Laughter’s the best medicine; these docs and medicos should know!
View(s):
(L-r) Dr. Isha Prematilleke, Dr. Chitranga Kariyawasan and Dr. Sankha Randenikumara in ‘Sereppuwe Bale’
Leaving behind their microscopes, stethoscopes and books, a small mix of doctors and medical students will take to the stage to show off their talents in acting on January 13 and 14 at the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre in Borella.
They will be presenting the rib-tickling comedy ‘Laughter the Best Medicine’ which comprises four short plays portraying characters that people meet in their day-to-day lives, which would create ripples but also have a clear take-home message.
This is a not-for-profit venturing onto the stage, says Consultant Haematologist Dr. Chitranga Kariyawasan who is attached to the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital, adding that all proceeds are for the Haemophilia Association of Sri Lanka.
‘Laughter, the Best Medicine’ will include the three plays, ‘Kopi with Kamala’, ‘Natalie Patali’ and ‘Trip Eka’, which are 10 minutes each, while the fourth would be the 12-minute ‘Sereppuwe Bale’.
The six-member cast comprises Dr. Kariyawasan, Consultant Histopathologist Dr. Isha Prematilleke who is attached to the Sri Jayewardenepura University’s Faculty of Medical Sciences and Medical Officer-in-Charge of the Amugoda Primary Medical Care Unit, Elpitiya, Dr. Sankha Randenikumara, and medical students of the Sri Jayewardenepura University Madhusha Liyanage, Tharindu Wickremasinghe and Sachith Francis.
‘Kopi with Kamala’, mimicking a television talk is mostly in English with snippets in Sinhala, ‘Natali Patali’ depicting a woman who responds to an advertisement placed by a medical clinic; ‘Trip Eka’ about the antics of a patient in a mental hospital; and ‘Sereppuwe Bale’, a comic satire on the current political scene are all in ‘Singlish’, says Dr. Kariyawasan.
On the first day (January 13), the plays will be interspersed with a musical interlude by the Past Musaeites Choir led by Kalani Kulathilaka and a dance item by sisters Madhusha and Uvini Liyanage, while on the second day (January 14) it will be Flame which provides the music in-between.
The three doctors are not amateurs, having been on stage in many productions not only when they were in school but also acting out skits and plays before their peers, the medical fraternity, during the very popular Doctors’ Concert of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA), for more than a decade.
“We write our own scripts,” says Dr. Kariyawasan, adding that it was veteran actor Indu Dharmasena who brought her to the stage when she was still a schoolgirl at St. Bridget’s Convent. Dr. Prematilleke too had begun acting in school and is a talented artist and singer.
An original play among the many written by Dr. Kariyawasan and Dr. Prematilleke is ‘The Proposal’, with the storyline revolving around a widow who is desperate to get her only daughter married and sets her sights on an elderly surgeon. Eventually, however, it is the widow herself who hits it off with the surgeon. Another is ‘MCQ’ (the acronym for multiple choice questions) looking at the hilarious stuff that occurs during such an examination in medical school, as observed by the teachers.
Medical students take the stage: Madhusha Liyanage, Sachith Francis and Tharindu Wickremasinghe
Picking out two more original comedies in their repertoire, Dr. Kariyawasan says ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’ is about two friends having affairs with the other’s spouse and get a reality check through a soothsayer, while ‘Mistaken Identity’ is the chaos that results when a mix-up occurs of a wife and a mistress.
With many an encore for them during the SLMA concerts, they felt it was a pity that a wider audience could not see their creativity and this is why they have decided to become “adventurous for a cause” and go before the public.
Seeing the medical students’ talents during performances at the faculty, they roped them in and the group have been practising every weekend, so as not to disrupt their work and studies during the week, over the past five-six months.
For all of them what Dr. Kariyawasan says seems to ring true – “Medicine is our love, but acting is our passion.”
So, to see these doctors and medical students in different and funny roles, head to the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre on January 13 and 14 not only to have a laugh but also to help a worthy cause.
| ‘Laughter the Best Medicine’ will go on the boards of the Namel Malini Punchi Theatre on January 13 and 14 (Saturday and Sunday) at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at Rs, 1,500, Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 750 (reserved) and Rs. 500 (balcony unreserved). For the Box Plan and tickets, please contact Dr. Kariyawasan on Mobile: 0777891983.
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