ISLAMABAD: Anwar Maqsood ka Dharna, a play written by Anwar Maqsood and produced by KopyKats Productions is being staged at the Islamabad club.

It is a light-hearted political satire, in Anwar Maqsood’s signature style but is less didactic than most of his other work.

It is, however, set against the background of current political instability in the country, the accusations against the electoral system and the much talked about, the very-much-in-fashion ‘dharnas’ or sit-ins.

Anwar Maqsood explains that he is protesting for animal rights at the Quaid’s Mazaar in Karachi and the Quaid and he are the only two attendees. While the protest is going on, in true Pakistani fashion there is a live talk show with a panel of analysts and politicians.

The play opens at the scene of the talk show with the anchor, his notes, a makeup artist and cameramen. Seeing a member of a religious party having his beard glued on after he had to shave it for a visa application for the United States sets the mood for the rest of the play which is both humorous and a social commentary.

The characters are created cleverly to poke fun at our national obsessions. The character of Surmai Sumroo, a member of Pakistan People’s Party and the official choreographer for the Dharna Special Steps at PPP rallies or Suzanne the supercilious analyst, who studied in England, America and Germany and then applied for (and got) Canadian nationality, but says her heart belongs to Pakistan are our own exaggerated selves.

Audience found themselves in fits at Maulana Nizamuddin of JUI who says he can sit between two lovely women but not with the two women on one side and alienates them with his inappropriate comments.

The scenes between an MQM representative and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – who had a few terrified moments when a caller from Okara pretended to be Altaf Bhai also drew laughter from the hall.

With only one pointed comment at Imran Khan about his penchant for travelling in private planes, the play appeared to be pro-change.

It would have ended on a pro-PTI speech from the anchor had the wafaqi wazir not had the forethought of sending an envelope of money to the anchor and the speech became confusedly pro-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Some of the jokes were unexpectedly off-colour but Anwar Maqsood gave a disclaimer at the end saying that some of the less experienced actors had gotten carried away.

An audience member, Farhana Zakir, said: “It was light humour and a realistic portrayal of what is happening in Pakistan these days.

This is the second play by Anwar Maqsood that I am watching – the first was Haaf Playt – and he is taking theatre forward. The young actors are also very talented.”

Ahmed Bilal, who had brought his wife and young child to the play, thought it was a good effort and judged it decidedly in the favour of the political party protesting in front of the parliament.

Dr Saira Farooq watched the play two days in a row, once with her family and once with her friends.

She said: “I watch a lot of theatre plays and they involve a risk. Unlike television or film there is an immediate response in theatre as the audience reacts at once.

If you can keep an audience engaged for one and a half hour and not a single person leaves then you have done a good job.”

Zupash Imran was ambivalent about the play and said: “I was expecting something different. Anwar Maqsood did something similar with Moin Akhtar in the past and this was not of the same calibre. Some of the language and the jokes were vulgar. He did apologise for some of the dialogues but one does not except this sort of thing from someone of his stature. After all, the buck stops with him.”

Published in Dawn, November 30th , 2014