Charming and startling

By Smriti Daniel Pix by Deshan Tennekoon

You cannot suppress a gurgle of laughter when they first waddle on to the stage – fat and lazy; their white faces are creased sharply into exaggerated lines of greed, anxiety, boredom or vacuous discontent. Dressed in their finery they remind me a little of pigeons pecking away peevishly at each other; squabbling and preening. And so within its first few minutes, Mind Adventures' latest offering manages to both startle and charm me –not least because it is immediately apparent that this was going to be the kind of story I love best. Fantastical, funny and intrinsically moral, Samurai's script was everything a children's play should be.

In the play, written by Geoffrey Case, and directed in this instance by Tracy Holsinger, we are introduced to the good citizens of the ancient city of Utagowa, Japan and informed that they have much to be grateful for. Theirs is a city blessed by the presence of the Golden Samurai Sword. And, as you no doubt have heard, to possess the sword is to possess all things. Yet it is apparent that, even having received all they could possibly desire, these three fat men, and one fat woman lead a curiously passionless existence – nothing need be fought for or slaved over; nothing requires exacting skill or even the least manual labour. And as their brains atrophy, even thinking has become a strain.

In fact, if there is anything in the world that could inspire them to action, it is the possibility that the Golden Samurai sword will be taken from them...and that is precisely what happens. Yuki, the champion who saved the city from famine by braving the Forbidden Forest and bringing the sword to Utagowa, has returned. Only this time, he is intent on returning the sword to its guardians, as was agreed upon a year ago. Not surprisingly, the citizens have changed their minds and now will not countenance the idea, Yuki's sense of honour be damned.

From such humble beginnings unravels a tale of desperate greed, deceit, treachery and murder. Characters are transformed almost beyond recognition, as we discover what even the best of us are capable of under the right circumstances.

The play is saved from being bleak by its consistently humorous dialogue and inherently comic characters. The venue and stage design showcased its young cast to perfection. I had the pleasure of watching a cast which featured Subha Wijesiriwardene as The Empress, Ryan Holsinger as an ineffectual bandit, Brandon Ingram, Wasaam Ismail, Ruvin de Silva, and Nuzreth Jalaldeen as the desperate citizens, Jehan Gunasekera as Yuki and Sulochana Perera as evil incarnate – the ex-Royal Proclamation Reader.

In between watching Brandon mince around while Subha conspired with Jehan and Ryan, listening to Sulochana's blood curdling shrieks, and wincing at Nuzreth's perpetually worried face, it occurred to me that Samurai offered all the exuberant delight of playing pretend. And blessedly, a haunting soundtrack, sophisticated costumes, and the minimalism and versatility of the traditional Japanese Noh stage did not get in the way at all.

Mime and coordinated movement were complemented by flamboyant make-up and well thought out lighting. It was also only fitting that Yuki and The Empress would run, hide and eventually fight for their lives under the stars, and so the play being staged outside in the British Council's lawn paid off (as have many of Mind Adventures' other unusual stages.)

However, I did feel that the occasional scene (such as the one where the Royal Proclamation Reader is stranded in the dungeons with a terrible beast) were somewhat diluted, and could have been more potent.

In the end, it seemed a pity that there were not more children in the audience, though all the adults present seemed to have enjoyed themselves regardless. Fortunately, I for one have never thought courage and honour, villains and heroes, monsters and magic, to be solely the province of the very young; and those of us who are somewhat long in the tooth, who must go to work, and pay our bills, can always find use for a little breathless wonder and make believe on a clear and balmy night.

In the play, written by Geoffrey Case, and directed in this instance by Tracy Holsinger, we are introduced to the good citizens of the ancient city of Utagowa, Japan and informed that they have much to be grateful for. Theirs is a city blessed by the presence of the Golden Samurai Sword.