LAHORE: Ajoka’s five-day theatre festival, marking the group’s 40th anniversary, will open on Thursday (today) here at the Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.

The festival, to be held from May 2 to 6 at Alhamra Hall 2, includes plays the group staged during the past four decades.

The festival will be kicked off withAjoka’s acclaimed production, “Teesri Dastak,” penned by its executive director Shahid Nadeem. This thought-provoking play carries a powerful message that violence only begets violence, and the suppression of individual expressions does not bring about any meaningful change. Set against the backdrop of a dilapidated urban slum, the play portrays the resilience of the marginalised, who cling to their dreams of a free and just world despite endless betrayals and setbacks.

The cast of the play includes Usman Raaj, Mohd Qaiser, Kanwal Khan, Muzamil Shabbir, Madeeha Rasheed, Rai Ali, Rai Kamran, Nasir Mahmood, Anish Khan, Bilal, Faraz and Meesam.

During the festival, Ajoka’s team will also present their iconic plays such as “Bulha”, “Dara,” and “Jaloos”; each promising not only entertainment, but also enlighten audiences with themes of peace, tolerance, and religious harmony.

The festival is dedicated to Ajoka’s founder director, Madeeha Gauhar, whose 6th anniversary was observed last week.

Ajoka team led by Shahid Nadeem met the Government College University’s new Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shazia Bashir on April 30 to discuss signing of an MoU between Ajoka and GCU.

They also congratulated Prof Shazia for becoming the first woman VC in GCU’s 160-year history. The VC appreciated Ajoka’s contribution to performing arts and congratulated it on its 40th anniversary.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2024