LAHORE: In the absence of a vibrant parallel theatre scene in Punjab, Azad Theatre Group is a welcome addition to objective and message-oriented theatrical efforts amidst the rough commercial theatre.

Established in 2011, Azad Theatre has staged a number of plays in the last five years, mostly on Sufi poets from Punjab. Their new play Hussain, The Weaver based on the poetry of great Sufi poet from Lahore, Shah Hussain or Madhoo Lal Hussain, was an exceptionally good production.

The play was premiered on Monday night at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall. Directed by Malik Aslam and written by Shabbir Ji, the play was a collaboration between Azad Theatre and the Lahore Arts Council.

An interesting aspect about the playwright is thatthis was his first exploration in the field of play writing: this was Shabbir`s first play for Azad Theatre. He is otherwise associated with Waris Shah Parya Parchar Committee that conducts research on the life and works of Shah Hussain.

Set in Emperor Akbar`s period, the single-act play spanning over two hours delivered a message of peace and tolerance.

Through the character of Dullah Bhatti, the message conveyed was that without political awareness and being part of the political system, societies could not progress.

Poetry in the play sung live with the support of harmonium and tabla left a deep impact on the audience with the lighting simply outstanding. The cast of the play included Sarfraz Ansari as Shah Hussain, Zohaib Haider as Dullah Bhatti, Waseem Ali, Mir Hamza, Zoya Qasim, Allia Abbasi, Naina Baloch, Nadeem Abbas and others.