Daily Times

LAHORE: Ajoka Theatre will present a new-devised play for theatre lovers on the theme of death penalty to highlight this issue and create awareness about it among society by collaborating with British theatre groups Complicite and High Light Arts.

In this connection, a nine-day workshop was held to develop the play on this theme, and enhance capacity building of the team members from Complicite’s Dina Mousavi and High Light Arts’ Ryan Van Winkle, who had especially visited Lahore.

Dina Mousavi is a specialist in theatre training for the youth while Ryan Van Winkle is a noted poet and a cultural activist.

During the workshop, Ajoka actors explored true stories of victims of capital punishment and its impact on the prisoners on death row and their families. They were facilitated in this process by Justice Project Pakistan. The play will be performed in April next year in Lahore as well as other cities.

Mousavi is a British theatre, film and TV actress, associated with leading British theatre Complicite. She specialised in theatre training for youth. Ryan is a poet and a translator who is associated with Highlight Arts, UK. Ryan has attended Lahore Literature Festival last year. Some of his poetry books include A Change in the Light, The Room is Waiting and Tomorrow.

Lahore-based Ajoka Theatre focuses on producing and performing social theatrical stage productions, presenting Urdu and Punjabi plays mainly, for the last 32 years.