Arts
A ‘new look’ Tommiya returns
George Cooke
As a child, Indu Dharmasena was the oldest cousin in the family. Therefore, at every family gathering the task of keeping the younger cousins quiet fell to him. “If they shouted, I would get in trouble. So I started acting like a small child and talking in funny voices, which kept them quiet. When I later developed the character of Tommy, I based him on that,” Indu recalls.
Tommy has had many successful outings over the years, and is now ready to take the stage yet again in ‘Madai Tommiya Shooting Giya’ next weekend. Originally staged in 2000, the play will be slightly revised to keep up with the times.
We meet Tommy as assistant to his mentor ‘Andana Silva’ when Andana is asked to do the hair and make-up for a film, directed by Zara Chan, which is being shot out of Colombo at the ‘Sehenaya’ guest house, owned by Kapila Kotagaha. The guest house is close to shutting down and the arrival of the film crew seems a lifeline. All Zara and Kapila want is for the film to go smoothly. However, a flirtatious film star, her overprotective fiancé, a celebrity and an infuriated neighbour make life very difficult for Zara and Kapila. To make matters worse, Tommy is expected to take part in the film when it is learnt that a cast member is unable to play his role. This sets the scene for a story full of misunderstandings, mistaken identities and unexpected plot twists.
Tommy, played by Indu, is a country bumpkin being trained to act as a gentleman. A straightforward, honest character who misunderstands everything he is told, Indu feels that Tommy gives him an opportunity to express himself. “I say things through the character which I can’t say in real life,” quips Indu. Training him in the ways of a gentleman is Andana Silva. “He’s a genuine character who helps people for the sake of helping,” says Anushan Selvarajah, who plays Andana.
Sashini Wakwella, who plays Zara Shan, feels that her character is not as important as she thinks she is. “She thinks she’s a high end director creating revolutionary films but she’s not,” says Sashini. Sharini Mendis’s character of Melody helps Zara. “She is Zara’s confidante – the one who handles every crisis on set and tries to ensure that everything goes well,” says Sharini.
Sahini Wakwella
Suranee, played by Sanwada Dharmasena, is the flirtatious actress who ‘makes a fuss at everything’ says Sanwada. Her fiancé, Mohan is suspicious of Suranee and his presence complicates matters further. “When he comes on the set of the film, other characters must hide certain things from him,” says Jaliya Wijewardene, who plays Mohan.
In stark contrast to Suranee is Manushika. “She’s an actress who hasn’t let her fame get to her,” says Ruwendi Wakwella describing her character. Kishan, played by George Cooke is an entirely different story altogether. “He’s a famous actor who thinks highly of himself and always focuses on maintaining his image,” says George.
Yasal Ruhunage says that his character of Kapila Kotagaha is faced with many issues. “He has turned his ancestral home into a guest house and needs to quash rumours of his guest house being of ill-repute while managing the demands of having the cast of as his guests,” says Yasal. Constantly getting in his way is Nimalka, his angry neighbour. “She’s a snobbish character who finds the fact that Kapila has turned his ancestral home into a guest house almost offensive and aims to shut it down,” says Sulo Perera.
The many twists in the story do not detract from the main issue, Indu is confident. “The main question in the play is whether Tommy is able to play a part in the film or not.” This show will be as funny as every other play in the ‘Tommy’ series, Indu assures.
Anushan Selvarajah
Indu Dharmasena
Sanwada Dharmasena
Jaliya Wijewardene
Yasal Ruhunage
Sharini Mendis
Sulo Perera. Pix by Anuradha Bandara
Indu Dharmasena’s ‘Madai Tommiya Shooting Giya’ is on October 21, 22 and 23 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre at 7.30 p.m. Tickets priced at Rs.1500, Rs. 1200, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 (balcony – unreserved) are available at the venue. The show on October 21 is presented by the Bamunuarachchi Foundation. All proceeds from this show will go towards constructing the Operating Theatre Complex at the Homagama Base Hospital.