Rag: Get into campus life!
Every year a large number of young Sri Lankans enter state universities, fortune having smiled on them in free education. They come from different backgrounds, they want different things in life and they don’t know each other-yet in their hearts is one common fear.
It’s what keeps them awake the night before that terrifying first day. How will I face the ragging?
Joseph, a regular Colombo boy and dreamer at heart enters university determined to finally be the one to stand up against it.
The world is black and white for young Joe, but what he does not expect is to be confronted by Peter, a senior and leader of the pro-ragging faction who also happens to be a childhood friend. Peter and Joseph’s childhood friendship is no more due to certain mysterious circumstances of the past, which take a bit of unravelling to reveal.
Pic by Shehal Joseph
Joseph meets his batchmates; the Elvis-obsessed village boy Namal; the quiet but spirited Michelle; flamboyant young Tom who makes it his business to know of everyone; and Natasha, the university’s radical ‘it girl’ and Peter’s girlfriend. Joseph becomes fast friends with Namal and Tom, who manoeuvre him through the many pitfalls of the university system and keep him on the right side of the raggers. But trouble is brewing within the university and Joe and his friends are caught up in the midst, because the anti-ragging faction has had enough of the peace talks and is about to fight fire with fire.
‘Rag: the musical’ was inspired by a series of events set in the backdrop of playwright Jehan Aloysius’s university days. Entering local university with strong ideals, Jehan discovered that it was a tricky business to speak out against something that was never spoken about. “Ragging was something that everybody had to go through. But no one ever dared to speak about it. It was an unwritten rule in university,” he remembers.
So he wrote about it. For two years, Jehan would go home from lectures to put down what he and his batchmates went through, and in the end emerged a story where the lines between fact and fiction are so blurred one almost doesn’t know where one stops and the other begins.
The complex emotions and relationships in Rag are told through song and dance. Oh, but the music and the moves. The 30-strong cast of Rag twirl and high-kick their way through numbers ranging from the soulful ‘Power of One’ to the action-packed ‘There’s a Rumpus (in the Campus)’.
The music was composed by Jehan and performed by good friend (and university batch mate) Avanti Perera. Jehan is famously illiterate when it comes to writing music. “I never bothered to learn either,” he grins. “I somehow felt like learning the notes would limit me in terms of where I can go with the music. Of course, I’m blessed in Avanti who has performed all my music for me since university. She’s my muse.”
Living up to that catechism is no easy business. Avanti Perera, on whom Natasha’s character is loosely based, is modestly flippant about it. “I’ve always said that if only Jehan could write music I’d be of no use to him at all!” she smiles. “But we work well together. We started working on Rag somewhere in 2001-Jehan would hum the melody to me and I would write it down and play it back to him.” After that they’d improve on it, she adds; Jehan stating exactly what he wants in that famous no-nonsense manner of his.
On the character she inspired in the play, Avanti is noncommittal. “Having seen the character develop, I have to say that it’s very loosely based around me,” she says. But as for the radical clothing the play’s got it completely accurate, we’re told. In the play, Natasha-despite the many challenges she faces remains strong willed and brave. It’s no wonder then that Avanti seems to be secretly pleased about the character, even picking out Natasha’s solo as her favourite number in the musical.
Contributing to the musical arrangements in Rag are Eshantha Peiris and Deshan Cooray; together they’ve conjured up some magical numbers. A fine example of many is ‘Mother’s Lullaby’, a heart rending rendition of a parent’s love by Joe’s mother. Or ‘Love at First Sight’, when love is in the university air for Joe.
There is something of Broadway in Rag-to be expected, considering its status as a musical. Rag does have its fair share of emotional highs and some raucous numbers for effect. Yet at the same time, Rag handles its theme with a rarely found sensitivity. If you’re expecting a preachy, holier-than-thou evening, you’re in for a surprise. Instead, the musical will guide you through the ups and downs of a university student’s life, highlighting the pitfalls of ragging; yet at the same time reminding you that it’s not all black and white.
Expect to be shocked, prepare to be horrified and anticipate much laughter. But more importantly remember to be open minded, because Rag is going to make you think very, very hard.
‘Rag- the musical’ will be staged at the Lionel Wendt theatre from October 19-23 at 7.30 p.m. The principal sponsor is Cargills One Trust. Print Media sponsors are the Sunday Times, Daily Mirror and Hi!! Magazine. Tickets are now available at the Wendt.
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