Sunday Times 2
“Alokayano” Passion Play in Kotte
View(s):Colombo will witness a Passion Play with a difference when “Alokayano”, which could be translated as “Christ our Light”, is staged in the sprawling playground of St. Thomas’ College, Kotte, behind the parish church.
Award winning screen actress Veena Jayakody, a devout parishioner of St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte who will play the role of Mary Magdalene and popular actor Jihan Srikanth Appuhamy plays Jesus Christ. The cast of over 250 comprising parishioners of St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte, and selected talent from the Colombo region have been working hard attending stage drama workshops on a daily basis under the watchful eye of Choreography Director Sunil Costa.
Alokayano to be staged on Palm Sunday evening, March 29 at 6.30 p.m. at St. Thomas’ College Grounds, Kotte, will utilise modern sound and lighting techniques to highlight Christ redeeming humankind through his passion, death and resurrection.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith will grace the occasion as Chief Guest while Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka Pierre Nguyen Van Tot, will be among the Guests of Honour.
The Executive Producer of Alokayano is Very Rev. Fr. Anthony Fernandopulle, parish priest of St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte while the production coordinator is Rev. Fr. Sachitha KelumJayalath, Assistant parish priest, St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte.
The production has Ajantha Alahakoone as Art Director, Milroy Dharmarathne as Music Director with Kasun Liyanage and Nuwan Liyanage as music and lyric composers. Anthony Adolphus and Anjalie Jayasinghe, will lead the vocals backed by a 60-member choir.
The parish community of St. Thomas’ Kotte is well known for their devotion to the Blessed Mother even today, a fact corroborated by the annual celebration of the May feast felicitating the Mother of God which is preceded by a month-long daily recitation of the Holy Rosary in their homes culminating in a colourful procession along the streets of Kotte bearing the life-size statue of the Blessed Mother upon an illuminated, floral-decked chariot.
St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte was also the nerve centre for the beatification and canonisation of the first Saint of Sri Lanka St. Joseph Vaz, as its Secretary was none other than Very. Rev. Fr. Anthony Fernandopulle, the Episcopal Vicar of Colombo South region and parish priest of St. Thomas’ Church, Kotte. Greatly inspired by the pioneering effort of St. Joseph Vaz, who introduced the staging of the passion play in the Vanni in 1706, the parish community of St. Thomas’, Kotte, is staging the Passion Play in Colombo, as a tribute to St. Joseph Vaz and as an act of gratitude to God for giving Sri Lanka its first Saint.
The script has been written by Sunil Costa and Ajith Mendis under the guidance of versatile stage drama script writer Very Rev Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, National Director for Social Communications. Costumes and make up are by Wasantha Vittachi while stage design is under the direction of Senior Professor Suanda Sagara Jayasinghe of the University of Moratuwa. The creative department will be manned by Ruwan Malith Peiris, Jihan Srikanth Appuhamy and Nuwan Liyanage.
Entrance is free of charge.
-Trevor Ludowyke