Karn:Warrior 

Now this sounds like a lot of fun – an immersive hi-tech retelling of the story of the Mahabharata epic hero Karn. Raised in a humble village, unaware of his noble birth, a stable boy among princes, Karn’s journey leads to the legendary Kurukshetra War, where Krishna reveals his true origins and Karn must face his sworn enemy Arjun …

This production is described as “like stepping inside a video game”. Karn:Warrior is produced by ANT Management with a raft of Dubai theatre notables – direction by Alex Broun, fight routines choreographed by Narsimha “Nattu” Chouhan, movement by Gillian Rhodes (who also stars), stunning big-screen LED visuals by Montel Goodrick Maiava, music by Daniel Faber (who we think is responsible for Male Fireworks, a track on magpie’s go-to playlist, and who certainly is one of the people behind the Rair oxygen-and-water enterprise) …

Alex Broun described the show to us as “a uniquely modern take on the story”. It’s not just the video game setting: “most of the main characters in the Mahabharata are male, but we have cast three exceptional female actors to play all the roles. This brings a very different take on these legendary stories, highlighting moments and ideas that are often glossed over in other versions …” We’re promised that “Karn:Warrior is fast moving, explosive and highly entertaining 60 minutes – it will literally be leaping off the QE2 stage. One you definitely shouldn’t miss.”

There are multiple characters but just three actors. Newcomer Anita Nayyar plays Karn; Rochelle Goodrick is Arjun, Karn’s arch enemy, and takes other roles including Duroydhan, his benefactor; Gillian Rhodes plays more than 10 different parts ranging from an eight-year-old girl to an 80-year-old guru.

It plays for one day only, with shows at 2pm and 7pm.