Sharjah: A stellar lineup of theatre artists, comedians, musicians, acrobats and dancers will make their way to Al Majaz Waterfront as it transforms into a showcase venue for standout acts from the global Fringe repertoire to mark the debut edition of Sharjah Fringe, the first-ever Fringe festival in the Middle East.

From 16 January to 1 February this year, this atmospheric venue will morph into a creative, theatrical playground where hundreds of live performances will be staged, delivering hours of pure entertainment to visitors of all ages.

Two purpose-built immersive spaces at Al Majaz Waterfront, with a combined seating capacity of more than 700, will set the stage for the full spectrum of live action comedy, interactive shows, and fun, quirky music and dance performances during the upcoming Sharjah Fringe Festival.

A fully enclosed, climate control tent next to Al Taqwa Mosque, and a shaded structure next to the Maraya Art Park, will host most of the Fringe acts being showcased at Al Majaz Waterfront.

A bouquet of carefully crafted family entertainment will be presented by 50-plus artists coming to Sharjah Fringe to perform at 35 ticketed productions and 30 outdoor street performances that are free and open to all members of the public. Among the ticketed shows, 12 will be hosted at Al Majaz Waterfront.

Marwa Obaid Al Shamsi, General Manager of Al Majaz Waterfront, commented: “Hosting a selection of the Sharjah Fringe Festival shows at Al Majaz Waterfront will give residents and tourists across Sharjah and the UAE more reasons to visit this entertainment and leisure destination. Such shows celebrate cultural diversity and promote cross-cultural exchange further enriching the cultural and creative vision of the emirate of Sharjah.”

The shows feature a medley of award-winning acts of various genres for families of all ages and nationalities, Al Shamsi added. “Al Majaz Waterfront is gearing up to host some of these shows at its two new, well-equipped spaces built to international standards, which are also wheel-chair accessible.”

Enjoy 12 stage shows at Al Majaz Waterfront

Among the top international Fringe favourites that will be presented at Al Majaz Waterfront is Australian duo Jamie MacDowell and Tom Thum who come armed with just a guitar and a distinctive singing voice to regale audiences with a riotous combination of folk-pop songs and virtuosic beatboxing.

Australia’s popular Sticks Stones Broken Bones is a delicious blend of clowning and imaginative visual theatre where household junk and bits of rubbish transform into wordless shadow puppet stories about flying chickens, sneaky ninjas and brain transplants!

For some hilarious fun and magic where young audience members are invited on stage, visitors can pop over to the I Hate Children Children’s Show, a fast-paced comedy, while another family theatre offering, Joyce, explores the colourful world of a story book through puppetry, music and live magic.

Talents to watch out for from the UAE include Sketchy Behaviour, a group comprising top award-winning comedians whose offbeat observations and comedy sketches based on current events is packed with hilarious moments and The All-Star Sharjah Revue, is a series of variety shows to celebrate the talent of Emirati and UAE-based performers. Showcasing the work of several local performance companies, these specially curated dance, music, and comedy shows are set to charm and bedazzle audiences.

Be prepared to blow your mind away with Mind Games as Brendon Peel, award-winning South African mentalist, blurs the lines between reality and illusion with his jaw-dropping psychological illusions and classic mentalism tricks.

From the Emerald Isle of Ireland, Strange Feathers fuses circus, aerial dance and live music to tell the story of two newly-hatched birds exploring their wondrous world of feathers.

With Spain’s Euria (Rain), on the other hand, young kids can learn about our capacity to overcome grief.

Aerial acrobatics, juggling and unconventional instruments weave through in Mandragora Circus from Argentina combining the techniques of modern clowning and physical theatre to tell a wordless story of love.

Original electronic music including flutes, keyboard improvisations, poetry and dance sets the stage for an experiential musical treat in A Home I Cannot Name while the energy of Africa comes alive with the Black Blues Brothers, through hilarious dance challenges, fire and somersault routines, human pyramids and soulful tunes to match.

How to book

Ticket prices for all shows range from AED 35 – 50. Discounted tickets are available on some shows for children, students with a valid ID, and adults above the age of 60. Children, 2 years and below, do not require a ticket.

Tickets can be purchased from box offices in Al Majaz Waterfront and Al Qasba that are open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (Saturday to Thursday) and from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday.

For additional queries or to make a telephonic booking, please call +971 6 556 0777.

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About Sharjah Fringe Festival

Sharjah Fringe Festival is the first-ever Fringe festival in the UAE and the Middle East, joining a global list of Fringes that are considered among the largest arts and entertainment events globally. Sharjah Fringe is a platform that brings the best of family and children's theatre and entertainment - which includes dance, music, mime, magic, puppetry, circus acts and other forms of interactive entertainment - from around the world to the emirate.

Sharjah Fringe will run from January 16 – February 1, 2020, with more than 600 shows staged by over 50 artists across four destinations: Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Qasba, The Flag Island and Al Noor Island, alongside roaming street performances.

Sharjah Fringe is presented by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in strategic partnership with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, and produced by the National Arts Festival, South Africa, and UAE-based Dolphin Creative.

For more information: www.sharjahfringe.com. 

© Press Release 2020

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