ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: Five years ago Shah Sharahbeel’s Centre Stage Production set the precedent for modern drama companies in the capital. He brought stage drama to the Islooites with his innovative version of The Phantom of the Opera and gave the budding thespians the chance to be stars.

From those small seeds grew what is today a significantly successful theatre culture.

Celebrating the five years of theatre productions, Shah Sharahbeel brought back to the National Arts Gallery stage one of his popular dramas – The Phantom of the Opera.

This fun and accessible production is set in Paris, France, in the early 1900s, in a Parisian Opera House that finds its notoriety on the rise with a rush of mysterious events engineered by a strange masked figure, which the public has named “The Phantom of the Opera”.

The production is directed by Shah Sharahbeel and produced by Dawar Mehmood.

The Phantom of the Opera is an invigorating and humorous experience. The phantom’s origin and identity are unknown. His motives are as murky as the depths of his morality. The only confirmed facts surrounding the phantom are his passion for the opera. A member breaks one of the phantom’s edicts and that arouses his wrath.

The defeat sends the phantom into a downward spiral mentally and emotionally. Catherine, whom he loves, rejects him, further undermining his condition. At this juncture of the phantom nature of the piece shifts into high gear.

Although, the two acts don’t just fly by in a blur – a bit of a drag sometimes yet funny as the play shows the mysteries that unfold. The few performances when the curtains closed every time did not ring true either.

“A few directional glitches but it was exhilarating play. I loved it. Made me laugh,” said Sarah Khan in the audience.

Nasir Iqbal would not want to catch it again, he said. “The previous one was better. But acting was good.”

Atif Chaudhry thought otherwise: “Wow everything – the design and soundtrack just sucked me in.”

However, the few flaws in this colour-soaked musical get swamped out by the brilliant acting.

The passion and skill of the young actors added a bit of class and distinction to a city that accepts the honour like it accepts all of its other greatness with open arms.

Their creativity and energy had produced impassioned and beautiful acting. The task of memorising lines was paramount and the circumstances in which they had to perform challenging.

Faheem Azam delivered marvelously and increasingly edgy performance as Gerard (also the phantom’s father). But more brilliant acting came from the phantom himself or Hamza Ali Abbasi and Zahid Ahmed as Raoul DeChagny – familiar stage names.

But the elegant Aisha Ommaya as Christine and Uzair Khan who played the hilarious French henpecked husband, and owner of the theatre, Phillipe, easily steal the limelight.

Hamad Ahmed one of the audiences said: “Phillipe and his wife Carlotta (Ayesha Agha), were simply hilarious together on the stage.”

Kashif Salahuddin in the audience laughed and cringed his way through the drama. “Spectacular and sensual delight with music to die for,” he said.

“Spectacular but painful to listen to at times because of such loud music,” added Kashif’s wife.