No Return - Aapahu Harenna Bae

by Maneshka Borham

Multiple national award winning drama, 'Aapahu Harenna Bae' (No Return) was once again staged at the Lionel Wendt. A creation of the renowned dramatist and director, Rajitha Dissanayake, the play revolves around a somewhat idealist government servant, having come back from a foreign land, and a state controlled media information centre. While the main theme of the play focuses on the strict control of information by a state, during the war, according to the creator of the play, it goes beyond, drawing experiences from the troubled times of 1988 in Sri Lanka, the various murders reported during the time and the post war period where lifestyle and economic changes begin to take place.

Despite being first staged in 2009, the drama still successfully relates to the current day in its many aspects, making it a must see for all theatre goers. Dealing with a wife who wishes they had stayed abroad, the main character played by Shyam Fernando is that of an idealist who wishes to contribute to the development of his country. However, facing various obstacles at work and having to promote the interests and agendas of others, he becomes disillusioned. Trouble reigns at home too, due to the various demands of his wife for a better and more comfortable life for the family. With the sudden and unexpected demise of his boss, he returns to work only to once again face disappointment. His struggle to keep certain information secret from his wife, and his close friendship with a female co-worker is yet another underlying feature in the play.

Dissanayake allows each character an opportunity to speak about his hopes, dreams and fears, while successfully capturing the inner workings of offices, lesser known to the public. The way each staff member reacts in difficult and demeaning situations, is unthinkable, though in fact, such reactions and decisions are a common occurrence.

Although dealing with a sensitive and serious subject matter, Dissanayake successfully manages to insert humour into the play, to keep the audience engaged, especially, through the character played by popular actor Dharmapriya Dias, who drew a huge round of applause from the audience at curtain call. While the cast has changed since the first staging, with the notable absence of the original members, Saumya Liyanage and Bimal Jayakody, the play still features a popular cast consisting of the talented Gihan Fernando, Jayani Senanayake, Shyam Fernando, Dharmapriya Dias, W. Jayasiri, Nadeeshani Peliarachchi and Prasad Sooriyaarachchi. The acting leans towards a more realistic approach, as confirmed by the director, than traditional stage plays. Although the approach seemed natural and believable, the usual marvel and sense of awe felt by the viewer seemed somewhat lacking.

Nevertheless, the performance by the cast makes up for it. Despite the good voice tone, unfortunately at times it did not reach the audience in the balcony and left viewers straining their ears to make out what was being said.

Aaphu Harenna Bae gives viewers food for thought, while drawing large crowds to the theatre, similar to the other works of the dramatist. In 2009, the acclaimed play won awards for Best Play, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress at the State Drama Festival, and it was also performed at the Cairo International Theatre in Egypt.