My Grandson Benjamin 2027 in Dubai

My Grandson Benjamin, known in Russian as «Мой внук Вениамин», comes to The New Covent Garden Theatre at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai on Thursday 21 January 2027. This funny and touching comedy, based on the play by Lyudmila Ulitskaya and directed by Marfa Gorvits, stars Liya Akhedzhakova, one of the most loved actresses of Russian stage and screen, and runs for 1 hour 50 minutes without an interval.

The story

At the centre of the play is Esfir, a domineering woman who lives in memories of the past and clings to the traditions and customs of her childhood. Used to making decisions for everyone around her, she has been searching without success for the right bride for her son.

So she takes matters into her own hands. She travels back to her hometown of Bobruisk, a city in today’s Belarus, and returns with a young beauty from a “trusted” family. Everything seems to be going to plan, until her carefully built new world, run by the old rules, starts to fall apart. Her son refuses the arranged marriage, and the bride turns out to be not quite who she seemed.

The classic conflict between “fathers and sons” runs through the play, wrapped in a story about a mother’s love, the kind that can create something beautiful and destroy everything around it at the same time. Expect plenty of laughs, but also moments that land close to home for anyone who has argued with a parent about how to live their life.

Lyudmila Ulitskaya, the writer

Ulitskaya trained as a geneticist before turning to literature, and she is now one of the best-known Russian writers of her generation, celebrated for novels and stories about family, memory and ordinary people living through extraordinary times. Her books include Sonechka, Medea and Her Children and Daniel Stein, Interpreter, and her novel The Kukotsky Enigma won the Russian Booker Prize in 2001.

She wrote My Grandson Benjamin in the late 1980s, yet its themes still feel current: the relationship between generations, questions of identity and belonging, and the generosity of the human soul. Her trademark mix of warmth, irony and close observation of family life is exactly what gives this comedy its bite.

Liya Akhedzhakova and the cast

For many Russian-speaking audiences, Liya Akhedzhakova is the reason to book. Born in 1938, she graduated from GITIS in Moscow, joined the Sovremennik Theatre, one of Moscow’s leading drama companies, in 1977 and was named People’s Artist of Russia in 1994. Her film roles are part of Soviet cinema history:

• The Irony of Fate (1975), as Tanya
• Office Romance (1977), as the secretary Verochka
• Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1979)
• The Garage (1979)
• Promised Heaven (1991), which won her a Nika Award for Best Supporting Actress

Four of those five films, The Irony of Fate, Office Romance, The Garage and Promised Heaven, were directed by Eldar Ryazanov, and her small but unforgettable roles in his comedies are a big part of why generations of viewers feel they know her. She won a second Nika for Playing the Victim and received an honorary Nika in 2014. Playing a strong-willed, meddling mother is a perfect fit for her mix of comic timing and emotional depth.

She is joined on stage by Honoured Artist of Russia Alexandra Islentyeva, Olga Grudyaeva and Gleb Puskepalis. The creative team includes set and costume designer Vera Martynov, choreographer Sonya Levin, composer Asaf Faradzhev and video designer Vsevolod Taran.

At The New Covent Garden Theatre

The New Covent Garden Theatre is on Level 2 of Mall of the Emirates in Al Barsha, on Sheikh Zayed Road. Doors open at 7pm and the play begins at 8pm. As there is no interval, it is worth settling in with time to spare.

• Language: the play is performed in Russian.
• Age: 16 and over.
• Parking: the closest parking is on Level 2, Orange Zone A5 and A6.
• Metro: take the Red Line to Mall of the Emirates station (R32), which connects directly to the mall.
• Taxi: ask for the Taxi Drop-Off at Entrance A, then take the lift or escalator to Level 2.

If you cannot make it after booking, the ticket page offers a fan-to-fan exchange so you can pass your seat on.

Who it suits

This is a play for Russian-speaking theatre lovers in the UAE, fans of Ulitskaya’s writing, and anyone who grew up watching Akhedzhakova in Office Romance or The Irony of Fate. The chance to see her live on stage in Dubai, in a family comedy with real depth, is the main draw, and the 110-minute running time without an interval keeps the evening tight and focused.

For more ideas, see our shows and theatre guide, things to do in Dubai, things to do in January and art and culture listings.