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The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Friday announced that Anwar Maqsood’s show Saadhay 14 August would run from today, January 7 to February 7.

Directed by Dawer Mehmood, the play is a production of KopyKats Productions which has produced original Urdu theatre plays since 2007.

At a press conference at the PNCA, the organisers said Saadhay 14 August was all set to bring laughter and satire to the capital.

The play would begin performance in Islamabad after completing 100 shows in Karachi.

It drew packed houses from the first performance till the last, said President Arts Council of Pakistan M. Ahmed Shah at the press conference.

The play, which features some of the most known national figures from both the past and present, is part of the trilogical series that was first staged as Pawnay 14 August, 10 years ago.

The play’s legendary writer, Anwar Maqsood, stated: “This series is really close to my heart and was made while keeping something positive while also considering the current plight of the nation. We expect that Saadhay 14 August will receive the same level of support in Islamabad as it had in Karachi.”

According to Mr Shah, “Anwar Maqsood has actually brought theatre back to Islamabad, and when it is his screenplay we are sure it will be adored and admired by the public and would draw huge crowds to the theatre.”

The organisers said like Karachi they hoped to exceed the expectations of the crowd in Islamabad.

The play had all the necessary ingredients for a successful theatrical presentation, including a superb script written by none other than Anwar Maqsood, outstanding acting, scenes and sets that were carefully built with attention to detail of each region being portrayed.

The play is the perfect example of how a serious issue could be handled in a lighthearted, entertaining and humorous manner while still capturing the audience’s attention, the organisers said.

Originally published in Dawn, January 7th, 2023