Fall 2013 for NAPA means more drama, more music

Academy lists down upcoming musical shows and plays, including Begum Jan.

KARACHI: This year has not only been an exciting one for the cast and crew at the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) but also for the audiences who have enjoyed impeccable performances and scripts at the theatre, back-to-back. Be it the 20-day long Arts festival or the Ramazan qawwali night, the theatre has been a sheer treat for art lovers. With so much to their credit, the rollercoaster ride for Napa this year has not ended. At a press briefing held on Thursday, the institute announced its plans for the coming months that include an array of musical shows and plays.

“We are holding a musical evening on two consecutive nights on September 6 and 7 at 8pm. The performers will include Akhtar Chanar, Zoe Viccaji and the band members of Fuzon,” informed Arshad Mehmood, director of administration at Napa. The institute will also be restaging one of its most popular plays, Begum Jan, from September 12 till September 22. The play will feature talented actors such as Naila Jaaferi and Nimra Bucha. While, the original play had Ali Sheikh playing one of the characters, he will now be replaced by Paras Masroor.

Anjum Ayaz, the director of Begum Jan, seemed excited with the restaging and was grateful of the efforts shown by his actors. “Kya kamal ka saath diya hai in logon nay! [It is amazing how these people have supported me throughout],” he said.  He added that Napa offered a strong platform to the actors by giving them an opportunity to rehearse their dialogue delivery and enhance their acting skills on a regular basis — something that is missing from the television medium.

Naila also spoke about Napa’s impeccable performance. “It’s all about passion towards the arts that grips us towards this institute, also the pay cheques get sent on time. I wish my countrymen, political leaders, bureaucrats and men in the armed forces were as sincere with the nation, as these people are towards their work! It is only here that I live to re-live and breathe the true essence of life,” she said.

Apart from Begum Jan, Napa will also be staging Sunil Shankar’s Court Martial in October and Samuel Beckett’s English play, Waiting for Godot in November. This will be a first for the institute which is known for staging classic Urdu plays and occasional adaptations of Shakespeare and Chekov’s work.

The academy will also be offering quite a variety on the music front. “In September, we will see an interesting mix of music being played at the academy. In October, we plan to pay a tribute to Allama Iqbal, by presenting and reciting his work whereas, in December we plan to hold a Music Bazaar — a four-day long festival presenting different kinds of music like folk, classical, instrumental and pop,” said Nafees Ahmed, head of the music department at Napa.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2013.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.