Production Plan & Budget
Schedule, budget, venue needs and who does what, agreed before design starts.
Theatre production / Dubai, UAE
Theatre production company in Dubai.
The set, the light and every cue on show night.
Zarak Events is a theatre production company in Dubai for plays, staged shows, cultural programmes and live entertainment. The team at Dubai Silicon Oasis manages the set build and runs lighting, sound and show control across the UAE. Our own production, The Mousetrap, was staged in the UAE in January 2026.
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THEATRE PRODUCTION / DUBAI, UAE
What does a theatre production company do?
A theatre production company turns a script or show concept into a staged performance. It manages the set, lighting, sound, show control, schedule and budget, so the cast can perform.
Theatre has two sides. The producer owns the show: the idea, the money, the venue booking, the cast, the creative team and the right to perform the script. Clearing those performance rights is the producer's responsibility. The staging side turns that plan into a stage that works every night.
Zarak Events runs the staging side. For a client show, we agree at the start who arranges the cast, the creative team and the rights, then build the production around them.
Set Design & Build
Set drawings checked against the venue, built with trusted partners where needed.
Lighting
Theatrical lighting designed for each scene and recorded cue by cue.
Sound
Microphones, playback and sound effects, balanced for the room and the cast.
Show Control & Cue Calling
Show control links the lighting, sound and video systems so each cue fires in order. A show caller calls every cue to the operators.
Get-in to Show Night
The get-in moves the set and equipment into the venue and installs it. Our crew then runs the technical rehearsal, the dress rehearsal and every show night.
Our own production / The Mousetrap
We staged our own theatre production, not only other people's events.
The Mousetrap is our own Hindi and English staging of Agatha Christie's murder mystery, not a client commission. It was designed and directed by Shekhar Kanwat, a graduate of the National School of Drama, Delhi.
We staged it in January 2026 at Warehouse Four in Al Quoz, Dubai. That is an open event space with no fixed stage, rig or seating, so we brought in the set, lighting, sound and audience layout. The show ran three public performances over two days, including a matinee and an evening show on the same day. The case study has stage photos, films and audience feedback videos.
See the production ↗What we produce
Shows we stage
Plays, staged shows and cultural programmes.
We stage four kinds of work in Dubai and across the UAE.
Full-length plays
A play with a set, a lighting design and a sound plot, run over one or more performances. The Mousetrap is our own example.
Staged shows at events
A stage show or short theatre piece inside a gala, an awards night or a company celebration. See gala dinners and awards nights and corporate event management.
Cultural and community programmes
Cultural events and community shows that combine performance, music and speech on one stage for a public audience.
Brand theatre at launches and activations
A story told through performance, set and light at a product launch or brand activation.
Hosts, performers, bands and DJs for events are booked through our entertainment agency service, then staged and cued by the same team.
The Mousetrap on stage
See the show
in 35 seconds.
Highlights from our production of The Mousetrap: the set, the lighting states and the cast in performance. More films, including audience feedback, are in the full case study.
The process
From rehearsal room to stage
How does a show get from the rehearsal room to the stage?
A show reaches the stage in a fixed order: design and build, get-in, focus and plotting, technical rehearsal, dress rehearsal, show nights and get-out. Each step depends on the one before, so we plan backwards from the first performance.
- Design and build. Set, lighting and sound designs are checked against the venue's stage, rigging and power, then the set is built.
- Get-in. The set and equipment move into the venue and are installed. Rigging, which means hanging lights, speakers and scenery safely from the venue's structure, comes first.
- Focus and plotting. The lights are focused, which means aimed and shaped. Then the lighting designer sets the level and colour of each lighting state and records it as a cue.
- Technical rehearsal. The cast and crew run the show with the full set, lighting and sound. A cue-to-cue often comes first: it jumps from one cue to the next to test each transition.
- Dress rehearsal. A full run in costume, as close to a real performance as possible.
- Show nights. The show caller calls every cue and the operators run them. We work with front of house, the venue team that runs the foyer, seating and audience entry, so the show starts on time.
- Get-out. The set and equipment come out of the venue by its deadline.
Our run of show template shows how a cue-by-cue running order is laid out. For set and stage choices, see our guide to corporate event stage design in Dubai.
Venues
Choosing the stage
Which UAE venues are built for theatre?
Dubai Opera, Theatre by QE2, the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi and Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah are among the UAE venues built for theatre. These examples show the range. They are not a list of our past venues.
Dubai Opera
In Downtown Dubai. It changes between three modes (theatre, concert hall and flat floor) and seats up to 2,000 people.
Theatre by QE2
The original theatre on board the QE2 ship hotel in Dubai, seating up to 503 people.
Cultural Foundation, Abu Dhabi
A 900-seat theatre at Al Hosn. For other Abu Dhabi work, see our Abu Dhabi events page.
Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Sharjah
An open-air amphitheatre on Al Majaz Island by Khalid Lagoon. It opened in May 2014, runs under the Sharjah Government Media Bureau and has sound, lighting and effects systems.
Each venue sets its own rules on rigging, power and get-in times, so we check them before the design is fixed. Our guide to the venue questions that decide your event budget lists what to ask.
Permits
Licensing and approvals
Do you need a permit to stage a show in Dubai?
Usually, yes. Events in Dubai need a licence or permit, and who issues it depends on the emirate and the exact location.
- Most of Dubai. Under Law No. (6) of 2023, event licensing in most of Dubai sits with the Dubai Business Registration and Licensing Corporation. That body is affiliated to the Department of Economy and Tourism.
- Dubai free zones. The Dubai Development Authority issues event permits for TECOM free-zone areas, such as Dubai Media City and Dubai Studio City. It asks for a stage layout, no-objection certificates, the organiser's trade licence and an emergency and evacuation plan, plus structural drawings for temporary structures.
- Abu Dhabi. DCT Abu Dhabi's Event Licensing Manual covers the emirate's Events Licensing System, including cultural and entertainment events and permits for large events with multiple performers.
- Sharjah. Approvals are separate from Dubai's. For example, the Sharjah Economic Development Department issues permits for commercial exhibitions. For a staged show, we confirm the Sharjah approvals needed with the venue and the authority. See our Sharjah events page.
Rules change, so we confirm current requirements with the venue and the authority at the start of each project. Our guide to event permits in Dubai explains the main routes.
The brief
Starting the project
What to tell us before we quote.
You may be one of the theatre producers in Dubai, or a company planning its first staged show. Either way, a clear brief makes the first quote realistic. Tell us:
- The show: the script or show concept, and its running time if known.
- Performance rights: whether the rights to perform the script are already in place.
- Venue and dates: your preferred venue, dates and number of performances.
- Audience: the expected audience size and who the audience is.
- Cast and creative team: who provides the cast, the director and the designers.
- Technical needs: set changes, effects, video or live music.
- Budget range: a working range, so the plan matches what you intend to spend.
Our guide on how to brief an event production company covers each point. For budgets, read what an event costs in Dubai.
Production capability
In-house staging, sound, lighting and LED.
Our in-house staging, sound, lighting and LED are used inside the productions we manage. The crew who plan the show also run it. We do not offer standalone rental. Sets are built by trusted partners where needed. See our event production page.
Discuss your production ↗THEATRE PRODUCTION FAQ
Before you stage a show
Theatre production.
Common questions.
What does a theatre production company in Dubai do?
It plans and delivers the staging of a show: the set, lighting, sound, show control, schedule, get-in and show nights. Zarak Events plans and runs this work for the productions it manages, with sets built by trusted partners where needed.
Has Zarak Events produced theatre before?
Yes. The Mousetrap is a full-length theatre production from our own live entertainment portfolio, staged for an audience in the UAE in January 2026. The case study has stage photos, films and audience feedback videos.
Can you produce a show or cultural programme for us?
Yes. The same staging, lighting, sound and show-control capability behind The Mousetrap is available for theatre production, cultural programmes and live entertainment across the UAE.
Do you provide the cast?
For events, we book hosts, performers, bands and DJs through our entertainment service. For a play, we confirm with you at the start who provides the cast and the creative team, and we plan the staging around them.
Do you need a permit for a theatre show in Dubai?
Usually, yes. Event licensing in most of Dubai sits with the Department of Economy and Tourism. Events in free-zone areas such as Dubai Media City need a permit from the Dubai Development Authority instead. A Dubai permit does not cover Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.
Which venues can you work in?
We work in the venue that suits the show. UAE theatre venues include Dubai Opera, Theatre by QE2, the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi and Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah. These are examples, not a list of our past venues. We check each venue's rules on rigging, power and get-in times before the design is fixed.
Do you rent out stage lighting and sound?
No. Our staging, sound, lighting and LED are used only inside the productions and events we manage. We do not offer standalone equipment rental.
Do you produce shows outside Dubai?
Yes. We can stage shows across the UAE, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, with the same team planning and running each one.
Sources
- Dubai Legislation Portal: Law No. (6) of 2023
- Dubai Development Authority: Event permit
- Dubai Development Authority: TECOM Group
- Abu Dhabi Media Office: DCT Event Licensing Manual launch
- Sharjah Economic Development Department: Exhibition permit
- Emaar: Dubai Opera
- QE2: Theatre by QE2
- WAM: Cultural Foundation theatre
- Al Majaz Amphitheatre: About us