LAHORE: A three-day (April 10-12) Azadi Theatre festival by Ajoka concluded here at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall, on Thursday.

The festival marked the 70th anniversary of Pakistan`s Independence and the 34th of Ajoka.

The theatrical activity remained quite lively as people from all walks of life attended the festival.

Three plays were staged during the festival. The inaugural play was Chaak Chakkar, the Urdu adaptation of Brecht`s celebrated play `The Caucasian Chalk Circle`.

The second was a collage of plays under Youth Groups Theatre performances. Students from different educational institutions performed a play and a mime on the second day.

On the concluding evening, Charing Cross, the latest play by Ajoka was staged. Shahid Mehmood Nadeem, the writer of the play, said monumental changes and upheavalswitnessed by Charing Cross pulled and pushed the Pakistani society in different and sometimes opposite directions. In front of Charing Cross are told stories of ordinary people affected, inspired or disillusioned by the gigantic events taking place around them.

Nadeem said being a leader of the Left in student days, as a writer and as a common pedestrian, he had experienced and deeply felt many memorable moments in front of this great landmark of Lahore.

Ajoka would stage Charing Cross and Chaak Chakkar at Pakistan National Council of Arts in Islamabad as well by the end of this month.

The Ajoka Theatre will hold a workshop of acting in near future in Lahore.

The students, who took part as artistes under Youth Group Theatre Performances in the festival, said they learnt a lot while acting with senior artists. ` It was a great experience to work with a leading theatre group, said student Usman.