Of everyday people
When AnandaDrama performed “Grease Yaka” four years ago, not even the cast and directors realised the full potential of the production until the literal last minute. “Everybody changed during that process,” remembers Dinoo Wickramage. The devised production based on a timely phenomenon went on to mark the beginning of AnandaDrama’s journey into devised theatre. Next week Grease Yaka is back on Colombo’s stage in their newest production “Grease Yaka Returns”
The previous production saw its ominously greasy munchkin slithering through the different stories that tied together the play. The final product of an 8 month long devised process, the play’s then director Ruwanthie de Chickera realized that the cast kept coming back to morbid themes, laughs Thilina Udayaratne . The end product was then a socio-political satire that sparked a discussion about fear- both individual and communal. Wrapped in its own brand of maniacal humour, the memorable production was one that the cast and crew always wanted to bring back to the stage.
Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
This time around “Grease Yaka Returns” will follow the previous discussion of fear, diving further into the consequences of social phobia and touching on the often underestimated, everyday situations and people that feed fear and phobias.
When Dmitri Gunathilake sat in the audience at the first Grease Yaka, the sheer creativity behind the production stayed with her over the next four years. Together with Sabreena Niles and Amaya Fernando the three actresses are new to the Grease Yaka cast along with Dinoo. “I was on stage only for five minutes,” as a caricatured smothering Sri Lankan mother. But it was a memorable role for Dinoo -“everything we did was created by us”.
“The first time around we explored fear,” Dinoo explains. Although this production marks the sequel to the first production, “Grease Yaka Returns” is one that doesn’t require too much background or context to draw new audiences. Rather than an expose, the cast are working on capturing the intensity of fear and its unpredictability. From a self-conscious private university student to an established government servant, the ply tracks the effect of fear through very current, familiar faces we see every day. While Amaya’s character may struggle with gender based fear, some, such as Sabreena and Dmitri’s characters are driven by anxieties that are more universal. While delving into topics such as ethnicity and violence, “Grease Yaka Returns” does not forget even the most ordinary- such as the mother-daughter relationship between Dmitri and Dinoo’s characters. With their own truths and equally significant voices of reason, the otherwise difficult relationship is typical of mothers and daughters.
Each group of actors and actresses brings multiple themes to light. The secret behind the show’s captivative multiple storyline is the fact that it is ensemble driven- each performer bringing different energies and nuances to the overall performance. With over the three months of devising under their belt the ladies of Grease Yaka Returns divulge- “fear is something that you or someone else puts into you”.
The trio comprising of Thilina Udayaratne, Eraj Gunawardena and Nandun Dissanayake may seem like a regular group of young men. On stage, they become the play’s chaotic mischief makers- like a warped Shakespearean fairy but sinister, mysterious and frighteningly real. But they call themselves “the Opportunists”.
Keeping with their namesake, the three old Anandians first got into their opportunistic shoes for the first production where they literally ran riot throughout the production.
The previous group of opportunists were an organized group of troublemakers explains Nandun. This time around however, their characters are much more abstract, making their dramatic task much harder than before and reflecting the play’s more universal appeal. When the play hits the boards next week you might find them lurking around the corner of even the ordinary situation. The group is so immersed in their developing script that they themselves find themselves questioning the comings and goings of the everyday people in their own lives. But the play isn’t all intensity- bringing its own flavour of ridiculous humour as an unconventional dark comedy which is rivetingly Sri Lankan.
AnandaDrama presents Grease Yaka Returns from August 17-19 at the Lionel Wendt Theater. Tickets priced at Rs. 800 (balcony) 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000 and will be available at the Lionel Wendt