Eid dining deals: Where to eat over Eid al Adha break
With more days away from our desks, there are plenty of cool Dubai restaurants offering great brunches, lunches and dinners.
With some fantastic value offers available, it's a good time to get out and about and not worry about cooking at home.
All the places to eat over Eid Al Adha in Dubai (and the Eid dining deals to know)
Indikaya
(Credit: Supplied)
Created by chef Hemant Oberoi, the Indian restaurant has released a selection of curated set menus to celebrate Eid Al Adha.
Expect to dig into Hyderabadi chicken biryani, mutton galouti and a rarrah methi champ, each of which packs a punch. For all the veggies, you'll be just as pleased with a selection of paneer kebabs and birbali that taste just as good.
Finishing with a sweet anjeer shahi tukra and fresh coffee ki phirni, this is definitely a meal for a celebration.
Dhs220. Open daily noon-11.30pm. Shangri-La Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, @indikayadubai (054 279 3647).
JW Kitchen
(Credit: Supplied)
The Oceanic brunch is getting a special public holiday makeover, so expect to spend your Saturday browsing the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Expect to pile your plate high with fresh seafood, premium cuts and international favourites, before washing it all down with a free-flowing beverage (or two).
Paired with a little live entertainment, a trip to the Dubai Marina restaurant isn't complete without a visit to the dessert stand (trust us).
Dhs290 (soft beverages), Dhs390 (house beverages), Dhs490 (bubbly). Sat Jun 7, 1pm-4pm. JW Marriott Hotel Marina, Dubai Marina, marriott.com (04 436 7777).
Koko Bay
Head down to Koko Bay for sunset, and enjoy the Sound of Bali dinner experience, complete with three themed courses, free-flowing drinks and live entertainment surrounded by a flame-lit beachfront.
Dhs295. Thu 7pm-11pm. West Beach, Palm Jumeirah, kokobay.co (04 572 3444).
Mosaico Lobby Lounge
(Credit: Supplied)
For something a little fancy, swan into the lounge at Palazzo Versace for a special Eid Al Adha high tea. Running from Friday June 6 to Sunday June 8, a live musician will perform each day, from a violinist to a saxophonist.
Make your way through the Eid cookies and cake stand, before picking something from the live chebab station.
Dhs378 (two people). June 6-8, 10.30am-7pm. Palazzo Versace, Al Jaddaf, palazzoversace.ae (04 556 8888).
Mr Toad's
Credit: Mr Toad's
The gastropub is offering up brunch for four for the price of three on Saturday June 7 at select locations around the city.
If you're thinking of brunching in Silicon Oasis, DIP or Al Jaddaf, you can enjoy a sizzling selection of dishes and free flowing drinks for as little as Dhs129.
Dhs129 (soft beverages), Dhs249 (house beverages), Dhs299 (premium beverages). Sat Jul 7, 1pm-4pm. Various locations, mrtoads.me
The Beam
Spend the last day of the Eid Al Adha break enjoying a leisurely lunch at The Beam for its Sunday brunch.
Dig into sharing starters while live entertainment lifts the room, then it's time for some comforting European mains and of course, free-flowing drinks to pair with it.
Dhs295 (soft beverages), Dhs395 (house beverages), Dhs495 (premium sparkling), Dhs145 (kids aged 5-12). Le Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa, Dubai Marina, thebeamdubai.com (04 399 5555).
Walima
(Credit: Supplied)
The buffet-style restaurant at the Grand Mercure Dubai City is throwing quite the feast on Friday June 6, where you can fill your plate for only Dhs175.
Fill up on fresh seafood, hot and cold mezze, freshly cooked pasta and hot shawarmas cut from the grill in front of you.
Dhs175 (adult), Dhs45 (kids aged 6-12). Fri Jun 6, 1.30pm-4.30pm. Grand Mercure Dubai City, grand-mercure-dubai-city (052 267 0398).
Eid Al Adha 2025
Eid Al Adha itinerary: All the fun things to do this long weekend
Where to go and what to see over the break
20 amazing things to do in Dubai in June
This month is going to be a scorcher
51 brilliant family days out in the UAE
For you and the little ones
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out Dubai
3 hours ago
- Time Out Dubai
Best budget restaurants in Dubai 2025: 10 cheap spots to try next
While it may be a widely-held assumption, the best restaurants in Dubai don't have to be expensive. If anything, Dubai's affordable eateries can play host to some of the finest and most rewarding meals you'll have. Check out the full list of Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards 2025 winners here There are few things better than an absolutely brilliant meal that is also a total bargain — did you know you can get a lip-smackingly satisfying meal for two for under Dhs250 in Dubai? Time Out Dubai reviews anonymously and pays for all its meals. For more on the review process click here. These are the best budget restaurants in Dubai, as recognised by the Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards 2025. The best budget restaurant in Dubai 2025 WINNER Dampa Seafood Grill Nothing could dampen (ahem) the passion Dampa has for delivering its legendary Filipino seafood to the masses. After a fire caused the Deira restaurant to close in 2023, it reopened in February 2024 and quickly re-established its vibrant energy. With a menu crammed with all manner of catch, from whole grilled squid to baked mussels, your best bet is to try it all with the signature seafood dump. At just Dhs176 and enough for three people, watch as the freshest haul is pretty much chucked on the table in front of you, sauce and all (top tip: go for the Cajun). Tuck in with your hands and devour the lot. The more mess the better. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Sweet, smoky, fragrant marinade gets into the crevices of every single bite – and likely your hands, elbows and anything else that happens to be exposed. This is no fuss, plenty of mess dining – and it's one of those Dubai meals everyone needs to have had at least once' Check out our full Dampa Seafood Grill review here Unlicensed. Baniyas Road, Port Saeed @dampaseafoodgrill (04 299 0884). Highly commended Calicut Paragon Credit: Calicut Paragon If authentic Keralan cooking, packed full of flavour and spice, is what you're searching for, Calicut Paragon is for you. An excellent Indian restaurant specialising in Southern Indian cuisine, this has been one of the best budget restaurants in Dubai for many years, and one of the top Indian restaurants in town, too. With dishes that sing with spice, dig into chicken Malabari, fish tikka, moilee, masala mushrooms and more, all served with piping hot naan. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'While there are plenty of meat and vegetarian dishes, it's seafood that reigns supreme at Calicut Paragon. And, for us, the crab tushar takes the crown for the best.' Check out our full Calicut Paragon review here Open daily, 7am-midnight. Unlicensed. Karama, @calicutparagon (04 335 8700). San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles Credit: San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles Having opened in JLT in 2023, tucked away in an unassuming corner of Cluster F, right next to Asian Street by Thai, San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles popularity has rocketed into it claiming the title of the best budget restaurant in Dubai, hands down. Service is friendly and there's a concise menu of Northern Chinese classics that you don't want to miss. Serving affordable, authentic Shaanxi cuisine, the main order here is, as the name suggests, those deliciously moreish noodles – which you can watch the chefs pulling in the kitchen. The chicken wontons are a must-try too. In short, don't miss it – it's a mighty find in a low-key location. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'San Wan is a real neighbourhood place with character and style, and delivers on what a lot of places promise in Dubai, but don't always come through on. Great food, fantastic value. One of the best budget eateries in town.' Check out our full San Wan Hand Pulled Noodles review here Open daily, noon-10.30pm. Unlicensed. Cluster F, JLT, @ (050 759 9584). Shortlisted Allo Beirut Credit: Allo Beirut This budget chain has become so popular that there are now branches across the city, but our favourite is still the OG version along Hessa Street. You can't fail to miss it – sprawling along the side of the busy road with its brightly lit dining room, neon signs and rows of cars parked outside morning, noon and night. Dig into pocket-friendly shawarma, laden with punchy garlic sauce, enveloped in fresh, floury saj bread, or opt for a mixed grill and pots of hummus for a filling treat that won't hurt your wallet. It's open 24 hours, too. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Inside, it's industrial-meets-homely, exposed ceilings and open kitchens juxtaposed against trinket-adorned walls. At one end, watch a team of bakers toast fresh saj on a dome and sling manakish into a brick oven. At the other, chefs form falafel rings at speed and shave hot, sliced meats from two towering shawarma skewers.' Check out our full Allo Beirut review here Open 24-hours. Unlicensed. Hessa Street, (800 8263 4788). Betawi Credit: Betawi Indonesian chefs are celebrating their heritage and cuisine at long-standing eatery Betawi (it first opened in Karama in 2007), one of the best budget restaurants in Dubai. Traditional dishes are cooked with flair and served at exceptional value, with most main courses coming in around the Dhs60 mark. Think nasi padang, bebek kremes, seafood laksa, mie goreng, ayam geprek and udang bakar, served with signature sambals. Not afraid of a bit of spice, this is a restaurant that is both true to its roots and committed to offering its customers a very affordable dining experience. Expect to see groups of friends packed onto the terrace, soaking up the views and the vibes. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Go for the nasi goreng or nasi padang and prepare for mouthfuls of spice and punchy, aromatic flavours. It's authentic and delicious. Portion sizes are generous, the décor is basic and staff are always helpful.' Check out our full Betawi review here Unlicensed. Lake Terrace Tower, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, @ (04 454 2329). Dhaba Lane Credit: Dhaba Lane A budget, Indian street food-style eatery in JLT, Dhaba Lane has been delighting savvy diners with its moreish curries since 2017. Serving traditional dishes from Punjab to Delhi, Calcutta and beyond, there are plenty of regional flavours to try here. It serves traditional plates with a modern twist, all at prices that won't make your eyes water. The interiors are cute and the spices are punchy, check out curries, chaat, biryanis and beyond. Open daily, noon-3.30pm, 6.30pm-midnight. Unlicensed. Cluster D, JLT, dhaba-lane (054 999 4251). Dukkan El Baba Credit: Dukkan El Baba For homely, comforting Lebanese bites at affordable pricing, Dukkan El Baba is one of the best place for cheap eats in Dubai. A cute, low-key spot that opened in early 2023, Dukkan El Baba has a regular menu plus regular specials and dishes of the day – meaning you can make repeat visits and always try something different. The menu is a mix of hot, cold and saucy. Some of our favourites are Lebanese vine leaves, stuffed courgette, aubergine fatteh, chicken shish tawook and delicious shawarma. Don't miss it if you want terrific Lebanese food, for less. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Shish barak swimming in laban tastes just like home and is served with buttery vermicelli rice, while stuffed cabbage is larger than your usual (almost burrito-sized) and will make a big dent in your appetite. By the end of the meal, you'll have filled your belly to the brim without doing much harm to your wallet.' Check out our full Dukkan El Baba review here Open daily, 9am-1am. Unlicensed. Barsha Heights, @dukka_el_baba (04 344 0140). Hanoi Naturally Credit: Hanoi Naturally This healthy Asian restaurant is a go-to spot for Vietnamese cuisine in Dubai. And the best news is it's also one of the best budget restaurants in Dubai. Found in JLT, where you'll discover many of the best authentic, pocket-friendly eateries in town, Hanoi Naturally is a popular place for those who want to tuck into healthy dishes, for less. Enjoy salads, phos and more, all using delicious, fresh ingredients at prices that will make you return time and again. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Absolutely unmissable is a bowl of pho – whether chicken, beef or vegetable. Slurping up this fragrant, brothy noodle soup is one of the best comfort food experiences in town. Other classics include bun noodle dishes and crunchy salads packed with julienned papaya, carrots and punchy fish sauce.' Check out our full Hanoi Naturally review here Open daily, 11.30am-10.30pm. Unlicensed. Cluster C, JLT, (04 431 3099). Mama'esh 32 banging budget restaurants, as chosen by Dubai's top chefs. Credit: Mama'esh Mama'esh is one of the best budget restaurants in Dubai and one that we can't get enough of. A Palestinian restaurant that has spread to various locations throughout the city, the food is excellent and authentic wherever you go. For a cute date night or lunch out with the family, head to the Al Manara branch for charming décor and a delightful little terrace. Dig into freshly baked manakish laden with gooey, molten cheese, or Palestinian hummus and spinach fatayer. The breakfast platters are ace, and for traditional Palestinian food, there's no better place in Dubai. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Mama'esh bakes with organic flour only and the quality in its ingredients sing with the larger-than-life mama'esh. With prices averaging between Dhs9 to Dhs18 per manoushe or Dhs15 to Dhs29 for fatayer, you can fill up here even when payday has long been and gone.' Check out our full Mama'esh review here Open daily, 7am-1am (Fri, 7am-1.15pm, 1.45pm-1m) Unlicensed. Al Manara, (600 548 287). The Little Bali Credit: The Little Bali Another cracking affordable eatery in JLT – for authentic Balinese cuisine there's nowhere better in Dubai than The Little Bali. With budget plates that are bursting with flavour, the menu is traditional with top choices such as ayam taliwang (grilled chicken with lalapan, rice and sambal taliwang) and ikan goreng (crispy tilapia in a choice of sauces). You can also find more unusual meats such as oxtail and camel on the menu too. Don't miss the nasi goreng and satay sampler platter for classics done well. Time Out Dubai reviewers say: 'Big flavours. Bags of authenticity. Plenty to work your way through over a few visits. There really is a whole lot to love about The Little Bali.' Check out our full The Little Bali review here Open daily, noon-10pm. Unlicensed. Cluster U, JLT, (04 554 8575). Other award-winning spots in Dubai These are officially Dubai's 10 best burger restaurants The verdict is in 10 of the best cafés in Dubai that deserve a visit So good, you won't want to leave The 10 best casual dining restaurants in Dubai to book now Dinner for two is under Dhs500
Time Out
4 hours ago
- Time Out
The 11 best Bollywood songs
1. 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' Film: ' Dil Se.. ' (1998) A mesmerising, passionate Urdu love song performed on the roof of a train as it trundles through a jaw-dropping mountain forest backdrop. Item dancer Malaika Arora rivals Shakira in the hip-swivelling stakes and Shah Rukh Khan dances (and head bangs) effortlessly as he always does, in this composition by AR Rahman, sung by Sukhwinder Singh and Sapna Awasthi. This is one song that wasn't an excuse for a toilet break. 2. 'Naacho Naacho' ('Naatu Naatu') Film: RRR (2022) The Telugu composer of this banger, M M Keeravani, is a legend in pan-Indian cinema and created this song originally in Telugu and dubbed into various languages. Rhythm is at the centre, with Indian skin drums adding texture. The Telugu version went on to win the Best song Oscar and a Golden Globe, while the Hindi version, which you can watch below, is even more popular. The video, which was shot at Ukraine's Mariinsky Palace to mirror India under the British Raj, has the film's leads, NT Rama Rao Jr and Ram Charan, showing off their moves in a dance battle against the British rulers. 3. 'Surmayee Ankhiyon Mein' Film: Sadma (1983) The scoring career of Tamil stalwart Ilayaraja spans more than 1000 pan-Indian film soundtracks in various languages, and this is one of his most haunting compositions. In a poignant story that features one of India's most beloved on-screen pairings, Kamal Haasan and Sridevi, this delicate and melodic lullaby is soothingly sung by playback legend KJ Yesudas. 4. 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' Film: 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' (2001) Despite opening to mixed reviews at the time, 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham' went on to become one of the highest grossing Bollywood films internationally. The title track is an example of how a song can weave its way through a film, Lata Mangeshkar's distinctive and emotive voice whisks you away on a journey into the complex world of the family. Through her vocals she imitates the film's title (which translates to 'in times of happiness, in times of sadness'), hurt and celebration coalescing in one stunning performance. 5. 'Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jana Sanam' Film: ' Dilwalhe Dulhania Le Jayenge ' (1995) The song from the most romantic film in a generation 'TDTYJS' nods to Bollywood's wholesome days of yore with playback singers Kumar Sanu and Lata Mangeshkar as star-crossed lovers Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) and Simran (Kajol) are reunited in Punjab's glorious fields. They declare they'll die in each other's arms amid costume changes, location switches (to the Alps), and dream-sequence montages. The combo of glorious melodies, soaring strings and the innocent purity of Lata's voice has been a Bollywood staple for decades. After all, if it ain't broke… 6. 'Badtameez Dil' Film: ' Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ' (2013) A song dedicated to mischief and being a player, with superstar-in-waiting Ranbir Kapoor – featured in our list of the ten best Bollywood actors – popping, locking and hip-thrusting through a salsa and reggaeton-flavoured party track. It sports a catchy chorus, as well as a jaunty sing-along melody and the immortal lyrics, 'Bollywood, Bollywood, very, very jolly good'. This is huge, as 50 Cent might say, 'in da club'. 7. 'Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein' Film: ' Kabhie Kabhie ' (1976) Songs are often key to the plot of Bollywood movies and repeated throughout the film, as is the case with this achingly beautiful song from the spectacularly successful 'Kabhie Kabhie'. Poet Amit (Amitabh Bachchan) falls in love with student Pooja (Rakhee Gulzar), and the smooth operator recites a poem to her: the lyrics to this song, sung by all-time great playback duo Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar. Family prevents Amit and Pooja from being together, with Pooja having an arranged marriage and singing this song on her wedding night and imagining what might have been. A real heartbreaker. 8. 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' Film: 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' (2003) An example of a song recurring throughout a film, the flute intro from the title track of 'Kal Ho Naa Ho' haunts this massively successful early noughties film. Sonu Nigam's rich, textured voice dreamily animates exquisite, poetic lyrics by Javed Akhtar (of screen-writing duo Salim-Javed, responsible for ' Sholay ' and ' Deewaar '), and soundtracks a love triangle with a terminal-illness twist. The entire soundtrack – by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy – is brilliant and the phat hip hop production of Mahe Vee reflects twenty-first century Bollywood absorbing 'outernational' influences. 9. 'Aap Jaisa Koi' Flm: 'Qurbani' (1980) Considering mainstream 1970s disco has a certain OTT, kitsch appeal, Bollywood disco seems a match made in mirror-ball heaven – and here's the evidence. 'Aap Jaiso Koi' has roots in Britain with Bangalore-born, London-based producer Biddu (Kung Fu Fighting) behind the languid groove and glossy disco vibe of this Bollywood disco classic. Remarkably, its ethereal, fuzzy voice belonged to 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Nazia Hassan, living in London, who went on to record a hugely successful album 'Disco Deewane' (produced by Biddu) with her brother, Zoheb. Tragically, Nazia passed away in 2000 aged 35. 10. 'Dum Maro Dum' Film: 'Hare Raama Hare Krishna' (1971) What do you do when you're Ashaji and your older sister is Lata Mangeshkar, the most in-demand, perfect playback singer in Bollywood? You develop a persona opposite to Lata's goody-two-shoes image, singing for racy, carefree and sensuous actresses (in this instance, 1970s vamp Zeenat Aman). This is a homage to hippies in India, as they pass round a chillum as Asha sings, 'take another hit' to a glorious, psychedelic Bollywood funk composition by RD Burman – who became Ashaji's hubby in 1980. 11. 'Awaara Hoon' Film: ' Awaara ' (1951) Raj Kapoor is the father of cinema in post-colonial India. The actor and director was behind a flurry of hits in the 1950s and 1960s – including 'Awaara' – and key to film becoming central to India's cultural imagination. The song 'Awaara Hoon' sees the actor cheerfully sing about being a drifter, tapping into the Partition of 1947 that saw around 10 million people displaced. His everyman charisma touched a nerve, and versions of this song appeared in the Soviet Union and China, with Chairman Mao reportedly a big fan of both film and song.
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh Fringe theatre reviews: Kanpur: 1857
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... THEATRE Kanpur: 1857 ★★★★☆ Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) until 24 August Monstering the Rocketman ★★★★☆ Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) until 24 August NORTH INDIA, 1857; and in the aftermath of the rebellion against British rule that imperial history calls the Indian Mutiny, a man stands strapped to the mouth of a cannon, awaiting the horrible and mutilating death prescribed by the British as punishment for rebels and their allies. The British officer in charge of the public execution sees himself as a civilised man, though, perhaps willing to free his prisoner, if he will give up information about rebel leaders; and so he probes and interrogates, demanding that the prisoner both inform and entertain, in the face of death. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kanpur: 1857 by Niall Moorjani | Contributed This is the situation around which Scottish-Indian writer Niall Moorjani builds the powerful new one-hour play Kanpur: 1857, winner of this year's Pleasance Theatre Charlie Hartill Award. With a little light-touch historical information projected behind the action, and powerful live accompaniment from brilliant Scottish tabla musician Sodhi, the show emerges as a fascinating hour of reflection on the psychology of colonialism, and the related politics of gender. The prisoner, it emerges, is a peaceful storyteller who rests being defined as a 'man', and is deeply in love with a famous hijra or non-binary courtier turned rebel leader; and the storyteller questions not only the rigid sexual intolerance increasingly imposed by the British in India, but also the mentality of empire which responds to one angry and horribly violent act of rebellion, costing the lives of dozens of British women and children, with a vast war of retribution, killing hundreds of thousands. Moorjani's play is beautifully written, full of a lyrical sense of the beauty of India and its culture, and of those moments when Indian and British cultures can share their poetry and music; both Moorjani himself, as the prisoner, and co-director Jonathan Oldfield, as the all-too-charming officer, deliver richly complicated performances. And when, in the end, the prisoner asks 'How many Indian lives can one British life be worth?', the question echoes down the ages to the present tragedy in Gaza; in what seems like one of the most important political dramas on this year's Edinburgh Fringe, and one with strong and challenging Scottish resonances. Growing homophobia and sexual intolerance is also the theme of Henry Naylor's latest play Monstering the Rocketman, a brilliantly entertaining and rivetingly well-told monologue about The Sun newspaper of the early 1980s, and its vicious campaign of vilification against gay rock star Elton John, whom it accused – on very slender evidence – of a series of hideously exploitative relationships with young boys. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Henry Naylor in Monstering the Rocketman | Contributed Against a projected backdrop of shrieking 1980s headlines, Naylor tells the story of Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie's campaign in tremendous style, focusing on the figure of a naive but ambitious young reporter recently recruited by The Sun, but never hesitating to sketch the monstrous characters who dominated 1980s newsrooms in the vivid detail that also pervades the whole narrative, brilliantly evoking the atmosphere of that era in London and the UK. It's an ugly story, but one that, exhilaratingly, ends on a far more hopeful note than many at the time expected. It stands as both a vital historical record and a warning, as new waves of intolerance begin to target groups even more vulnerable than gay men were, back in those days of Section 28, and the early years of the Aids epidemic. JOYCE MCMILLAN THEATRE Luke Wright: Pub Grub Pleasance Dome (Venue 23) until 12 August ★★★☆☆ Performance poet Luke Wright loves words, every bit of them: the letters they start with, the vowels in the middle, the taste of them on your tongue. Despite its title, his latest show (in his 27th year as a writer/performer) is not specifically about food, though Jay Rayner does take a knock in his opening paean to pub grub, which celebrates the comfort of beige nosh. Words are all the sweeter to Wright, as he bounces back from six months of writer's block last year. Pub Grub – dig that assonance – is brought to you by the letters 'D', 'O' and 'A' with separate odes restricted to one vowel. These are more than literary exercises, they are proper witty snapshots. Turns out there is a whole world of obscenities unlocked by the letter 'O'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Family is a recurring theme – mum, childhood friends and his son are all in his thoughts. Some of his connecting material doesn't quite land, even as a thread to keep picking. Wright's favourite pub joke is just OK but, retold throughout the show in different styles, it becomes another linguistic comfort blanket and certainly makes a jolly good punk sonnet to end on. FIONA SHEPHERD THEATRE Dropped Easter Road Stadium (Venue 518) until 10 August ★★★☆☆ There's a bruising authenticity to this monologue from debut writer-actor Alfie Cain that sets it apart from other plays dealing with the beautiful game. Cain was a trainee at Chelsea's football academy until he was unceremoniously dropped by the age of 18. Alfie took the opportunity to retrain as an actor but the rejection he suffered clearly still stings and while autobiographical to an extent this play presents a fictionalised account that documents the pressures faced by young players. Although informed by a love of the game — at least initially — this quickly becomes a cautionary tale. Academy players have a one in thousands chance of going on to enjoy a professional career. Cain's young footballer ploughs on against the odds, desperate for affirmation from his father and success in the face of verbal and physical abuse — both on and off the pitch. It offers some insight into how toxic masculinity takes root and looks at the fallout of filling young boys with unrealistic dreams. While necessarily bleak, Cain's powerful performance holds your attention and it's to Hibs' credit that they would host such an unflinching look at the challenges facing young players — for whom it should be required viewing. RORY FORD Make sure you keep up to date with Arts and Culture news from across Scotland by signing up to our free newsletter here. THEATRE Some Masterchef Sh*t Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236) until 9 August ★★★☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Proving the well-known truism that any sensational news story can provide inspiration for a show in Edinburgh, here's a comedy with echoes of that unforgettably gruesome true tale from 2003 about strangers meeting on the internet and one allowing the other to kill and eat him. It's an even more shocking backdrop than the current scandal surrounding the TV show in the title, to which it bears no connection. Playwright Luke High's script plays it cagey at first, laying out his pair of characters' first coffee shop meeting through an internet advertisement, as though this were a story of two men looking for love or at least a quick hook-up. Married vascular surgeon Adam is professional and uptight, while Luke, a waiter at a well-known Italian restaurant chain, is an easy-going waster. The dance around what they're planning to get up to – and Adam has a very particular cut of meat in mind – is delivered in a skilful and just about believable way, with the characters' nerves and heightened self-awareness coming together in some rich dark comedy, which is well sold by the actors. There's a stated homoerotic edge which takes the play into queer comedy territory, although once it delves deeper into the pair's very different but somehow compatible motivations it becomes inevitably more serious and over-described, and a bit less fun. DAVID POLLOCK THEATRE Becoming Maverick theSpace @ Surgeons Hall (Venue 53) until 9 August ★★★☆☆ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In Daphne du Maurier's novel Rebecca, the housekeeper Mrs Danvers is a formidable enemy for Maximillian de Winter's new wife. This one-woman play, written and performed by Heather Alexander, purports to tell Mrs Danvers' story: a orphan abandoned in a trunk on the quay at Southampton, raised in a cruel orphanage where she learns that she must 'do what she must' to survive. It's a colourful story vividly told, even if the language is sometimes over-elaborate. It says much about Alexander's delivery that the rhyming structure is not more intrusive. When a tragedy in the orphanage causes her to run away, she musters all her wits to land on her feet and talk her way into a job as tutor and companion to the precocious young Rebecca. Together, as partners in crime, they plan seductions for Rebecca's lovers and execute revenge on her abusive father. But, as twist follows twist, it turns out that Alexander has a bigger point to make about childhood trauma. The daring final surprise, which forces the audience to re-evaluate everything we've heard so far, will be a step too far for some.
