NAPA marks 20 years with a two-week festival in Karachi

The NAPA Repertory Festival 2026 returns this May with a packed line-up that reflects both legacy and experimentation, as the National Academy of Performing Arts marks two decades of shaping Pakistan’s performing arts landscape. Running from May 8 to May 23 at its Karachi campus, the festival brings together theatre, music, storytelling, and interactive events, offering audiences a cross-section of contemporary and classical performance.

On May 11 and 12, Mulaqaat takes over the Zia Mohyeddin Theatre. Featuring Waqas Akhtar and Tuba Naeem, the two-character play unfolds on a suburban railway platform, where a chance meeting between strangers turns into a humorous yet quietly transformative encounter.

Midway through the programme, May 15 and 16, the focus shifts to tradition with a Sham-e-Dastangoi at the same venue. Performances such as Aik Tha Badshah will be brought to life by NAPA alumni, including Meesam Naqvi, Nazr ul Hasan, and Fawad Khan, celebrating the oral storytelling form.

The theatrical spotlight returns on May 18 and 19 with Zeest, a 60-minute production directed by Kashif Hussain. With a cast that includes Kiran Siddiqui, Farhan Alam, Jibran Khan, and Akhtar Abbas, the play explores the quiet, often unspoken unfolding of a life through intimate spaces and layered dialogue.