Character aplenty: Puppet show plays with children’s heart strings
Khawabnama promotes simple messages like respect for elders
Actors perform during the show organised under a new initiative for children. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
A three-day puppet theatre show called Khawabnamma concluded at Alhamra Art Centre on Thursday and kept the children in attendance entertained.
The theatre show for children was organised by Azad Theatre as a part of its new initiative called “Azad Children & Puppet Theatre’.
Directed and written by Malik Aslam, the production team used string puppets, rode puppets, glove puppets and muppets to present a 45-minute entertainment show for children.
Aslam, who is also the executive director of Azad Theatre Company, told The Express Tribune that even though his team produced shows promoting social change for the last five years, he realised there was little or no entertainment productions for children. He felt there was a need to produce plays for them.
“Another objective was to come up with something in our mother language since the cartoons kids see on television are either in English or dubbed in Hindi,” Aslam said.
According to him, the show is mainly entertainment based and does not follow a particular theme. However, the characters do deliver dialogues with simple messages like respect your elders and keep your environment clean.
He said that the non-ticketed play was mainly held to cater to the children of government schools.
Aslam said the production is unique and experimental as the puppet characters are not typically confined to a box with strings.
“We decided to do it our way, so the show ended up being a mixture of everything, especially our actors dressed in costumes acting out like they usually do for any other regular play”. However, Aslam and his seven-member team had to leave their comfort zones for Khawbnama.
“For two months, all the members learnt how to make different puppets from workd renowned puppeteer Islam khan,” he added.
He said the Azad Children and Theatre Company plans to hold puppet making workshops in the future and organise shows for underprivileged children, especially at government schools.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2017.
A three-day puppet theatre show called Khawabnamma concluded at Alhamra Art Centre on Thursday and kept the children in attendance entertained.
The theatre show for children was organised by Azad Theatre as a part of its new initiative called “Azad Children & Puppet Theatre’.
Directed and written by Malik Aslam, the production team used string puppets, rode puppets, glove puppets and muppets to present a 45-minute entertainment show for children.
Aslam, who is also the executive director of Azad Theatre Company, told The Express Tribune that even though his team produced shows promoting social change for the last five years, he realised there was little or no entertainment productions for children. He felt there was a need to produce plays for them.
“Another objective was to come up with something in our mother language since the cartoons kids see on television are either in English or dubbed in Hindi,” Aslam said.
According to him, the show is mainly entertainment based and does not follow a particular theme. However, the characters do deliver dialogues with simple messages like respect your elders and keep your environment clean.
He said that the non-ticketed play was mainly held to cater to the children of government schools.
Aslam said the production is unique and experimental as the puppet characters are not typically confined to a box with strings.
“We decided to do it our way, so the show ended up being a mixture of everything, especially our actors dressed in costumes acting out like they usually do for any other regular play”. However, Aslam and his seven-member team had to leave their comfort zones for Khawbnama.
“For two months, all the members learnt how to make different puppets from workd renowned puppeteer Islam khan,” he added.
He said the Azad Children and Theatre Company plans to hold puppet making workshops in the future and organise shows for underprivileged children, especially at government schools.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 28th, 2017.