From soaking up some Shakespeare to chuckling at a comedy show to catching some street basketball or shopping at a spring festival, there is plenty to do around town over the next few days. Here are our picks:
Macbeth
The Doha Players will perform Shakespeare’s Macbeth from March 12 to 19 at the Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Black Box Theater in the Education City Student Center.
The production focuses on the eponymous Macbeth, his ambition, past and dark, murderous nature. The 2.5 hour-long show will begin at 7:30pm on all days except for Saturday, March 14, when a 4:30pm matinee show will take place instead. Tickets for most days are still available. They cost QR100/person and can be bought online here.
Double exposure art
Qatar resident and artist Omar Khalifa will showcase his works at a three-day long pop-up art gallery at the W Doha Hotel.
The exhibition is free and open to the public and begins on Saturday, March 14. It is an offshoot of the “Art for Tomorrow” conference that is being hosted in Qatar this week.
Khalifa’s exhibition features several double exposure works, in which profiles of people are superimposed over various landscapes.
According to event organizer Qatar Financial Center, visitors to the gallery at the W Doha will have the opportunity to become works of art themselves, with their images superimposed onto classic Doha backgrounds. The photographer will be available from noon to 7pm on March 14, 7:30am to 7:30 pm on March 15, and 8am to 1pm on March 16. The images will be emailed to visitors.
Comedy show
The Chuckle Club, a regional touring monthly comedy club featuring famous European comedians, will be in Doha this weekend.
The show will be held on Saturday, March 14 and and Sunday, March 15, and will include Johnny Pemberton, an actor, writer, and comedian who has been featured in numerous films, including the upcoming Ant-Man, 21 Jump Street and This is 40.
Irish comedian Andrew Ryan and MC and TV-personality Jojo Sutherland round out the club. The event will take place at the Al Maha Room at the Doha Marriott Hotel from 7pm onwards. Tickets cost QR130/person and can be bought online here. Attendees are requested to carry their Qatari ID to the venue.
Roza Hassad open day
The public is invited to check out Roza Hassad, a flower and vegetable production farm in Umm Leghab (on Dukhan road), on Saturday, March 14 from 10am to 2pm.
Visitors will be given guided tours of the greenhouse’s facilities, flowers and crops, and will also have the opportunity to buy fresh produce and flowers. Entry vouchers cost QR15 for adults, and QR5 for kids, and can be used toward the purchase of flowers or pesticide-free vegetables.
There will be free refreshments and flowers are up to 50 percent off during this month’s open day.
Final Qumra film screening
As the Doha Film Institute’s inaugural Qumra event comes to a close today, the festival has added a final screening of Timbuktu tonight, March 11 at 7pm at the Katara Drama Theater (Building 16, Katara).
Tickets to screenings cost QR35 for adults and QR25 for students. They can be bought online here or in person from 2pm onwards at the DFI Katara Drama Theater Ticket Outlet (Building 16, Katara) and the Qumra Box Office at the Katara Opera House entrance.
Street basketball tournament
Aspire Zone is hosting their fourth Aspire Jam Street Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 14, from 3 to 8pm at the outdoor basketball courts in Aspire Park.
The tournament will showcase some of the best local street basketball players in a fast paced, 3-on-3 basketball format. The event is free and open to the public.
Spring festival
The Pakistan Women’s Association (PWA) is organizing its 3rd Basant Mela, a festival celebrating the arrival of spring, at Al Wakrah Stadium on Thursday, March 12 from 5pm to midnight.
The event will feature Bollywood-themed live musical performances, stalls showcasing traditional Indian and Pakistani clothing, jewelry and food, as well as quiz contests for prizes.
A dedicated kids zone with bouncing castles, games, and arts and crafts activities has also been set up. The event is open to the public; tickets cost QR10/person and are available at the door tomorrow, or from 7 to 9pm tonight at the Al Wakrah Stadium. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page here.
Bonus:
- Ice-skating competition: Indoor amusement park Gondolania at Villaggio Mall is hosting a ice skating competition for children of all ages this Friday, March 13, at 1pm. The event is free and open to the public, and will feature two young Qatari competitors.
- St. Patrick’s Day celebrations: Spread the Irish cheer this weekend at a six-day long celebration of all things green at the Marriott Marquis City Center Doha. The hotel is hosting an Irish themed-week in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, featuring Irish food, drinks and entertainment at the Champions Sports Bar from 5pm to 1am from March 12 to 17. Entrance costs QR60/person, and is inclusive of one house beverage.
- Tasmeem Doha: Under the theme of “3ajeeb,” which translates to strange and eccentric, Virginia Commonwealth University will finish up its five-day long biennial international design and art conference tomorrow, March 12, at the VCU-Q campus in Education City. The final day will include exhibitions, interactions, performances, pop-up markets & “all things 3ajeeb” in a free event open to the public from 3 pm onwards. For more information, a detailed schedule, and registration forms, visit the event’s website here.
What are your plans for the weekend? Thoughts?