World Culture Festival: Audience takes 'The 39 Steps' for laughs of their lives

The audience on Wednesday was sent rolling in the aisles when the murder-espionage dramedy "The 39 Steps" opened on the 21st day of the ongoing World Culture Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi. 

The play is a clever and entertaining parody that brings to life the classic 1915 novel by John Buchan and the iconic 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. Originally created by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon in 1996 as a four-actor production, it was later reimagined by Patrick Barlow in 2005.

The plot follows a character named Mirza Baig, an ordinary man whose life takes a drastic turn when a mysterious woman, Erum Rafiq, is murdered in his apartment.

Wrongly accused of the crime, Mirza finds himself caught in a conspiracy involving a secret organisation. 

His cross-country adventure to clear his name leads him through a series of comedic encounters with eccentric characters, hidden plots, and non-stop twists, all while he uncovers the truth in a fast-paced, thrilling narrative.

Barlow's comedic-thriller, which is full of intrigue and suspense, is directed by Mazhar Suleman Noorani and Syed Muntazir. 

The 90-minute bilingual (English-Urdu) play was presented at the ACP's Auditorium 1 at 8pm. 

A day earlier, an epic theatrical battle of brains moved the hearts and bent the minds of the audience with play "Chaturaee". 

This thought-provoking play, written and directed by Shahnawaz Bhatti, told the story of two women whose destinies become intertwined as they test their contrasting approaches to overcoming life's challenges in everyday situations.

The festival features more than 450 artists from 40 different countries and will continue till November 2 at the ACP 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.