KARACHI: An original movement-based play from Pakistan, Tayraak, won the Best Script Award at the 6th Kish International Short Theater Festival in Iran, as the contemporary theater in the country continued to make waves internationally.
The 6th Kish International Short Theater Festival, directed by Abbas Najari, was held from October 18 to 21. Hosted on Iran’s scenic Kish Island, the festival focused on new forms of theater, such as café-theater, beach-theatre and experimental staging, with this year’s themes including family and social vitality, the environment, peace and unity.
Tayraak received an overwhelming response from audiences and jury members at the festival, which brings together young theater practitioners from across the world.
One of the festivalgoers shared pictures from the movement piece in an Instagram post that read, “Their performance was silent, [but] their hands spoke harshly to us.”
Directed by Karachi-based theater practitioner and movement coach Ashmal Lalwany, the play was written and performed by Suleman Roomi, Hashir Faraz, and Farhan Ahsan.
In a post on his Instagram account, Lalwany announced the news of winning the Best Script Award and said that he was “proud” of his team.
While speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Lalwany said that the absence of dialogue helped the piece transcend barriers.
“Because our play was purely based on movement and not language, we had the audience’s full attention,” he shared. “Most of the other plays were in Persian, and the audience was very discerning. You could tell when they didn’t like something. But with Tayraak, because there were no dialogues, they were entirely focused on the actors’ movement.”
He said that “whenever they caught something meaningful, I could see people reacting, turning to each other and saying, ‘Oh, this happened.’”
“That was a beautiful feeling. You don’t need language to put your art across; you just need emotion, feeling, and honesty,” he said.
The director credited his team for their dedication to the script and their ability to convey emotion through movement alone.
“We were always praised for our expression. Whatever praise we received after the performance was for the fact that there were no words, yet we delivered such an impactful story,” he added.
A play which unfolds entirely through movement, Tayraak delves into the themes of survival, growth, and the courage to break free from inherited fears.
The piece follows three individuals navigating rigid family values, personal trauma, and suffocating expectations, portraying how pain can both hinder and inspire healing and self-discovery.
The play was first developed as part of a movement class by the Arts Council Theatre Academy (ACTA) and draws on the performers’ real experiences with silence, resilience, and emotional inheritance. The award marks a significant moment for Pakistan’s performing arts scene, highlighting the growing presence of young practitioners on international platforms.
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