Akuna strikes new dramatic note at Lionel Wendt
A poignant moment: Minimal sets but maximum action. Pix by Mahesh Wickramasinghe
It is a play not to be missed, says Founder and Artistic Director of the Workshop Players, Jerome De Silva, of the Lionel Wendt Workshop Players’ first original play ‘Akuna’ that goes on the boards at the Wendt from March 11 to 13.
Sitting in the front row of the Lionel Wendt with his voice echoing across the empty theatre, (that he hopes will be full for the shows), Jerome paints a moving picture of what to expect from the tri-lingual musical drama that has been in the works for the last two years.
“After six months of learning from practitioners, we decided it was time to write a play and we sat down, brainstormed and did it. It’s like a fable. You get the familiar historical characters like Ashoka, Kuveni, Maha Sona, Kashapya and all that but they are not them. We also have characters that you may recognise from this day and age as well,” he shares. Part political-satire (“just a tad”), the play is highly entertaining and full of humour, he says.
The Lionel Wendt Workshop Players was inaugurated in June 2019 as a collaboration between the Lionel Wendt Memorial Fund and the Workshop Players with the goal of giving back to the public by creating a drama academy for aspiring actors from all walks of life. Inspired by a theatre great of yesteryear Dhamma Jagoda, Jerome realised that theatre needed a guiding push to foster the next great line of actors.
To give his budding thespians a rounded understanding of the craft, Jerome, starting with Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht, and Laban has worked on acting techniques, character development, visual dramaturgy and much more. All these different styles including shades of Shakespeare will be featured in Akuna.
Director: Jerome De Silva
There were disagreements over the script, he chuckles; he would write it in English and ask his students to translate and there would be little fights over it. Ever-evolving, it is taking on a life of its own with each rehearsal he says.
Choreography plays an important part along with the music as he says what inspired him to write Akuna was the way the Broadway hit ‘Hamilton’ drew out younger audiences with its fresh new spin on musical theatre. “The audience for Sinhala theatre is dying and we want to bring back the young people. And to do that, we had to do something extraordinary. So, with that vision in mind, that is what we did.”
“Pothey hatiyata neveyi” he says adding that the choreography mixes both modern contemporary and traditional elements. There will be hip-hop, rap and the blues, all in Sinhala. Everything is written from scratch.
Written by Jerome de Silva and Mahesh Wickramasinghe, Akuna is directed and choreographed by Jerome, with Indika Lakmal as assistant choreographer. The music is by Amila Wijerathne and Praboda Buddipriya. Predominantly in Sinhala with narration in Tamil and English as well, the programme will carry the script in both English and Sinhala for audience members who would like to peruse it later. Just over two hours, the play has an intermission in between.
“People always ask me why I prefer to do my productions at the Wendt when the stage seems so small but the thing is, I know how to make it big,” says the veteran director. Akuna has a cast of 72 with 42 scenes happening in rapid succession.
The set itself is minimal with black platforms and the costumes too with an embellishment here and there. Projections and LED screens help change the scenes with striking backgrounds.
The new generation: A section of the large cast
The pandemic having hampered sponsorships, Jerome was on the verge of scrapping the LED screens idea as it would be over budget but being a great believer in the power of prayer he says the answer to his prayers was Nimal Bulathsinhala of Nimal Super Light who had come to look at the lighting requirements at Jerome’s request. Seeing the Lionel Wendt Workshop Players rehearse and hearing Jerome’s unfulfilled plans, Nimal generously donated the LED screens.
With Akuna, Jerome hopes to foster greater interest in Sinhala theatre especially as the majority of the Lionel Wendt Workshop Players are passionate about it. “ This is not just a pastime or hobby for them. They are so passionate and dedicated to it. For them, the epitome of performing is to perform at the Lionel Wendt stage and now it is an opportunity for them to do so.”
Akuna opens on March 11 with a 7 p.m. show. On March 12 and 13 there will be two shows at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.The box plan for the show opens on Tuesday March 1 with tickets priced at Rs. 3000, 2000, 1000 and Rs. 500 (unreserved balcony seats).
| More to come: Exhibition, festival of plays | |
| There’s more to look forward to from the Lionel Wendt Workshop Players. From March 8 – 20, the Lionel Wendt will host an exhibition of arts by the LW Workshop Players featuring their sculptures, photography, performance art and more from 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. each day.A festival of plays featuring these Workshop Players performing their own original short plays will also take place from March 16 – 20 (except on the 17th). |
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.