Monkey Business Swings

By Ayman Munaf

If you were wandering around the Karachi Arts Council recently, chances are you heard loud laughter echoing through the auditorium. It was the opening night of Monkey Business, the latest theatrical venture by Yasir Hussain — who wears multiple hats here as the writer, director, and lead actor. The play was a clever mix of farce, satire, and classic Karachi-style comedy that had the audience in stitches from start to finish.

At the centre of the chaos is Wasim (played by Yasir Hussain himself), a struggling actor whose glory days are behind him. He’s married to Sana (Yusra Irfan), a fiery, no-nonsense painter whose temper can be as bold as her brushstrokes. Adding to the mix is their tenant, Sherry (Umer Alam), an aspiring thespian with big dreams and a flair for drama.

Things start to spiral when Wasim receives a call from a stern-sounding representative (Bilal Yousufzai) from the Arts Council, investigating the disability funds Wasim’s been receiving. In a panic, Wasim stages an elaborate ruse, pretending to suffer from a physical ailment — complete with crutches and a limp. Meanwhile, news of a recent escape from a local asylum adds an unexpected layer of confusion to an already tangled web of lies and misunderstandings.

What follows is classic farce: mistaken identities, disguises, and even some impromptu dance numbers. Wasim and Sherry end up donning women’s clothes and shaking a leg to popular desi tunes in an attempt to keep their ruse alive.

Yasir Hussain’s performance as Wasim is a masterclass in comic timing. He’s at ease on stage, shifting effortlessly between the grounded and the ridiculous. Yusra Irfan holds her own as the fierce and feisty Sana, while Umer Alam’s Sherry brings an endearing goofiness that balances out the trio. Bilal Yousufzai, though in a supporting role, adds the perfect tension needed to push the story forward.

Visually and tonally, the play pays tribute to Karachi’s vibrant theatre scene from the 1980s and ’90s — a time when dance numbers, double entendres, and larger-than-life characters were all part of the fun. And while Monkey Business may feel nostalgic, it never feels dated. It uses the old tricks with a new flair.

There’s something refreshing about a play that doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet knows exactly what it wants to say. Monkey Business is that kind of experience. It was not here to preach or provoke deep reflection but to make you laugh until your sides hurt. But in doing so, it also gently nudge you to think about the trials of creative professionals, the absurdities of bureaucracy, and the fine line between reality and performance. In a world often too grim for its own good, Yasir Hussain delivers a much-needed dose of joy — chaotic, clever, and wonderfully theatrical.