Kvartetnik by Kvartet I 2026 in Dubai

Kvartetnik by Kvartet I brings Moscow’s best-known comedy quartet to Dubai on Tuesday 29 December 2026, for an unscripted evening in Russian at Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre. Rather than performing one of their famous plays, Leonid Barats, Rostislav Khait, Kamil Larin and Alexander Demidov sit with the audience and let the night unfold through stories, songs, poems and conversation, with each show shaped by themes the audience suggests.

Who are Kvartet I?

Kvartet I (Квартет И in Russian) was founded in Moscow in 1993 by four graduates of the variety faculty at GITIS, the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts. More than thirty years later, the same four founders still lead the company, which is rare for any theatre group and part of the reason audiences feel such a personal connection to them.

The quartet made its name with stage comedies built on sharp observation, quick verbal sparring and a very Russian mix of irony and warmth. Several of those plays went on to become hit films:

• Election Day (2007) and its sequel Election Day 2 (2016)
• Radio Day (2008), set inside a chaotic radio station
• What Men Talk About (2010), the road-trip comedy that became their signature, followed by What Men Still Talk About (2011), What Men Talk About: The Sequel (2018) and What Men Talk About: Simple Pleasures (2023)
• Later films including Faster Than Rabbits (2014), Wonderland (2016), Speakerphone (2019) and A Day in Istanbul (2024)

What Men Talk About shows the style at its best: four friends on a long road trip out of Moscow talk about women, work, marriage and growing older, and the whole film runs on conversation. The quartet wrote the material and played the friends themselves, and that format of clever, rambling talk between old companions is exactly what Kvartetnik takes onto the stage. If you grew up quoting What Men Talk About or Radio Day, these are the people who wrote and performed them.

What is Kvartetnik?

Kvartetnik is a deliberately unpolished theatrical project that sits somewhere between a performance and a real conversation among friends. There is no fixed script and no rehearsed plot. The four founders come on stage to spend the evening with the audience, sharing personal stories, singing favourite songs, and reciting poems and film excerpts that shaped who they are.

Each show is stitched together in the moment from themes suggested by the audience, so no two evenings are the same. That makes it a very different experience from watching one of their scripted comedies. The appeal is the chance to see how these four think, talk and joke with each other after three decades together, and to feel part of the conversation rather than simply watching it.

What it is not

Do not expect a staging of Radio Day or a stand-up set. The humour comes from the way they tell stories and react to each other and to the room. Fans of the films will recognise their timing and banter, but the material is personal and spontaneous rather than drawn from the plays.

Language and age rules

The evening is performed entirely in Russian, and with so much of the humour coming from wordplay and quick exchanges, it is best suited to fluent Russian speakers. The age rules are stricter than at many concerts:

• Nobody under 16 is admitted.
• Guests aged 16 to 20 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or over.
• Everyone needs a valid ticket.

At Sheikh Rashid Hall

Sheikh Rashid Hall is one of the large event halls at Dubai World Trade Centre, the exhibition and events complex at the city end of Sheikh Zayed Road. Doors open at 6pm and the evening begins at 7pm. Seats are assigned by best availability, so book your group together if you want to sit side by side.

• Food and drink: available to buy on site, but outside food and drink are not allowed.
• Re-entry: not permitted once your ticket has been scanned.
• Items: professional cameras, posters and banners are not allowed, and recording may be restricted.
• Tickets: scanned at the entrance, so download them to your phone before you arrive.

The easiest way to get there is the Metro: World Trade Centre station on the Red Line is a short walk from the hall. By car, exit Sheikh Zayed Road at the World Trade Centre junction, and taxi drivers all know the complex.

Who it suits

Kvartetnik is made for Russian-speaking residents and visitors who have followed Kvartet I through their plays and films, and for anyone who enjoys conversational, improvised theatre more than polished spectacle. Falling between Christmas and the New Year holidays, it is also a timely night out for Russian-speaking families with older teenagers and friends who come to Dubai for the winter break.

For more ideas, browse our shows and theatre and comedy guides, things to do in Dubai and things to do in December.