With an aim to provide real entertainment filled with rib-tickling comedy for the city dwellers who seldom welcome jokes, an adapted comedy play of Ray Cooney ‘Caught in the Net’ concluded here at the auditorium of Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) on Tuesday night. The Lahore Grammar School (Islamabad Campus) Dramatics Society presented ‘Caught in the Net’ from February 25-28 breaking the image of federal capital as being a city of dull and expressionless people as every individual who watched the play laughed and praised it.
‘Caught in the Net’ is listed among the top 100 best plays produced in UK while it has received accolades in good rating in the United States and across the globe, wherever English language is understood. This production was a rip-roaring farce that fully encapsulated the crazy world created by Ray Cooney. Directed by Atif Siddique in his usual style, Caught in the Net was everything it promised to be and more. The ingenious set-design by Aleena Iqtidar, brought gasped from the audience which it certainly deserved.
Modern technology is about to lead John Smith (played by Muaaz) two families into a head-on collision. The show opens on a set that represents both homes, which allows for simultaneous action in both locations. Enter son Gavin Smith (Shershah) with his mum Barbara (Yossma) and daughter Vicki Smith (Sherbano) with her mum Mary (Shameen). Both teenagers are discussing having met in an Internet chat room. They are amazed that they both have fathers named John Leonard Smith who are London taxi drivers, and since romance has blossomed, they are determined to meet in person.
The audience soon learns that the ‘amazing coincidences’ are due to the fact that they indeed have the same father, but the characters are still in the dark. When Dad (Amir) gets wind of their plan to meet, chaos ensues as he tries to keep the teens apart and keep his dual life secret from both his wives and kids.
John quickly enlists the help of his dopey boarder Stanley (Muqeet), which only leads to hilarious lies, mistaken identities and mysterious phone calls. When Stanley (Fateh)’s senile father arrives for a holiday, it stirs up the antics even further.
Filled with unforgettable, quirky characters, an unforgettable plot, smashing scenes and performances, live of course, coupled with an inane and oft mind boggling plot that highlights how a dual family system can capture some truly unanticipated scenes that highlight the very essence of life. ‘Caught in the Net’ is a journey that brought tastefully unforgettable experience for the audience.
This was the fifth play by the students of the Lahore Grammar School (LGS). The school presented Potter Head in 2002, Lights Out in 2010, Charlie’s Aunt in 2008 and Nitwits in 2007.
