Game. Set. Match – a modern-day theatrical extravaganza that dares to ask the question -What will happen to people if their public lives, meet their private lives, meet their secret lives? – is set to wow UAE! Presented by Tall Tales Production in association with Cross Brox Studio Game. Set. Match. is set in a luxury tennis club suite and follows seven long-time friends reunited for a destination wedding — until one innocent game turns into digital Russian roulette. When all their phones are placed on the table with access for all, the truth begins to unravel secrets, affairs, emotional confessions, and some truly terrible texting etiquette. This sharp, witty, and wildly relatable play is packed with fast-paced dialogue, laugh-out-loud moments, and gut-punch emotional turns.
The play has been adapted from the Italian Film Perfect Strangers which has been made into multiple versions for both stage and screen. However, keeping true to UAE, this adaptation has a multi-cultural cast and setting to bring to life the essence of the country and celebrates the “Year of the Community!”
The play will be staged from 12th to 14th of September 2025 at Playhouse Studio Theatre at The New Covent Garden in Mall of the Emirates. There will be shows at 7.30 pm on each day, with a special matinee on the 13thof September at 3 pm as well. “The Year of the Community is upon us, and it is our pleasure to celebrate it with all of you”, says actor Asad Raza Khan. “This show is special as it is an adaptation of a script that has been done all over the world on both stage and screen. However, it was always done in a singular pallet with the cast being from the same ethnicity/nationality. We have adapted it true to the spirit of the UAE, with a multi-cultural cast showcasing the beautifully diverse community here. The audience can expect drama, laughter, relatability, and a whole lot of questions about themselves and the people around them.” Asad has won multiple awards both locally and internationally, starred in Bollywood productions, Pakistani movies, web-series, and television apart from theater.
Satya Baskaran, the director says, “Working in this show has been a hell of a ride. It is a wildly inventive story and adaptation, and I was instantly hooked ever since I read the script. The next thing that amped up my excitement was the cast. Although this script has gone through many iterations, I believe firmly that it has never been told like this before — and that’s purely down to the incredible talent we have bringing it to life. Watching these guys develop the characters and story in rehearsal has been a joy, and the most exciting thing is how the entire story takes place over one night, with chaos guaranteed. It’s Die Hard with text messages —“welcome to the party pals”
Meghana Dhawan, the assistant director and creative consultant on the project adds, “Here comes an adaptation that promises lots of humor and moments of self-reflection and that mix is my favorite part especially when we’re all so dependent on our phones! If you’re thinking “what does the even mean?!”
Priyanka Johri, who is a multi-award-winning director and actor says, “Playing the role of Aairah in Game, Set, Match has been creatively fulfilling to say the least. From the start, I knew this wasn’t just another comedy —beneath the laughs, the script revealed beautiful layers of human emotion. I have had the joy of working with a truly talented and generous ensemble, all guided by a director who trusted the process and gave each of us space to shape our roles. What made this journey even more special was that the play was locally adapted and developed through a workshop format. That meant we weren’t just performing a story —we were building it, contributing parts of ourselves to the characters. I’m so proud to have been part of something so heartfelt, hilarious, and uniquely homegrown.”The play also features actors Reem Tarifi, Mahmoud Basyoni, Ryan Durand, Jenni Schmidt, Ziyad Bangara, Gabriela Ioana along with special appearances by Meghana Dhawan and Satya Baskaran.