Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: April 21, 2025 | 
| 中文
Yasir Hussain with his team
Currently showing at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, Monkey Business is a theatrical rollercoaster that has managed to reignite laughter in the city’s theatre scene with unrelenting momentum. Written and directed by Yasir Hussain, who also plays the lead role of Wasim, the play is a masterclass in farce comedy, and a heartfelt homage to the legendary Umer Sharif, a name synonymous with this genre in Pakistan. Hussain’s signature wit and instinct for comic timing shine through not only in his performance but in the script’s smart pacing, social jabs and its complete refusal to let the energy drop for even a moment.
Audience and the actors
Set in a modest apartment shared by struggling artists, the story follows Wasim, played by Yasir Hussain, who has been offered a stipend by the Arts Council of Pakistan, but with one catch: it’s meant for artists with disabilities. In a moment of desperate creativity, Wasim pretends to have a broken leg, only to be thrown into deeper waters when his young tenant, Sherry, portrayed brilliantly by Umer Alam, complicates the ruse. As the two artists team up to convince the stern verification officer that they deserve the stipend, things begin to spiral into complete chaos. Romantic partners, uninvited visitors and mounting lies turn the apartment into a pressure cooker of misunderstandings, slapstick and quick-witted repartee.
Hafsa Baksh, Yasir Hussain, Osama Bin Liaqat, Bilal Yousufzai, Umer Alam and Khizer Ansari
Umer Alam as Sherry is the perfect foil to Hussain’s Wasim, the chemistry between the two is effortless and electric. Supporting them is a robust ensemble cast, with Yusra Irfan as Sana, Bilal Yousafzai in a sharp and stoic turn as the Investigation Officer, and Khizer Ansari in a hilariously exaggerated performance as the Super Fan. Osama Bin Atiq’s portrayal of the overly-involved Community Worker and Abdullah Wahab’s appearance as the cousin, round out the ensemble, each actor bringing their own brand of comic flair to the stage. While some of the names may not yet be widely recognized in mainstream entertainment, their command over the stage suggests that a new wave of talent is coming up strong from Pakistan’s theatre circuit.
Abdullah Wahab and Yasir Hussain in Monkey Business
The brilliance of Monkey Business lies in its ability to merge classic farce elements with a fresh cultural context. The play draws unapologetically from the flamboyant chaos of Bollywood comedy tropes, the frantic entrances and exits, the mistaken identities, the tangled web of lies, but filters them through a contemporary Pakistani lens. There are references to current affairs, economic anxieties, and the convoluted process of state-funded arts support that strike a nerve with today’s audiences. Rather than alienating the younger generation, the script embraces them with humor they can relate to, resulting in laughter that feels both nostalgic and sharply current.
According to Yasir Hussain in a recent interview with Something Haute, the play clocks in at 70 minutes, “but the audience spends 20 minutes laughing and recovering from that laughter, taking the whole duration to 90 minutes.” And it’s not an exaggeration! From the very beginning, the audience is pulled into a high-octane world where there is no pause between punchlines. It’s a riot from start to finish, a rare thing in theatre, where comedy often loses momentum mid-way or leans too heavily on one-liners. Here, it is the absurdity of the situation itself, the impeccable timing of the cast, and the layers of humor in both dialogue and performance that sustain the energy throughout.
Yasir Hussain in Monkey Business
Technically, the production holds its own with confidence. The stage design manages to evoke a believable living space without clutter, allowing the chaos of the narrative to unfold visually and spatially. The lighting is fluid, helping to shift moods quickly without distracting from the action. Set changes, exits, and entrances are choreographed with such precision that they almost feel like part of the comedy. Everything on stage, from the couch to the costumes, works in service of the joke. And in farce, every second counts.
Perhaps the most striking achievement of Monkey Business is its accessibility. This isn’t a play crafted for a niche theatre-going crowd; it’s built for everyone. The crowd at Arts Council is diverse, from long-time theatre enthusiasts to young audiences who may be entering a theatre hall for the first time. And they’re all laughing. That’s a testament to Hussain’s instinct for audience engagement, and to the fact that live comedy, when done right, remains one of the most powerful communal experiences.
Behroz Sabzwari in the audience
The play is also a quiet nod to the resilience and potential of Karachi’s performing arts scene. In a time when stage comedy often feels eclipsed by digital content, Monkey Business proves that theatre is still capable of pulling crowds, getting laughs and making a point, all in one go. And it does so without compromising on quality or pandering to lowest-common-denominator humor.
Running until April 24, Monkey Business shows no signs of slowing down, with extensions already being discussed due to packed houses and mounting demand. For those seeking an evening of unrelenting laughter, clever writing, and spirited performances, this is not a play to miss. Yasir Hussain and his team have not only delivered an uproarious comedy but have also brought a sense of joyful chaos back to the theatre, the kind that Umer Sharif himself would have been proud of.
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