Celebrating Jude Srimal’s forty years journey in Sri Lankan theatre
Celebrating 40 years in Sri Lankan theatre as a producer and director, Jude Srimal, presents a festival of dramas with a rare opportunity to experience some of the best yesteryear dramas that were produced in the history of Sri Lankan theatre. The festival “Mata Thaama Hathalihai” (I am still forty) organised by Jude will go on the boards from August 19 to 25 daily at 7 pm at the Lionel Wendt theatre, Colombo.
Starting with Dayananda Gunawardane’s greatest play “Gajaman puwatha” on August 19, Henry Jayasena’s ‘Kuweni’ with a new direction by Prasannajith Abeysuriya will be on August 20, Parakrama Neriella’s “Wangagiriya” scripted by Dharmasena Pathiraja based on the great Bengali writer Rabindranath Thagore’s “Gira Panthiya” will be on August 21, Gunasena Galappaththi’s ever popular play “Muudu Puththu” re-directed by Dr. Deepthi Sagarika Galappaththi, will be on August 22. R. R. Samarakoon’s ever popular play “Kelani Palama” will be staged on August 23, Saimon Navagaththegama’s “Sudu saha Kalu” will be on August 24 and the festival will end with Prof. Ediriweera Sarathchandra’s “Bawakadathurawa” directed by Lalitha Sarathchandra on August 25. Started as an actor in 1978, Jude has played multiple roles in Sri Lankan theatre as a producer, organiser, comic artist and many more.A student of De Mazoned College Kandana, Jude made his maiden attempt in theatre following a newspaper advertisement calling for new play jointly organised by the Children and Cultural Ministry and the German Cultural Centre in 1978.
“The interview was at Sudarshi Centre in Colombo 7 and many young budding artistes who came there ended up creating names for themselves,” says Jude mentioning the names of Jayantha Chandrasiri, Jackson Anthony, Kamal Addararachchi, Chithra Kumari Kalubowila, Rathna Pushpamali and Chintha Shyamalee Dharmawardena.
Drama enthusiast from the school days but never acted in a play, at the screen test Jude was asked to act a role by the panel including German theatre expert Prof. Norbert J. Mayar, Tissa Kariyawasam and O Gamini Silva. Out of hundreds of interviewees, Jude was chosen among around 25 budding stars selected for the play ‘Ane Ablic’. Following this play, Jude was thinking a way to keep the theatre artistes together and he started to organise plays around the country.
Jude was also one of the leading comic artists in the country having drawing and writing comic strips to some of the popular newspapers like ‘Chitra Mitra’. He plays a major role in reviving once dead art with ‘Sathuta’ issued with ‘Lankadeepa’ newspaper now.
“I am so lucky to have my hobbies as my profession,” says Jude contended with his 40 long year journey in theatre and drawing.
Speaking about the financial risk of organising plays, Jude says, “life itself is a risk. There are two ways of facing a risk, either take it or runaway from it. I chose the first,”.
Jude was ever grateful to his beloved wife Priyani Neelakanthi Silva, a mathematics teacher at the Methodist College, Colombo 3 and two children Samindi Anuththara de Silva and Isuru Shivantha de Silva who have been always behind him.
Bawakadathurawa
Wangagiriya
Jude with his family