DL reporter

Celebrating the colourful three-decade journey of Loko Natyadal (Shiddheswari), which is today a leading theatre troupe in the country, a four-day theatre festival is currently underway on the premises of the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) at Segun Bagicha in the capital.

   Dhaka University Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Nasreen Ahmad inaugurated the four-day-long festival yesterday at the lobby of National Theatre Hall of BSA. Presided over by BSA Director General Liaquat Ali Lucky, Secretary of Cultural Affairs Ministry Mohammad Ibrahim Hossain Khan was present as the chief guest and Secretary General  of Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation Akhtaruzzaman was present as guest of honour at the inaugural ceremony.

After the inauguration, veteran thespian Liaquat Ali Lucky-directed two plays ‘Obak Jolpan’, scripted by Sukumar Ray and playwright Molière’s ‘Konjush’ were staged.  

Today, as a part of the festival, Loko Natyadal  will stage their play ‘Majh Rater Manushera’ at the National Theatre Hall of BSA.  

Translated by Abdus Selim from Chinese Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian’s Nocturnal Wanderer, the play has been directed by Liaquat Ali Lucky.

The play is a depiction and demonstration of a few individuals who wander at night and engaged with evildoings intentionally or unintentionally.  In the play there are only few characters--two goons, a prostitute, a street man and a passer-by. The play reaches into an entanglement, when the passer-by, who mistakenly thought to take a walk at the time of night to breathe in some fresh air, comes into contact with the goons and the prostitute.

To note, under the leadership of noted thespian Liaquat Ali Lucky, Loko Natyadal started its journey on July 6 in 1981 uniting a group of talented youth. To mark the founding anniversary and celebrating their eventful journey in the theatre world, Loko Natyadal has come up with a four-day festival with eight of their plays this year. The festival will be continued till July 8.