The Day 1 of the ZABTHEATRE’23 was decorated with innovative plays and excellent performances by student theatre groups. Each act had the element of creativity and powerful acting. The students, with their performances, showed the potential to lead the future of theatre in Pakistan.
On the first day, five dramas took place, where Karachi University displayed two plays, FAST National University showcased one play, and SOC Films staged one play. SZABIST performing arts drama club performed a play at the end of Day 1.
Theatre Plays by Karachi University in ZABTHEATRE’23: Entertainment with concept
Under the KU Theatre and Drama, Karachi University had two dramas which made the audience laugh, applaud, and feel proud of the young teams. The first theatre play was titled Jinnah, which had a hint of classic symbolism by Pakistani theatre. The audience saw Jinnah and Gandhi sharing the stage along with Fatima Jinnah and other prominent members of Pakistani politics. The political satire amused and also gave a wake-up call to viewers on multiple issues.
Razi Wani, the young writer and director of Jinnah, said that it was an envision of his utopia where Jinnah and his friends discuss the recent events in Pakistani politics. He added that it was necessary to convey the real historical facts to the public through satire.
Hadiqua sheikh, co-director of Jinnah, said that was their first experience with theatre and despite no prior theatre knowledge, the team felt confident to pull this off. She applauded the effort of the team and highlighted that humour is a great way to educate people and they hope the audience understood the message.
The talented cast of the play included, Umais Ahmed (Quaid e Azam), Sara Sohail (Fatima Jinnah), Dilaware Doomoho (Yusuf Abdullah Haroon), Muhammad Tayab (Liaqat Ali Khan), Sheraz Ali (Darbari), Abdur Rehman (Altaf), Husnain Shahid Qadri (Gandhi), Laiq Ahmed (Newscaster), and Waqar Hussain (Ambassador). Ehwer Hashmi and Roshail Khan took care of the management, while Hadiqua Sheikh handled the wardrobe.
The second play by Karachi University left the audience laughing till the last scene. The drama Salar – Naam Hi Kafi Hai was a successful adaption of The Important of Earnest. The act proved to be a roller coaster ride where the audience kept guessing the next moment. Every scene had quality acting, comic timing, and good teamwork.
The cast was formed by yed Fahad Ullah (Tariq Sheikh), S.M. Hadi (Shariq Sultan), Summaiya Babar (Mehrunnisa), Ramsha Hussain Khan (Nazneen), Amna Naved Khan (Jahan Ara khala), Khadija Tul Kubra (Durdana Aya), Hassan Bhatti (Allah Rakha), Umais (Nawaz).
Zainab Khanani led the play as Director, along with Janita Siddiqui as Asst. Director who also compiled the script. Ramsha Hussain Khan did a fabulous job with wardrobe. Hoor Ul Ain Khatri & Hassan Bhatti handled the management.
FAST University in ZABTHEATRE’23: Comic timing at its best
It’s not easy to create a play where multiple situations change within minutes and actors keep the public engaged. However, the FAST University drama team on Day 1 pulled off the task smoothly. The members of the Dramatics And Extra Curricular Society of FAST led the play where a friend tries to patch things up between his friends but gets caught up in crazy situations. The drama Ajeeb Janwar Hain had all the elements of classic Pakistani-style comedy.
Shahab Ghouri, Drama Head Of DECS (FAST KHI) shared the journey of his team. He said that the group started off theatre from FAST University and encountered several ups and down. However, they escalated to inter-university plays and won the best comedy-drama award in LUMS Dramafest. He added that now participating in Zabtheatre is a fabulous experience for the whole team.
Shahab Ghouri (Fahad), Amna Shahid (Neha), Muzammil Qaseem (Saad), and Mubashir Hayat (Tariq Chacha) comprised the star cast.
Play by Shaiyanne Malik raised voice against child labour and forced begging
The thought-provoking play was prepared by the SOC Films team and initiated by Shaiyanne Malik to highlight the issue of human trafficking, forced begging and child labour. The cast had young children and some very talented actors who became an advocate for human rights. The play was named Jawab Dena Ho Ga. The performance gathered immense praise and applause both from judges and the public.
The SZABIST performing arts society also lifted the evening with soothing music performances, electrifying dance moves, and the well-written drama Fanoon-e-Latifa. The Day 2 of ZABTHEATRE’23 is anticipated to be more entertaining and full of great acts.
