Karachi Laughter Fest 2018 promises to tickle your funny bone

KARACHI: Prepare to laugh out loud with National Academy of Performing Art's Karachi Laughter Fest 2018, which kicks off on January 3. The 12-day festival promises to be a laugh-a-thon with six plays, improv comedy and dastanghoi. The plays being performed during the festival include Crash Landing, Kya Aap Pagal Hain, Burqavaganza, Chacha Chakkan, Lafro Reutrns, and Dil-e-Nada. Photo: NAPA NAPA has also roped in stand up comedians Faheem Azam (Don't Laugh I AM Serious), Usman Mazhari (Jo Baat Hai) and Faiza Saleem (Larki Wounderful) for the festival. "The Karachi Laughter Fest 2018 will bring together some the best new directors and actors presenting diverse plays that will definitely cheer us all up. Along with standup comedy and improvs this festival promises to be a joyful and exuberant event," said NAPA on a social media post. Here's a list of plays being performed at the event: Crash Landing by Rauf Afridi Photo: NAPA/Facebook The play, which has been directed by Rauf Afridi, will kick start the festival. The plot revolves around the love life of a Dubai-based architect Jimmy. "Playboy Jimmy is an architect based in Dubai. He lives with his fiancée, LIA airline stewardess Zareena ?and BIA stewardess Najma?and NIA stewardess Nargis. However, none of the women know about the other two, and this is exactly the way Jimmy has designed it. This works just fine as long as their flight schedules only bring them home every three days. Jimmy?s live-in cook, Mamoo, is key in pulling off this ruse, managing three sets of clothing, photographs, bed linens, and food preferences. However, this perfect schedule is bound to run into trouble sometime. Things begin to unravel when there is a change to the women?s flight orders, making it increasingly difficult to keep them apart, and eventually bringing all three of them home on the same day. In addition, Jimmy?s longtime friend from Pindi, Bashir, has arrived in town unexpectedly. He is brought in on the outrageous arrangement and finds himself entangled in trying to help Jimmy and Mamoo pull it off during the course of a single day. Will they survive the day? And at what price? It just may be too much for them to handle!," explains NAPA in a post. The play will be held on January 3 and January 4 at Zia Mohyeddin Theatre. Kya Aap Pagal Hain by Aqeel Ahmed Photo: NAPA/Facebook Directed by Aqeel Ahmed, the play is a "classic romantic farce based on two couples and their desire to marry in the face of great parental opposition. Nawab Sahib wants his daughter Mehr Bano to wed his nephew Naqi but Naqi loves Dilara and Mehr Bano wants to marry Zaki. In their effort to convince Nawab Sahib a series of misunderstandings ensues creating farcical situations of great mirth and chaos." The show will be staged on January 5 and January 6 at Zia Mohyeddin Theatre. Burqavangza by Shumaila Taj Photo: NAPA/Facebook "Burqavangza is a burlesque fantasy play about the burqa revolution written by Shahid Nadeem. At a time when the burqa has taken over the country, two lovers 'Haseena' and 'Khoobru ' decide to challenge the burqa brigade. The lovers are joined by a duo of thieves and they together defy the police," reads its description. Written by Salman Shahid, the play will be showcased on January 7 and January 8.