World Culture Festival: 'Suicide Incorporated' tickles viewers' ribs on day 12
'Suicide Incorporated' is a subversive, darkly comic play about opportunism and elusive concept of redemption
October 07, 2024
The theatre hall blew up with belly laughs as "Suicide Incorporated", a dramedy masterfully directed by Rayyan Khan, sent the audience rolling in the aisles on the 12th day of the World Culture Festival, underway in its full artistic splendour at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi.
The Urdu-language play staged on Monday at APC's Studio 2, is a subversive, darkly comic play about opportunism and the elusive concept of redemption. It was so humorous, it could resurrect the dead with its razor-sharp wit.
The play revolves around a character named Jaffar, who is having a tough week at work. Jaffar has been hired at a fictional company, Legacy Letters, to help clients craft the perfect suicide note, but he seems to have his own agenda.
Profits are down, lawsuits are up, and worst of all, his boss has begun to suspect the truth: that Jaffar is trying to ruin the company by keeping its customers alive.
The cast included Fahad Sheikh, Abu Bakar Khan, Ashmal Lalwany, Abdul Rehman, and Amar Bukhari, who showcased stellar performances.
The play intertwines humour with serious themes, emphasising the importance of empathy and human connection in difficult times.
A day earlier, a charged audience swayed to the groovy moves of lively folk dance and the soulful rendition of qawwalis performed by the country's renowned artistes at the ACP.
Performers from the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Abdul Ghani, Adnan Butt, Mani Chao, Farrukh Darbar, Master Ghulam Hussain and Ravi Jhoomar entertained the people with regional folk dance.
After the dance performance maestro qawwals, Fareed Fayyaz and Abu Muhammad, transported the audience to a world of spirituality in their unique style.
The festival features more than 450 artists from 40 different countries and will continue till October 30 at Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi.
Geo and Jang group are the media partners of the ACP in the World Culture Festival. Tickets for the event can be easily obtained from the ACP and Ticketwala service.
