KARACHI: The first Theatre Festival organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan closed on Tuesday evening with a performance of the play Aarfy, which had already been staged during the early days of the event.

Distinguished writer Anwar Maqsood addressed a packed audience as part of the concluding ceremony of the programme. He opened his speech by saying that all bad people lived in Karachi. He congratulated the council for putting up the show successfully and pointing to the council’s Ahmed Shah said whoever was in government he did as he pleased.

Mr Maqsood said he turned to the theatre after 50 years writing for television. He argued the issue was that there was no (genre of) drama in Urdu literature. Whatever had been produced in the theatre could not become part of the literary canon. There was poetry and prose but no drama. Translations of plays from other literary cultures did not prove to be worthy enough. Plays fell either into the category of comedy or tragedy, and tragedies were readily recognisable and in that regard he gave the example of the famous tragedy Antigone.

Mr Maqsood then mentioned the titles and directors of each play performed at the council during the festival. Describing one of them, Yeh Shadi Nahin Ho Sakti, he said it seemed it was about (politician) Imran Khan. Taking the name of play Ismat Ki Kahanian, he said it should have been ‘Ismat Chughtai Ki Kahanian’ because otherwise it didn’t sound morally correct. He said there was no ticket for any of the plays, and had he been the organiser he’d have priced the dramas at least Rs50 apiece. He said if the festival had gone on till Nov 28, he’d have included one of his plays as well.

He said to see the auditorium chock-a-block felt like a breath of fresh air. Advising institutions like the Arts Council and the National Academy of Performing Arts, he said there should be community halls in localities such as Nazimabad and Shah Faisal Colony so that those who could not come to far-off areas to watch or take part in theatrical activities should also have the opportunity to showcase their talent. “Karachi is full of talent,” he remarked.

Ahmed Shah said the festival ran for 18 days to packed audiences. He said the council was thought to be a place which was not ‘theatre-oriented’ but the festival had proved it was not the case. He said the next time it would be a bigger event.

He said in February 2017 a similar festival for children would be organised.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2016