‘Tartuffe’: French play with local flavour

ISLAMABAD:

After a very long time, it was a pleasure to sit through a theatrical production in Islamabad. Shaukat Niazi’s excellent rendition of Moliere’s Taruffe hit the city like wildfire. Written in 1664, the original production was presented in front of King Louis XIV and elicited uproarious laughter from the people and harsh criticism from the church.

The plot revolves around the “pious fraud” Tartuffe, who is visiting Orgon and his family. He impresses them with such masterful deception that Orgon agrees to marry his already-engaged daughter Mariane to him, against the wishes of the household. They in turn plan a showdown, which backfires.

The critical depiction of the so-called pious people is not only true to life but is relatable to in almost any culture and society.

The character of Tartuffe attempts to capture the lies people weave in the name of god and blindfold others into believing their piety.

Tughral Turab Ali’s excellent direction and portrayal of the play was not only gripping but also entertaining. Anjum Rehman playing Dorine, the French maid and the voice of reason throughout the performance, did a phenomenal job at breathing life into her character.

Translation of the script in Urdu brought the concept and the subject matter of the play even closer to home. The intense action kept the audience enthralled and on the edge of their seats.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2011.