bring in international talent from all over the world and a lot of what I do is building material for them and getting them rehearsed into the different shows we’re running. The rest of the time I’m likely to be generating new material, but I’m in rehearsal just about every day of the week and then in shows most nights: for better or worse I’ve seen it necessary to insert myself as a performer for some of the shows, and I try to be there to assess what’s going on at the others.
Do nerves often kick in?
It can be a bit nerve-racking, biting my nails and tearing my hair out at points, because I can do all the preparation I want but that moment the curtain opens I’m completely at the mercy of everything that goes on.
How often does it all go exactly to plan?
I’m very self-critical so I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything go perfectly to plan, but at the end of the day we deliver an amazing show and I’m always proud of that.
When writing something new, how do you test to see if it will work?
That’s what’s been great about working in variety theatre for as long as I have because each individual number – sometimes lasting just a few minutes – is its own complete story, so if there’s something that’s not working it’s pretty easy to hone in and figure out what that small piece is. And if it was doomed from the start there’s no shame in abandoning it and moving on to what’s next.
Have you ever created something you loved that just didn’t do what you hoped it would?
There was a recent disappointment in a previous show called Rocker Girlz where I went to the lengths of actually teaching my dancers to play rock instruments – one was playing the drums, one the guitar and so on, and a lot of work went into it. And the results, I thought, were impressive. But at the end of the day it was difficult to draw people in to come and see it.
What causes theatre directors headaches?
It’s the details. There’s so many moving parts in a theatrical production that any little thing can get in the way of ideal results, whether that’s a popped stitch on a costume or a performer getting sick or a light not functioning. So many things can go wrong and the dread is too many going wrong at the same time.
What was your worst day at work?
The one that comes to mind is being 24 hours from our very first opening night and realising that the curtain that had been installed for us onstage took a full minute to open because a motor had been used that was completely inappropriate. We had to find a way to work around it, and we did.
What’s your ultimate professional goal?
The long-term aim has always been to do something on a larger scale, so I wouldn’t mind being able to direct feature films that a greater number of people might see.
Theactdubai.com
Sign up for the Daily Briefing
Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
Network Links
GN StoreDownload our app
© Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2025. All rights reserved.