The Last Laugh: A new rave of theatre in town!

The Last Laugh, a drama-comedy play, recently performed at Sinclair Hall, Forman Christian College presented an inspiring theatrical production for the theatre enthusiasts.

The play directed by Khurram Nawaz Sheikh, 23, incredibly portrayed existential and absurdist elements through various experimental direction and production techniques. Written by Narmeen Ijaz, 22, it was presented in four shows while in the last two shows were graced by the presence of veteran actors Usman Peerzada and Irfan Khoosat along with Ajoka’s director Madiha Gohar who commended the efforts of the students for putting up a great show. They also generously offered their guidance and support for any upcoming performances by FCC’s students as part of their theatrical education.

“It is a great pleasure to see young students performing in on stage at an age where in our times we were condemned by the society for stepping into the realm of theatre. I would be glad to offer my services as a mentor for FCC’s next theatrical performances to further hone the theatrical skills of students and to fix the glitches in production,” said Khoosat.

The play, first of its kind, touched upon a crucial issue being faced by the youth of Pakistan. The protagonist Yasir, played by Muhammad Abdullah, depicted the life of a stand-up comedian in Pakistan who is being persuaded by his family and the society to give up on his strives to become a comedian. What followed were a series of acts where the protagonist remarkably unfolds the constraints of the meaninglessness of life and its inevitability through a picturesque and astounding performance. The main opposition faced by him was that of his father, played by Haider Mehdi, whose performance was second.

The highlight of the event was Usman Peerzada’s presence which not only captivated the interest of the actors only but also the interests of the audiences as well. As the performance came to an end, Peerzada joined the actors and director for an interactive session where he gave feedback on acting, direction, script and production.

Moaaz Hamid, production manager of the play, said, “The feedback from the pioneers of theatre and performing arts is always constructive, especially when it comes to theatrical productions where factors like light and sound can either make or break the play. The critique by Mr Peerzada on production will surely help us in our upcoming projects.”

The cast of the play comprised of Muhammad Abdullah, Komal Dar, Haider Mehdi, Hassan Butt, Nadeem Fayyaz, Rida Zafar, Beenish Najeeb, Saqib Mirza and Abdul Basit Saddique, along with Ashbeel Wilson, who incorporated live music into the play without the use of musical instruments.

The play received much appreciation from the audiences in the form of a great applause and standing ovation on all four days.