These days the dreaded two words “security concerns” prevent, in some cases pull back, top-drawer international showbiz performers from coming to Pakistan. This has caused damage on two counts. One, our art lovers and art practitioners do not get to see them up-close, therefore remain deprived of high quality entertainment (in the former’s case) and a big learning curve (in the latter’s case). Two, the (showbiz) world grossly underrate the discerning Pakistani audiences, thinking they do not know much about theatre or about other facets of the performing arts. Of course, this was not an issue 50 years back.

Emlyn Williams (1905-1987) was a highly respected Welsh actor and dramatist. He wrote and acted in critically acclaimed plays like A Murder Has Been Arranged and Night Must Fall. A few of his plays were made into successful films. Imagine the way he must have been treated in the 1960s. He was a celebrity. And that celebrity came to Karachi in 1965.

On April 19, 1965 Williams performed at Hotel Intercontinental. What did he perform? Well, it was a one-man show in which he assumed the role of none other than the great novelist Charles Dickens, reading excerpts from his unmatched stories. The actor opened with Our Mutual Friend, a sharp satire of London life. He went on to read from gems like The Black Veil, and after intermission regained the audience’s attention with The Pickwick Papers. Mr Williams rounded off his stint on stage with Paul from Dombey and Son. A critic termed his performance “scintillating”. How lucky theatregoers in the ‘60s were!

Another breed of (international) performing artists who were in the city the same week were members of the German National Circus. The famous group kicked off their show on April 21 at the Arts Council Karachi. It was a very well received event. What deserves more attention is the fact that the group displayed its talent to gather funds for the council’s auditorium. So the Arts Council Karachi owes a bit of a moral debt to the German National Circus.

Those were the days when the advertising industry had begun to spread its wings. The good thing about them was that they cared as much for their employees as they did for their clients. On April 22, Messrs J Walter Thompson (Far East) Company, which was then a leading ad agency and public relations concern, held its first art exhibition for its staff artists. The display, inaugurated by Mrs Walter P McConaughy, wife of the then American ambassador to Pakistan, was arranged to encourage the company’s staff artists to raise their standard.

Care is the operative word here. Even our local institutions at the time considered that word important. For example, the directorate of education cared quite a bit about the things that fell under its purview. On April 19, the directorate asked all private colleges to furnish service rules and pay scales on the basis of which their grants in aid would be considered. This was the right way to check how private colleges fared and functioned. Unlike today…

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2015

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