KARACHI:
Karachiites are finally getting their much-needed share of French farce in English with a local adaptation of “La Cage aux Folles” kicking off from February 24. Written by Jean Poiret, the play revolves around the confusion that arises when a night club owner’s son brings his homosexual lover’s ultraconservative parents for dinner.
For now, it is hard to say how the Karachi audience will respond to this rather controversial plot. However, one thing is for sure — the director has hit the bull’s eye with his casting choice. To portray an eccentric character like Zaza, he couldn’t go wrong with Ali Saleem aka Begum Nawazish Ali who is making a stage comeback with this play. He is accompanied by Ottoman Ali Khan, Zarmina Yousaf, Steve Fitzpatrick, Ajlal Shah, Faizan Ahab and Hamza Mir.
With direction from Salma Mir and co-produced by Usama Qazi and Waqas Bukhari, the team is all set to welcome Karachiites for an entertaining night. Regarding the play, Bukhari said, “People should expect nothing but pure entertainment.”
What makes this play so entertaining is that the production is a mixed plate of dance, romance, emotions and a whole lot of glamour. “The feel of it is very grand, I’m sure people would enjoy it,” states Bukhari.
The play will be running at the Karachi Arts Council from February 24 to March 9. With a single ticket retailing at Rs1,000, only the audience response and quality of production will tell if it’s worth spending the amount.
The Birdcage
An American remake of “La Cage aux Folles” was made in 1996 and was called The Birdcage. It starred screen legends like Robin Williams, Calista Flockhart and Gene Hackman.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2012.
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