There is nothing really silent about having a silent hand especially
when you make a satirical comedy. Ask Jehan Bastians and Neidra Williams
and they will tell you that theater with their company Silent Hands
Productions can be quite a formidable but rewarding task.
 “We
started in theatre way back in 1997 because Neidra was into acting and I
was music-minded which sparked our dramatic interest”, said Jehan. His
breakthrough saw him take the stage in Jith Peiris’ production ‘Helluva
Christmas in Jamaica’.
Neidra reflects, “I gained a lot of exposure by working with Adam and
his sister Nafeesa because they have the potential to take drama in Sri
Lanka to greater heights”.
They became a fully-fledged company in 2003 and Silent Hands
Productions was born.
“In 2004, Neidra wrote a play called ‘Legend of Excalibur’ which saw
Adam (Mohamed Adamally) taking centre stage” ‘said Jehan.
“We had to commit to our children Lauren and Matthew which meant
taking a break in 2005 and 2006 before we resumed our productions with
‘Yes, Honourable Minister’ in 2007 and ‘Tom, Dick and Harry’ last year”
‘said Neidra.
They said that it wasn’t easy trying to localize major scripts to
suit the Sri Lankan flavour. Everything from the jokes to the puns had
to suit the Sri Lankan aspect where Indu was playing the lead role.
“We invite popular names in our drama industry because it not only
livens up the script and adds value to the cast but we obtain valuable
insights as to how to make our productions more creative” ‘said Neidra.
Last year they directed St. Bridget’s Convent at the Inter-school
Shakespeare drama competition and they won the competition after 12
years with a cast of 12 staging ‘Twelfth Night’.
 This
year, Jehan and Neidra took drama to a whole new level with the sweet
success of their satirical comedy ‘Boeing Boeing’. This production saw
newcomers on stage creating chemistry that got drama patrons asking for
more drama by Silent Hands. Jehan and Neidra emphasize that more
sponsors are needed and it would be worthwhile to have another venue for
drama to be staged besides the Lionel Wendt.
“We also need more female faces in drama because the only ones we
have are going abroad to seek greener pastures” ‘said Neidra. Their
advice to would-be drama enthusiasts is to take a chance. “You need
dedication because doing drama is a tough job” ‘said Neidra.
They say that the drama industry will do well in Sri Lanka because
the mix of great stage directors and playwrights with different styles
will keep the momentum going.
“We also invite anyone who has what it takes to take the stage by
visiting our website ‘www.silent-hands.com’ and work with us” ‘concluded
Neidra. Silent Hands has dates at the Lionel Wendt in December with a
possible play on Christmas and they have some scripts in the pipeline
which they will hope to reveal soon.
- Nilma
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