 The renowned and enterprising Jith Peiris took a few minutes before
the production he directed 'Well Mudaliyar, how?' written by E.M.W.
Joseph to talk about how the drama of today has progressed from its
first ever production 75 years ago. "Way back then we saw drama veterans
like E.C.B. Wijesinghe, Arun Dias Bandaranayake, Indu Dharmasena and
Sampath Sri Nandalochana acting the lead roles impeccably and nothing
much has changed since then," said Peiris. He added, "The traditional
humour and wit that has made us laugh back then still continues to offer
its satire that is prevalent when it comes to how arrogant the Mudaliyar
and the Notary is." The characters of the play encompass the Mudaliyar
and his family, the Notary called Abraham and his family, Alwis, the
Notary's secretary, the Kapuwa and a sister. The Notary is supposedly a
Sinhala intellectual who tries to talk in the posh language known as
English but he translates Sinhala words to English too directly that it
is rib-tickling.
With the likes of Anuruddha Fernando (Notary), Sashi Mendis, Dila
Weerasinghe, Sajith Amendra, Hans Bilimoria, Pasan Ranaweera, Ashini
Fernando and Brandon Ingram, this year's cast has some young blood
flowing through dramatic veins. Talking about why he opted for a cast of
this calibre, Jith Peiris said it is always good to give opportunities
to the newcomers, to give them the platform to shine. "They will always
remember that they were part of the popular production 'Well Mudaliyar,
how?' as they develop their career," he said.
 The set and stage was all the brainchild of Jith Peiris' untiring
efforts to ensure that the real 'Walauwa' type theme is adhered to. "I
wanted it to reflect how the surroundings were in the days gone by" he
said.
On his thoughts about the future of drama, Peiris mentioned, "The
potential of the drama industry in Sri Lanka is massive but only if
there were sponsors to give a helping hand, then this industry would be
bigger and better."
However, Jith has always said the key to being successful in the
drama scene is discipline. "We need to guide the talent coming into the
drama industry properly by ensuring that good disciplinary standards are
maintained and this is how I make sure that the production goes
smoothly" he said.
In a bid to keep the humour of the Mudaliyar alive for generations to
come, the Postal Department will issue a stamp to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of the play this year.
This time proceeds of the production will be in aid of the Rotaract
Club's charity ventures; so no doubt, watching `Well Mudaliyar, how?'
would mean serious fun for a worthy cause. The play went on the boards
at the Bishop's College Auditorium last week entertaining a large
audience. |
