Daily Times

The curtain on the second day of the World Culture Festival 2024 unfurled on a brilliant artistic note, headlined by celebrated Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour’s riveting absurdist dramedy White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, enthralling a global audience on Friday at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi.

The prestigious festival showcases artists from 40 countries in the port city of Pakistan, highlighting their talents and diverse art forms.

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, performed by Nadia Jamil and Sarmad Khoosat, is produced by Kanwal Khoosat. It is an internationally acclaimed work of art that follows the story of an actor who must open the script on stage, in front of the audience, knowing nothing of its content and being instructed to prepare an animal impression.

The play has been described by theatre experts as an audacious theatrical experiment and a potent reminder of the transgressive and transformative power of theatre.

Notably, Soleimanpour, who was forbidden from leaving his native Iran, wrote a play that traveled the world in his place. The performance was met with praise from a keen theatre-loving audience gathered at the Arts Council from around the world.

It’s worth noting that the festival came to life with vibrant energy as Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, alongside the President of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, Muhammad Ahmed Shah, inaugurated it on Thursday night. The event radiated cultural richness, drawing diplomats from across the globe, including representatives from Sri Lanka, Turkey and Oman, who gathered to celebrate the diversity of global arts and cultures. On this occasion, Governor Tessori stated there was no precedent for such a festival in Pakistan’s history. He expressed his honour in being invited by Shah and extended a warm welcome to the artists coming from 40 countries.

The festival will feature over 100 cultural performances and more than 450 artists, including Pakistani and international theatre, music and dance groups, as well as fine art exhibitions.