World Culture Festival 2025: Japanese theatre play ‘Salaryman Macbeth’ wins hearts

KARACHI: The 21st day of the 39-day “World Culture Festival 2025” featured a music workshop, film screening, and the performance of the Japanese theatre play “Salaryman Macbeth.”

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab inaugurated the international art exhibition “Peace & Pieces -Volume 4,” accompanied by Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmed Shah. The exhibition was attended by a large number of art enthusiasts, including Marc Payton, the French Embassy’s Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs.

On the occasion, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the World Culture Festival has become the cultural hub of Karachi. Karachi is a city of love. Today, we are showing the world how art and culture can connect people.” I thank Ahmed Shah, whose efforts have brought artists from around the world to Karachi.”

A beautiful blend of national and international artistic talent can be seen at the Arts Council. It is wonderful to see local and international artists creating fusion together.

The Mayor said that he was grateful to the Arts Council and all international delegates who are enhancing the vibrancy of Karachi. Pakistani artists are collaborating with a French mural artist to paint the walls of the city, and soon Karachi will be adorned with mural art.

We are learning so much from the work of international artists. Art, music, dance — everything is happening here. Soon, the vibrancy of the Faizi Rahimin Art Gallery will also be restored. Karachi itself is like a country, and this is the Karachi I heard about during my childhood.

International artists featured in the exhibition included Kelechi Nwaneri (Nigeria), Adjaratou Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso), Sofia Maria Xenaki (Greece), and Aglaia Perraki (Greece), while Pakistan’s leading artists, such as Amin Gulgee, Akram Spaul, Bazil Habib, Hamza Qazi, S.M. Fawad, Rahat Ali, Muhammad Muzammil, Muhammad Asad Gulzar, Haider Ali Naqvi, Asif Ahmed, Abida Dahri, Mona Naqoosh, Zahid Mayo, Ghulam Hussain, and A.S. Rind, captivated visitors with their works.

Earlier, the 21st day of the festival began with a music workshop conducted by Portuguese singer Ricardo Passos, who taught students of the Arts Council Music Academy the fundamentals of music.

During the workshop, Ricardo Passos explained that the bass drum is very important in music, played using one hand and one stick, producing two tones — a soft sound and a deep sound. The balance is essential in music and that the basic rhythm of the tambourine is “takara takara.” In the film screening segment, the award-winning Pakistani drama film “Saawan”, written by Faryad Khan and directed by Farhan Alam, was showcased.

The film portrays the inspiring story of a disabled child and beautifully highlights themes of humanity, courage, survival, and social injustice. The 21st day concluded with the Japanese theatre play “Salaryman Macbeth,” based on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy “Macbeth,” reimagined in the context of modern Japan.

The story depicts the tragicomedy of an ordinary, unremarkable office worker who rapidly climbs the corporate ladder after encountering witches. The play highlights how timid and weak individuals can become tyrants when given power.

The script was written by Tetsuya Fuchigami and directed by Kayo Tamura. Performers included Kayo Tamura, Nono Miyasaka, Ryo Nishihara, Rinya Kiji, Junko Matsuoka, and Kana Kana. The play was rich in contemporary creativity, and the audience highly appreciated the performance of the Japanese artists.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025