LAHORE: The Lahore Arts Council (LAC) is gearing up for the revival of quality commercial theatre at Alhama.

The council has announced a grand revival of quality commercial theatre, aiming to eliminate vulgarity and promote family-oriented, script-based stage dramas. The project seeks to restore meaningful entertainment and invites artists to submit portfolios.

In this regard, the council has opted for an open call to rope in creative minds from theatre directors, writers and actors.

Veteran actor Waseem Abbas is working on a commercial theatre project which he would carry out under the umbrella of Lahore Arts Council. It is a comedy play that would be family-oriented and devoid of vulgarity.

As a matter of fact, Lahore’s commercial theatre, which thrives on racy dialogues and suggestive dances, is perhaps the most unnoticed platform of gender discrimination. Here, women are exploited in the name of comedy in play after play and the mindset it develops through such productions ultimately results in violence against women, and the impression that women should be subjugated comes across loud and clear. The council, however, aims to introduce family-oriented theatre which should be objective and socially relevant.

Over the years, Lahore’s commercial theatre has suffered tremendous degradation resulting in the low-brow medium it has become today that focuses on obscene dialogues and risqué performances.

There will be no such commercial theatre at Alhamra, featuring dare-bare dances or any other vulgarity; the plays will be devoid of dances, officials toldDawn.

Lahore Arts Council Executive Director Muhammad Nawaz Gondal, commenting on revival of commercial theatre at Alhamra, said that theatre was being reformed by the council. He added that theatre workshops for young talent would also be started. Moreover, the council has written letters to all colleges and universities to come up with new scripts and do quality theatre from the platform of Alhamra, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026