Ajoka’s Sensational spy Thriller

Lawrence in Lahore is the fascinating story of the little-known years of British intelligence officer T. E. Lawrence’s life after World War I. A decolonizing spy thriller for our times, this bilingual play begins with the post-World War I Paris Peace Agreement, then follows Lawrence to Lahore in late 1920s, showing his possible involvement with events in Afghanistan which led to the dislodging of secular Afghan King Amanullah and rebellion against Dogra Raj in Kashmir. There is historical evidence that, posing as Airman Shaw, Lawrence was posted to the Royal Air Force base in Karachi, in 1927, several years after he failed to secure a united Arabia for his friend Prince Feisal of the Hejaz. There is also evidence that he then got posted to Miranshah, a small outpost on the border with Afghanistan (a hotbed of violent fundamentalism till today). In Lahore, he frequented famous Nedou’s Hotel, (on the site of today’s Avari Hotel). Rumors claimed as fact by British-Pakistani historian Tariq Ali in his book The Clash of Fundamentalisms (2002), involve Lawrence’s secret marriage to Akbar Jahan, the young daughter of the owner of the Nedou’s Hotel, whom he soon divorced (with a “little” nudge from the Wrestling Champion Gama Pehalwan). He was reportedly ordered to leave the country by the British government due to embarrassing stories that began appearing in the British press claiming he was in the Afghanistan region to foment trouble at the behest of the British government. However, there are accounts that mysterious fiery religious leader, Pir Karam Shah, whose sermons fueled Pashtoon rebellion against King Amanullah, and disappeared without any trace after the King’s overthrow, was in fact, Lawrence.
It is interesting to point out that Akbar Jahan was later married to popular Kashmir leader, Sher-i-Kashmir, Shaikh Abdullah, who became the Prime Minister of the Indian-held state of Jammu and Kashmir, succeeded by his son Farooq and grandson Omar as Chief Ministers. The characters in the play also include Kashmiri leader Abdul Qadeer (executed by the Dogra Raj) in 1931, Arab brothers running the iconic Arab Hotel and charismatic revolutionary Bhagat Singh.
The play concludes with the revival of Great Game politics in the region, connecting South Asian history to that of the Middle East, through the figure of Lawrence. The seeds of fundamentalism, divisive nationalism and festering wounds of partitions, were sown at that time and the region is still suffering in the form of wars between nations and unending terrorism.
The play has been written by Ajoka’s Shahid Nadeem, in collaboration with US-based scholar Dr Fawzia Afzal-Khan. Dramatic readings of the play have been held in NYU-Abu Dhabi, Montclair University, New Jersey and the Lawrence Hall in Lahore’s Lawrence Gardens (now called Bagh-i-Jinnah).
Ajoka, now in its 41st year, is breaking new ground with this extra-ordinary Urdu-English play, mixing history with myths, fact with fiction, romance with rebellion and narrating the spy story with song and dance. It is also noteworthy that the cast of the play mainly comprises of new actors, an evidence of the role played by Ajoka Theatre and Ajoka Institute in introducing and grooming new talent.