RUWANTHIE DE CHICKERA’S LATEST PLAY, ‘KALUMAALI’

COMING NEXT MONTH

Directed by Ruwanthie de Chickera and presented by the Stages Theatre Group, Kalumaali: a Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is a unique theatre project dealing with an issue that touches everyone—parenting.

The cast comprises of artistes who are much loved and respected by both English and Sinhala theatre audiences – including Iranganie Serasinghe and Peter d’Almeida – who will be returning to the stage, after several years, through this production. Well-known artists like Kaushalya Fernando and Nadie Kammallaweera will also be performing.

Kalumaali is based on an extended writing project involving 13 women of the English and Sinhala theatre, which resulted in a 300- page bilingual manuscript titled ‘Cast as Mother’. A reading from the manuscript was presented to a cross-section of theatregoers on May 24 this year, to excellent reviews.

Now, a play inspired by this manuscript will be staged at the Lionel Wendt from the 13–16 of September. The same play will be performed entirely in English on two nights and entirely in Sinhala on two nights—making this a truly unique theatre experience.

The story of Kalumaali is a much loved and often repeated fairy tale in seven-year- old Saki’s family. In fact, it is the one story that little Saki can never get enough of, because she knows that every time it is recited she can look forward to a new spin on it.

Through the different accounts of this fairy tale that Saki loves, we understand the complex and deep realities of the several adults in her life – and the interplay between them – which lead us to insights about the experience of bringing up children in present-day Sri Lanka.