What better than a day at the spa to catch up on the latest happenings and gossip?
What with a more than usually wacky bunch of health fanatics, an insurance man turned overzealous fitness instructor embroiled in a crisis, and an unexpected visitor, Roland Dickerby’s spa sees quite a bit more than what its clients bargained for.
A seemingly normal day at the spa turns into a right royal mess, while clients and staff try desperately to run for cover in Cover it Please! – the latest comedy to be produced by S. Thomas’ College, set to take the stage of the Lionel Wendt on March 28 and 29 at 7.30 pm.
With a week left before the big day, craziness has become a significant part of their routine – tottering around uncertainly in stilettos, dragging stockings on, fluffing out wigs and adding the final touches to their make up before rehearsing, the nutty bunch have become dab hands at what they do and are every bit as crazy as the characters they play.
“I will definitely miss this lot,” says Vinod Senadheera their director. “We have been through a lot of fun together over the years and Cover it Please! is no different.
I don’t think we have ever been this crazy, but a little craziness and eccentricity is needed in a production like this. And what with the traditional drama queens and actors who specialise in terrorising those who play female roles, no two practices are the same and we have a lot of fun!”
“And we will definitely miss working with Vinod,” agree cast members Minura Mallawarachchi, Jehan Gunasekera, Ashwin Schaffter and Sachin David. “Despite the perfectionism and strict discipline, he has been a really great director, and he even makes an allowance for all our craziness!”
“In fact the madness adds to the spirit of Cover it Please! and helps keep up the momentum,” enthuses Vinod. “The drama, while sticking to standards, is not primarily for commercial value but also for the boys to learn something. To take something with them once the drama has been performed,” he adds. True to the Thomian drama tradition of producing a comedy a year, Cover it Please! follows the success of Playing Doctor and Tons of Money.
Typical of farce, Cover it Please! has its bawdy moments. “But we have decided to leave those moments open to the interpretation of the audience without forcing the humour on them,” explains Vinod.
“We have all become really close, and it has come to a point where we look forward to coming for practices- where we can just let go and have the time of our lives!” smiles Ranshan Gomez, summing up the experience of his final drama at school level.
As with any comedy, Cover it Please! has had its challenges in the course of production. “One of the difficulties we had,” explains Shanil Wijesinha, “was to keep the Sri Lankan mannerisms out and in some cases, to get accents right.” Whatever the challenges though, this talented bunch have seen them through, and they eagerly look forward to bringing you their latest rib tickling effort.
Cover it Please! is sponsored by The Sunday Times and Art TV. Tickets priced at Rs. 500,400 and 300 are available at the college office, the Lionel Wendt and The Bay Leaf.
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