Routledge The Neo-liberalization of Political Theatre in Punjab (Pakistan): NGO-isation, Professionalization and Depoliticization

This book is about the four-decade-long struggle of political theatre in the post-colonial society of Pakistan, which started as a response to the dictatorship. It is the cultural history of Pakistan that stands at the intersection of theatre, people’s dreams about a progressive and socialist Pakistan, political movements, the cultural intelligentsia of the country, and the neoliberal regimes of NGOs and foreign donors. This book explores some of the major questions about contemporary cultural politics in the country, for example, ‘what is the relationship between politics and performance?’ ‘What is the term “political theatre” in the historic, cultural, and political context of Pakistan?’ ‘What is the aesthetics of political theatre?’ ‘How does a cultural product make meaning?’ What do a political theatre company's working processes and organizational structures look like?’ By focusing on the creative work of leading theatre companies of Pakistan, including Ajoka, Punjab Lok Rahs, Sangat, and Azad, this study is a unique journey into their rehearsal rooms behind the public stages to see how a theatre play is conceived, rehearsed, produced, and performed. It is the analysis of the aesthetical politics of these companies, covering all the stages of theatre performance from production to reception. Through this cultural inquiry, the book explores the themes of cultural activism, resistance, volunteerism, leftist politics, de-colonization, funding, NGO-isation, professionalization, and de-politicization. The book will be of great interest to students and scholars with an interest in Political Theatre, Applied Theatre, and Cultural Activism.