ISLAMABAD: Life is cruel on Humayun - losing his love first then his mother and going insane. The reasons behind all the pains were the unkindness and wickedness of times in this morality play that opened at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) Saturday night.
Abhi Main Farigh Nahi Hoon was performed by students of Government Postgraduate College for Women, 6th Road, Rawalpindi.
Written and directed by a representative from the college, Maryam Saeed; this Urdu all-girls play was sprinkled with soundtracks - love songs and sad compositions to give it a creative touch. Some in the audience thought of it as more of a short Indian film.
But the theme was as serious as they come. The play touched upon corruption in the systems that made life for the worthy and deserving almost miserable.
Safia Zafar, who played the lead role as Humayun, was an ace in the hole as the girl the director chose to fill the demanding role of a young frustrated but educated and competent young man.
Ayesha Iqbal and Kiran Shaukat delivered on all counts complementing the lead character in their roles of the mother and Humayun’s only love.
Despite the hard work chipped in by all, this play won’t exactly tap its way with some of the other few earlier hits of the Youth Drama Festival that has been entertaining theatre lovers for the last over a week.
The interplay between impassive text and the stage production did not shape audience experiences of the modern theatre.
The choreography lacked the energy and precision, the performers not reeling and spinning as one. “The dances were still ‘quite nice’ to look at,” thought a group of girls in the audience.
The costumes were, for the most part, true to the period, with protagonist in jeans and t-shirt and the dancers in glamorous white and pink attire.
It would not be safe to say that Maryam Saeed directed with a good eye on the clock, dragging things a bit in this serious production.
The set employed movable panels put to good use with set pieces flying in and out for different scenes.
The lighting plot added much to the mood and the action - blood reds bright and dim spot lighting for Humayun heightening the differences between distress and content moments.
Director General PNCA Tauqeer Nasir thought of the production commendable appreciating the talent. “The festival is an opportunity to allow creativity in the young surface,” he said.
Nisar Main Teri Galioon Kay Aey Watan by students of Federal Urdu University, Islamabad, would be shown Monday evening.
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