New look Freddy had its spirited moments
The row behind us at the crowded Lionel Wendt Theatre burst into laughter. In fact the energy that Thursday (Oct. 18) evening was so palpable that you’d feel your chair being pushed or the floor thumping every minute.
Newcomers to Freddy: Shannon Misso and Yasas Rathnayake (right). Pix by Anush De Costa
An evening of stand-up comedy ‘Freddy 3 – A new hope’, looked to delight audiences with its satirical messages. Did it succeed? Well the audience certainly seemed to think so.
If you had been to one of the previous Freddy shows, some of the jokes may have sounded a little repetitive. Nevertheless, the social/ political issues that writer/ director Feroze Kamardeen addressed were current and hit home pretty hard.
Starting things off was Nisal Katipearachchi who pointed out that his last name was hard to spell (the key to spelling it properly is to stalk his Facebook page). It was Katipearachchi’s first time on stage having gradually risen from the ranks of backstage crew. His jabs at the media were a definite crowd pleaser, like the launch of the ‘Bye’ magazine, a parody of the HI! magazine that targeted funerals, divorces and affairs as its core advertising avenues.
“We have learnt that explosions are like potato crisps. They don’t stop at one.” You wouldn’t find many comedians who’d dare mention, let alone joke about growing up in a war zone. But this didn’t deter Adin Mathitharan who growing up amidst the shelling and gunshots like the thousands of civilians trapped in a theatre of war, led a different life to the majority of those in the audience that evening.
Perhaps, that’s why his opening lines did not receive the laughter they deserved (or maybe it was due to a sense of guilt). But as his set picked up, Adin managed to show that living in a war zone had its comic moments. One of the biggest problems they faced was the inability to enjoy an ice cream (because only a certain “dictator” had access to electricity), he quipped.
Deep down, Adin’s set was entwined with the need for equality in Sri Lanka’s ever evolving multi- cultural society. “Our dream is not about having a part of Sri Lanka, it’s about having a voice in all of Sri Lanka.”
Dino Corera who followed with a carefully crafted political roast made a sweeping declaration that a certain ‘f’ word wouldn’t be used in his segment. Instead, he would replace it with the word ‘Faluda’. We won’t be seeing faluda in quite the same way after this.
Perhaps a most common conversation starter in Sri Lanka involves politics. You’d find many quite frustrated with the way the country is being run. Or, as Dino puts it “Kathawa Raju, Wade kaju.” Yet, despite the criticisms it still remains a mystery as to how you’d see the same faces in power after every election “(#kajupalanaya).”
Dino’s act was certainly a tough one to follow. But Shannon Misso, Ifaz Bin Jameel and Yasas Rathnayake rose to the occasion (probably quite literally in Yasas’s case).
Despite this being Shannon’s first time under the ‘Freddy’ banner (strangely the production’s first female comedian) she owned the stage with her confidence. She also proved to be a champion for the Josephians, with her many jabs at the Peterites and their love for all kinds of “journeys” in the classroom.
Although Shannon’s set touched on some hard hitting topics that revolved around feminism, her role wasn’t utilized to the fullest. There was certainly room for more. She ended with a wish for all women to be born into a society with equal opportunities, “Where we can buy whatever we want like coconuts or coconut arrack.”
Ifaz and Yasas proved to be the perfect acts to close the show. Their comedic, yet subtle lines embodied everything ‘Freddy 3’ had portrayed that evening in a nutshell. And that was to promote racial harmony and above all a better Sri Lanka.
“Cherish your Sri Lankan identity, don’t leave home without it.” This was the parting message that kept ringing in the ears of the slightly tired, yet spirited audience that walked out of the Wendt.