Ajoka Theatre to stage ‘Bala King’ after 18 years

Revamped version of Ajoka Theatre’s ‘Bala King’ to be staged after 18 years

LAHORE: After a successful stint at the Hamsaya Theatre Festival in Chandigarh last month, Ajoka Theatre is now bringing back one of its most acclaimed performances of yesteryears, Bala King.

The play ­— last performed in 1998 — is being revived after 18 years and showcased between August 23 and 25 at the Alhamra Hall in Lahore. In this connection, the performing arts group has collaborated with Lahore Arts Council (LAC) for the three-day event, which will also see another play entitled Bullah being performed.

Bala King is an adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s 1941 play The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, written and directed by Ajoka Theatre’s Shahid Nadeem and Madeeha Gauhar respectively.  The team has redeveloped it according to new theatre techniques and hopes to make Brecht as relevant to Pakistan today as he was to Europe back in the 1940s.

Arturo Ui is a clever allegory of the rise of Hitler and fascism in Germany, wherein the dictator’s story is recast as that of a minor, budding gangster who takes over the green-grocer trade.  In Ajoka’s Bala King, Ui is replaced by Bala — an unemployed wrestling gang leader who decides to try his luck in the field of inner city road transport in and around the area of Badami Bagh. The industry, however, is ruled by self-righteous businessmen, ready to trade in their principles for monetary gains.

Bala and his gang exploit the vulnerable businessmen with bribes and blackmails. They intimidate people into accepting his protection at a heavy premium. Once known as Bala Pehelwan, the play’s protagonist changes his name to Bala King, takes lesson in oratory and politics, eliminates all opposition and circumvents the law to eventually take control of the area.

According to Madeeha, Bala King borrows a great deal from the current structure of Pakistani society as well. “We have recreated it after studying the ongoing circumstances of our country. We have performed Bala King around the world and every time it was equally appreciated,” said Madeeha. “Sadly, the situation and circumstances don’t seem to have changed much since then. We are still standing at the same spot and so, Ajoka Theatre decided to re-enact the play. Hopefully, people will like it as we have put in a lot of hard work into this performance.”

On the last day of the festival, Ajoka will present Bullah, which was first performed in Lahore back in 2001 and has been staged in India, Iran, Oman and the US since then. The play pays tribute to the mystic saint Bulleh Shah and is based broadly on the events of his life, as depicted in his poetry, historical records and popular myths. Bulleh Shah’s search for truth, opposition to war and devotion to his mentor Shah Inayat serve as important scenes of the play.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2016.

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