The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) presents the world premiere of Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle (هامورلايغادرالمكتب), an absurdist theatrical production that takes a humorous yet thought-provoking look at bureaucratic inconveniences faced by employees in workplaces everywhere. Written by Emirati playwright Ahmed Almadloum and directed by Emirati theater practitioner Reem Almenhali, the play will debut on October 18–19, in The Black Box at The Arts Center.
Commissioned and produced by the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF), supported by the Ministry of Culture National Grants Program, and developed in residency at M39 in the growing MIZA district, Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle is a testament to the UAE’s continued investment in cultivating local artistic talent and fostering a vibrant cultural ecosystem. The production draws on the experiences of its diverse creative team, blending humor and satire to deliver a deeply resonant commentary on workplace culture.
In Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle, the titular character Hamour finds himself caught in a bureaucratic labyrinth, facing ridiculous obstacles and procedures in his attempt to complete everyday tasks. Performed in Arabic with English subtitles, the play uses absurdism to explore the mundane yet universal frustrations of bureaucratic life, offering audiences a sharp exploration of inefficiencies through relatable workplace references and humor. By blending Emirati cultural references with universal themes, the play opens a window into both the specificities of life in the UAE and the shared challenges of workplace inefficiencies worldwide.
The creative team includes an accomplished cast and crew featuring both emerging and established talents from across the UAE including Mad-Rabdan, an Emirati actor known for his roles in the Emirati series The Platform and the film Heen, Almenhali, NYUAD alumna, is known for her work on the award-winning Al Raheel | Departure, which explored the experiences of Emirati women, while Almadloum brings his diverse skills as a writer, blending satire with sharp social commentary.
Almenhali said, “Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle uses the dramaturgy of what we refer to in our dialect as ‘afternoon dream’ (أحلام العصر) ’. This expression captures the absurd dreams we experience when falling asleep unintentionally during the day. In this play, we experience bureaucracy in the state of an ؛afternoon dream.؛
The Center’s Executive Artistic Director, Bill Bragin said, “One of the special joys in The Arts Center’s landmark 10th season is looking back at artists’ development over time, as well as watching and playing a role in the growth of the local performing arts scene. When Reem Almenhali was first programmed as a poet for our stage for Hekayah, our UAE National Day event, she surprised us by choosing to perform a short theatrical scene instead. We later presented the world premiere of Al Raheel | Departure, her debut theater collaboration with director and NYUAD faculty Joanna Settle. This, in turn led to her winning the Gulf Capital ADMAF Creativity Award, which helped lead to ADMAF commissioning of this new work with Reem as a director. We’re excited to see how she, Ahmed Almadloum, and their company of young creatives (including several other NYUAD alums) have come together to create a new vision of contemporary theater that will speak to the world, but could only come from the UAE.”
This marks Almenhali’s second theatrical debut at The Arts Center. The former piece, Al Raheel | The Departure, was produced by The Arts Center and presented in two seasons. It was co-commissioned by Cultural Foundation in 2019, and received official support of the US Mission to the UAE in 2022.
Listings information
Event: Hamour Doesn’t Leave the Cubicle (هامورلايغادرالمكتب) written by Ahmed Almadloum and directed by Reem Almenhali
Date: Fri-Sat, October 18-19 at 7:30pm
Venue: The Black Box, The Arts Center
Tickets: To purchase tickets to the performance, visit here
