The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) is certainly one of the key institutions that are working to promote theatre in Pakistan; it has not only produced some brilliant artists but also regularly hosts events and festivals featuring stage plays and other music and dance performances. One such event is the international theatre and music festival that NAPA organizes every year.
The NAPA International Performing Arts Festival that aims to celebrate theatre, music and dance commenced yesterday and will come to an end on March 31. It brings together artists from all over the world and is the only event that is dedicated to international performing arts in Pakistan.
The ongoing sixth edition of the festival will feature over 20 performances by artists from Italy, France, Germany, Iran, Sri Lanka and Australia alongside a diverse lineup of Pakistani plays in Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and Balochi. The genre and style of performances at this year’s festival range from the classic to the experimental, exploring some of today’s most urgent topics such as war, fascism, migration and gender issues.
Some of the acts scheduled to take centre stage during the event include Oh My Sweet Land, The Year of the Fish, The Playlist, Wahala, Devi and Some Days Ago, among others. The festival will also feature two plays that are directed by NAPA founder and director Zia Mohyeddin; one of them is called Mureed-e-Shak while the other is titled Raaz-o-Niaz.
