LAHORE: After a gap of two years, the Alhamra Art Centre will host a theatrical performance by Ajoka on Friday.

The gap occurred owing to the Covid-19 pandemic during which mostly online performances were held. Ajoka Theatre is holding two plays in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council. Theatre fanciers, writers, intellectuals and parallel theatre audiences are happy over the return of theatrical activities to the halls which are now open for various performing art performances.

Ajoka Executive Director Shahid Nadeem told Dawn Ajoka students would be performing plays on Friday.

“We have been holding theatre classes for students interested in acting for a couple of years; every course spans over three months and at the end of every course, students come up with a performance but owing to Covid, these performances were being held online,” he said. The entry to the theatrical festival has a compulsory condition of producing vaccination proof at the entrance gate.

The short plays to be performed today were originally performed over 25 years ago. The plays, titled ‘Sharam Di Gal’ and ‘Dhee Rani’ are written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by Nirvan Nadeem.

The themes of the plays revolve around gender issues and girls education. There will also be a video screening of Ajoka’s play ‘Jhalee Kithay Jaway’.

Ajoka is also planning to come up with a few new productions to mark the 75th independence celebrations.

To Ajoka’s participation in the theatre festival by the arts council, Mr Nadeem said, “Unfortunately the council offers too little financial assistance for such ventures.”

The council generally offers Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 to a professional theatre group whereas a professional theatre group should be at least provided Rs100,000 to 150,000, he said.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2021