‘Balloth Ekka’ completes 500 shows
View(s):One of the longest running stage production “Balloth Ekka baa” will be staged its special 500th and final show for the year on Friday, December 13 at 7.00 pm at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo 7. Directed by young playwright Ravindra Ariyarathne, the play is one of the great successes in the Sri Lankan theatre in the recent history. “When I complete the drama script I realised that it has strong humour and would at least run for 100 shows. But it went for 500 shows with still in much demand,” Ravindra Ariyaratne said.
“The humour is created through hide and disguise. That is the main success of this play and in fact we have a tagline for the play ‘a story of hide and disguise’,” the young playwright said. Started on September 17, 2009, the play had journey throughout the country and a number of shows around the world.
Ariyaratne thinks that a play should have a depth while it should also be understood by any audience. “A drama can play an important role in the society,” he said while adding the playwright should be honest to his creation. A student from Nakkawatta National College, Kuliyapitiya, Ravinda graduated from Kelaniya University and presently works at the Government Film Unit. Before the producing ‘Balloth Ekka Behe’ Ravindra had been playing every role behind the screen in the stage.
He thanked Sugath Jayasinghe, the proprietor of Asle J. Lanka Computer Training Institute who took up the challenge of producing the drama. “He came forward when there was no one to financially support the drama,”. He was grateful to the play organiser Jude Srimal who also took the challenge to take the drama around the country. “This journey would have been impossible without Jude SRimal,” Ravindra said.