Theatre festival to kick off at Alhamra centre

Five-day event dedicated to Ajoka founder director Madeeha Gauhar

LAHORE:

A five-day theatre festival organised by Ajoka will begin at Alhamra centre to mark the group's 40th anniversary.

The festival includes plays from the past four decades and will run till May 6.

Ajoka's acclaimed production ‘Teesri Dastak’, penned by Executive Director Shahid Nadeem, will be enacted to kick off the festival. Set against the backdrop of a dilapidated urban slum, the play portrays the resilience of the marginalised who cling to their dreams of a free and just world despite endless betrayals and setbacks.

According to a statement, the play carries a message that violence begets violence, and the suppression of individual expressions does not bring about meaningful change. The cast of the play includes Usman Raaj, Mohammed Qaiser, Kanwal Khan, Muzamil Shabbir, Madeeha Rasheed, Rai Ali, Rai Kamran, Nasir Mahmood, Anish Khan, Bilal, Faraz and Meesam.

During the festival, the Ajoka team will also present plays such as Bulha, Dara and Jaloos with themes of peace, tolerance and religious harmony.

The festival is dedicated to Ajoka's founder director Madeeha Gauhar, whose 6th anniversary was observed last week.

Meanwhile, an Ajoka team met the new Vice Chancellor of the Government College University, Professor Shazia Bashir, to discuss an MoU. The team congratulated Professor Shazia Bashir on assuming charge as the furst woman head in the institution’s 160-year history.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2024.