Young law students to take prosecution to the stage
In 1933, renowned crime writer Agatha Christie published “Witness for the Prosecution”, a short story she had previously written for a weekly publication. Like most of her portfolio of work, it centred around a murder mystery which unfolds through the court proceedings of the case. This month, the “Sri Lanka Law College Drama Circle” present their take on Christie’s thriller after almost a 30-year hiatus from the stage.
“The idea of doing a public performance of an English Drama was proposed by the English Literary Association’s (ELA’s) President of 2017, Senuri Munasinghe,” says the current Secretary of Drama of the ELA and director of the play, Chiranthi Senanayake.
The production marks the second time that the law students will take the stage. The play- focusing on the unravelling of a murder was an ideal choice for the law students who hope to explore criminal law from a creative, dramatic point of view that will also resonate with the theatre goer.
The play has had success on stage and TV – on BBC, CBS and Hallmark. Audiences might also remember watching the play as a now classic black and white 1957 release starring Tyrone Power and Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich.
The play was coincidentally performed the first, and previous time the students of Law College took on a production and starred several now well-known lawyers and thespians such as Mohamed Adamaly and Kalinga Indatissa, PC. “When we were calling lawyers to request help, we were informed that the same play had been done by the students of Law College three decades back. It goes without saying that we were quite shocked mainly because we had a legacy to uphold,” adds Chiranthi.
The technical dialogue woven around complex characterization and the ultimate effect of human emotion and plot twists are shaping to be a challenge the cast and crew are gearing to conquer in the coming weeks. “The message we want to leave with the audience as law students and actors, is that the law is not as black and white as it is laid out in the statutes and the codes. It deals with human emotion, circumstance and experience which makes it a living and dynamic entity,” Chiranthi says.
The Sri Lanka Law College presents “Witness for the Prosecution” on March 15 and 16 from 7 p.m. onwards at the Namel Malani Punchi Theatre, Borella. Tickets priced at Rs. 1000, 750 and 500 will be available at Sri Lanka Law College and at the entrance. For ticket details call 0770700634 (Rs. 750 and 500) or 0712180676 (Rs. 1000).