  Laughing all the Way
by Nilma Dole
If you enter the "Bengal
Bungalow", you will quickly find that everyday isn't a day like
yesterday. Or even today would be like tomorrow. As confusing as things
might be, mark our words, you've never found a more confusing place than
that at the "Bengal Bungalow". Three nights of Bengal madness and a
Bungalow mirth indeed sent the audience into peals of laughter and
trying hard to keep a straight face after the mayhem.
A rerun of the
2004 "Bengal Bungalow" drama this year, saw many newcomers on the
dramatic scene with plenty of youthful action that would sure to blow
you into pieces...literally!
The "Bengal Bungalow" isn't easily reachable so one has to cross a
thick jungle to get to it. With his sweetheart Lily in mind, that is
just what adventurer Charles did notwithstanding her difficult father
and two male-servants.
After reaching there, Charlie is quickly showers with gifts to Lily -
the knitted sort- where she offers him her affections in the form of
socks she made. Her father seems to portray otherwise. So while Charles
and Lily become heavily tangled in the throes of passion, an aeroplane
crash soon finds them wondering if their love would ever consummate.
  Enter John Doe whose real name is Adam Cartwright but Joe only
because Lily told him so in a bout of amnesia. His presence causes more
madness in the house because Lily soon finds herself attracted to him
rather than to Charles.
However, the "Bengal Bungalow" goes bonkers with
the presence of Father John, a rascal of a thief, a mahout with a female
elephant and Adam's wife Mabel where every character moves the plot into
more mayhem.
The cast performed commendably with scintillating performances by
Anabella as Lily and Dino as Charles with Gerard doing a good impression
as Lily's father. Not forgetting the dynamic butler duo, Trevor Kroon
and Anoop Kapukotuwa who did an amazing job of the stunning stunts and
the 'Chaiya Chaiya' dancing.
According to some theatre-goers, it felt at some points that the
jokes were rather predictable instead of the sudden scenes of comic
action. For example, when Lily put on the face mask she knitted on
Father John, it seemed as if he was going to be mistaken for a thief.
 However, certain instances kept the drama to drag a bit too long which
made it funny like when Lily didn't know that Charles had shot a leopard
instead of Adam when he was running away from her.
However, slapstick comedy never got better in Colombo and it was a
drama worth its weight in gold. Though, the highlight of the show was
when Charles and John Doe were found in bed together which brought
roaring laughter from the audience and definitely caused some ribs to
crack! |
