Anyone who has read A Case of Exploding Mangoesknows that Mohammed Hanif is one of Pakistan’s preeminent satirists. His play, The Dictator’s Wife, showcases not only his trenchant take on politics but applies the same sensibilities to marriage and romance.

The Dictator’s Wife, a one-person play starring Nimra Bucha, had played to sold-out audiences in Karachi and Lahore earlier this year and will be staged at the Karachi Arts Council on December 11 and 12.

Newsline‘s Talib Qizilbash had reviewed The Dictator’s Wife and came away extremely impressed, not only with Hanif, but the remarkable acting skills of Nimra Bucha:

Bucha’s performance is mostly compelling, the character she plays is always intriguing. Mrs Dictator is tightly wound, fiery but only mildly sympathetic. She has a killer memory for the wrongs done against her and is articulate about her feelings in a way that only long-harboured anger and constant deliberation allows.

I had seen the play when it was staged at the PACC, a more intimate venue than the Arts Council and was also struck by the versatility of Nimra Bucha’s acting. The Dictator’s Wife, unlike other one-person plays, does not rely on elaborate sets and numerous props to compensate for the lack of action. The bare setting makes Bucha’s job all the more difficult but she rises to the challenge with aplomb.

It will be interesting to see how the play is translated to a larger venue, but its a challenge that the husband-and-wife team of Mohammed Hanif and Nimra Bucha should pull of with ease.

The Dictator’s Wife at the Karachi Arts Council

December 10 and 11, at 8 p.m.

Tickets (Rs 500) are available at Liberty Books, Agha’s and Espresso