Interactive theatre: ‘How will you save a child from getting married?’

Three-day 13th Interactive Theatre Festival starts at HRCP

LAHORE: It was the girl’s grandfather who was trying to force her parents to get her married off early. He demanded that she gives up studying and part of the process of ‘growing up’ which involved giving up playing with her brother. At the end of the play Early Childhood Marriage the audience was asked: “how would you save this girl from this situation?”

The play was performed by the Chanan Threatre Group at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s auditorium on Friday. It is part of a three-day 13th Interactive Theatre Festival organised by the Interactive Resources Centre. Plays featured on the first day touched on some of the most pressing social problems: harassment of women, child marriages and intolerance in the society.



The Kook Theatre Group of Bhara Kahu presented a play highlighting intolerance in society. They showed a small argument between some kids snowball into a scuffle between their parents.

The last play of the day, Baander Killa, captured the attention of the audience with its beautiful dance performances and oration. The play highlights the struggle of Benazir Bhutto during Ziaul Haq’s era; lawyer Asma Jehangir’s resistance to the suo-motu rhetoric; and Malala Yousafzai’s fight for girls’ education.

Four plays will be performed on Saturday and Sunday.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2014.