NAPA repertory festival to mark academy’s 20th year in Karachi

KARACHI: The National Academy of Performing Arts will stage the NAPA Repertory Festival 2026 from May 8 to May 23 at its Karachi campus, as the institution marks 20 years since its founding in 2005.

According to details shared in the festival announcement, the programme will feature theatre, music, storytelling and interactive events, presenting audiences with a mix of contemporary and classical work. The festival is being positioned not only as a performance series but also as a milestone for an institution that has played a central role in Pakistan’s performing arts landscape over the past two decades.

The opening weekend will feature Annapurna on May 8 and 9. Directed by Moazim Malik, the tragicomedy follows a couple who meet again after being apart for two decades, revisiting memory, regret and the possibility of reconciliation.

On May 11 and 12, Mulaqaat will be presented at the Zia Mohyeddin Theatre. The two-person play stars Waqas Akhtar and Tuba Naeem and is set on a suburban railway platform, where an unexpected meeting between two strangers develops into a humorous but quietly life-altering exchange.

The festival’s theatre line-up will continue on May 13 and 14 with Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story. The short play focuses on an uneasy conversation between Jerry and Peter and examines isolation, class and human connection.

On May 15 and 16, the programme will turn to traditional storytelling with a Sham-e-Dastangoi at the same venue. Performances including Aik Tha Badshah will be staged by NAPA alumni such as Meesam Naqvi, Nazrul Hasan and Fawad Khan, highlighting the oral storytelling tradition.

Music will take centre stage on May 17 with a fusion performance by the Arsalan Parvez Trio and Muhammad Minaam. The event is set to combine contemporary and classical influences.

The theatrical programme will resume on May 18 and 19 with Zeest, a 60-minute production directed by Kashif Hussain. The cast includes Kiran Siddiqui, Farhan Alam, Jibran Khan and Akhtar Abbas. The play explores the gradual and often unspoken movement of a life through intimate settings and layered dialogue.

The final days of the festival will shift to lighter, community-focused activities, including a game night, a piano series and a performance by Ahsan Bari, bringing the two-week event to a more informal close.

Two decades of NAPA

The festival comes as NAPA completes 20 years. The programme, according to the announcement, reflects a theatre culture that continues to balance experimentation with tradition while supporting emerging talent alongside established performers.

For more than two decades, NAPA has served as a training institution for many of Pakistan’s performing artists. The academy was led for decades by the late Zia Mohyeddin and has been regarded as one of the country’s leading performing arts institutions since its inception in 2005.

This year’s repertory festival brings together accomplished alumni in theatre and music, with six theatre productions and three musical evenings to be staged at the institution’s Karachi campus.