Known for short and fast-moving plays, Thespianz Theatre’s Give me a Breath zeroed in on the ills of society with focus on women’s rights. In collaboration with the Goethe Institut, the play was part of a workshop in which young IDPs were taught how to make short films.

Brother sister Bilal and Zoya are suffering from financial crisis. He is jobless and does not allow Zoya to work either. His old fashioned views are out of place as he thinks that women should stay at home. Zoya, on the other hand, is eager to add to the family income by becoming a school teacher as the landlord, Saleem Bhai, is becoming aggressive at not having received the rent. She also likes Aryan who has been rejected by Bilal, and thus meets him clandestinely.

There is never a dull moment as Aryan and Saleem Bhai seem to be constant visitors at the house: Aryan taking advantage of Bilal’s absence and comes to the house to meet Zoya. A quick repartee between the two on the law and order situation in the city hits a familiar note with the audience and to lighten the mood, a dance sequence followed with disco lights, soft music, girls dressed in Cinderalla garb and boys as pirates — mismatched but nevertheless entertaining.

In another scene, Saleem Bhai threatens to kill Bilal with a knife when Zoya intervenes. Things calm down as she gives the landlord the money she had been saving for a rainy day. Bilal finally accepts that women too can play a major role in the scheme of things and gives his consents to Zoya and Aryan’s marriage and also allows her to work.

The message here rings loud and clear: women are equal to men and should be respected and have the right to decide for themselves what’s best for them. To emphasise this point, there is a song where Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah’s portrait is brought on stage followed by a speech which appeared somewhat out of place.

Give me a Breath is not as effective as Thespianz’s past plays, giving the impression that it was done in a hurry. The script was simplistic and lacked depth, perhaps due to new writer Hina Nafees’s lack of experience. Still, it did have its entertaining moments, mostly due to the song and dance sequences and good acting from all the performers, and a worthy storyline.