Theatre for children and youth
Somalatha Subasinghe Play House Kotte presents a three-day theatre festival for children and Youth from August 19 to 21 at Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo.
The three- day festival is part of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ) Asia Meeting held from August 18 to 20 in Colombo.
The festival will feature three plays produced by Somalatha Subasinghe Play House: Punchi Apata Dan Therei (We Know It Now) and Thoppi Velenda (The Hat Seller) on August 19 and ‘ Vikurthi’ (Distortion) both written and directed by Somalatha Subasinghe and ‘Dutu Thena Allanu’ (Wanted) translated and directed by Kaushalya Fernando.
All three plays are semi-musical and production style of the plays has been developed so as to give the audiences an aesthetic journey of entertainment.
Based on famous international folk tales ‘Punchi Apata Den Therei’ (We Know it Now) and ‘Toppi Velenda’ (The Hat Seller), the play is produced with the objective to instil in children, a sense of basic art forms and a pride in our own culture as well as to promote the importance of the institution of family and its values.
The cast includes Wickrama Seneviratne, Dilum Buddhika, Saviour Kanishka, Thilakshini Ratnayake, Geetha Alahakoon, Chamara Gamaathige, Sameera Lakmal Wimalasiri Mayura Perera, Pramod Edirisinghe, Dilip Kumara Koralage, Susith Ishantha and Kesara Hasarinda.
Produced in 1982, ‘ Vikurthi’ (Distortion) is a satirical exposure of a hapless generation of youth whose lives were dominated by an incessant struggle between the parents’ aspirations and the youth’s abilities and preferences. Since 2015 ‘ Vikurthi’ is a prescribed text for GCE O/L Drama and Theatre and thus the festival provides a valuable opportunity for students to watch the play as part of their studies.
Vikurthi cast includes Kaushalya Fernando, Mayura Perera, Prasannajith Abeysuriya, Geetha Alahakoon, Kumudu Wickramathanthri, Thilakshini Ratnayake, Saviour Kanishka, Dilum Buddhika, Yashodha Rasanduni, Renuka Liyanage, Chamara Gamaathige, Sameera Lakmal Wimalasiri and Hasarinda Kesara.
Choreography is by Somalatha Subasinghe and Chandana Aluthge. Stage lighting design is also by Chandana Aluthge.
The latest drama production presented to us by Kaushalya Fernando, ‘Dutu Thena Allanu’ is a satirical representation of a decadent, sociopolitical scenario. Dutu Thena Allanu is an adaptation of Opera Wonyosi by Nobel Prize-winning dramatist and poet Wole Soyinka.
‘Dutu Thena Allanu’ is Kaushalya Fernando’s third theatrical production at national level.
Music direction is by Chinthaka Jayakody and lighting design and choreography are by Chandana Aluthge. Costumes and stage props are by Thisara Imbulana. The cast includes Dhanushka Dias, Shanaka Fernando, Thilakshini Ratnayake, Mayura Perera, Nilanka Dahanayake, Saviour Kanishka, Yashoda Rasanduni, Poojana Dandeniya, Dilum Buddhika, Kumudu Wickramathanthri, Chamara Gamaethige, Thilina Perera, Gyathri Ekanayake, Thiwanka Don Ranasinghe, Sameera Lakmal Wimalasiri, Duminda Sandaruwan and Hasarinda Kesara Liyanaarachchi.