From ardent passion to infinite punishment. ~ a modest, personal review of "Niyagala Premaya"- sinhala adaptation of "Blood Wedding" [ NO spoiler alert :) !] (c) Anupama Madhubhashinie.
So finally I got an opportunity to see the infamous [or so I heard ;)] Niyagala Premaya, put together by the Acadmic Players, affiliated to the Drama & Theatre, and Image Arts Unit, University of Kelaniya. I must say it definitely did not disappoint.
It wasn't the first time I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the opening soundtrack was; Lahiru Madivila's music is quite popular among the campus-crowd, and it perfectly matched the silhouetted beauty of The Moon, portrayed by Thilini Ruwandika, whose lyrical execution , incorporated with the stage lighting and allocation of props, set a perfect mood for the play.
Blood Wedding is one of my favorite plays, and the depiction of all scenes in "Niyagala Premaya"- which literally means the 'Love of a Flame-Lilly' - in smooth order, did adequate justice to the original. Although there were a few instances that I wished that the extremely enthusiastic actors would slow down so that I could hear their dialogues properly [ I should have dared to venture into the front lines in the auditorium - just sayin' ;) ] it was a good experience overall.
I believe the translator Hemamali Gunasinghe had done a good job in making Lorca's occidental dialogue relevant to our Sinhalese-speaking audiences. It was well noticeable among the dialogues of the Maid, the Moon, and the Brides' Father. I would like to appreciate the direction, sound, and costumes as well. Kudos to the players!
My giggly first year- students had the time of their lives enjoying Yasantha Buddhika's capricious performance as the much-appeased Leonardo. As he is nevertheless considered the Darcy of the Rural Trilogy, I wasn't surprised when the lasses were attracted to the role, despite the convincingly natural performance of Saman Malalasekara as the Groom. :) I, of course, didn't have a favorite among the Men of the play. Being a typical instructor, I preferred both roles equally !
Chandima Karunadasa was the Heroine of the night. Although her persona suits politically rebellions and aggravating characters like Antigone better, she did a wonderful job merging into the soft, yet simultaneously fiery and impassioned role of the Bride, assuring to the spectators that the role is definitely not an ingenue! However, proving that first impressions never fail ( Ha!), the conversation between the Bride and the Maid during which they discuss Leonardo's frequent discrete visits to the Bride's abode showed more of the Antigone in her. My students also wished she would "slow down" with her deliverance of dialogue, but I personally know as a performer how difficult it is to "slow" anything down when you're on stage- whether it's the fire in your belly, the beat of your heart or the words on your lips- when you impersonate a role completely as your own. Been there, done that! :)
My favorite performer of the night was Mihirani Awanti, who, playing the role of The Mother ,throughout the play did perfect justice to her role. I felt that she even infused her role's age into her voice and gait, which is a characteristic of a well-trained performer. Muthumali Nuwangi won the attention of the entire audience and the loudest applause during the curtain call , after the Mother, for her nosey-neighbour's role. And we thoroughly enjoyed how her tiny, squeaky yet adorable voice, and her heavy gait matched her role perfectly.
Determinately, I would like to congratulate the Academic Players for entertaining and educating the audiences with yet another wonderful performance/production. Every performer, whether on stage, off stage or behind the stage, had contributed to execute yet another memorable rendition of a world-renown classic. Keep playing, Players!
ps: If any of you missed the University of Kelaniya- Drama Fest this time, await the next. Trust me as an academic and a die-hard fan of theater, you won't regret it.
It wasn't the first time I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the opening soundtrack was; Lahiru Madivila's music is quite popular among the campus-crowd, and it perfectly matched the silhouetted beauty of The Moon, portrayed by Thilini Ruwandika, whose lyrical execution , incorporated with the stage lighting and allocation of props, set a perfect mood for the play.
Blood Wedding is one of my favorite plays, and the depiction of all scenes in "Niyagala Premaya"- which literally means the 'Love of a Flame-Lilly' - in smooth order, did adequate justice to the original. Although there were a few instances that I wished that the extremely enthusiastic actors would slow down so that I could hear their dialogues properly [ I should have dared to venture into the front lines in the auditorium - just sayin' ;) ] it was a good experience overall.
I believe the translator Hemamali Gunasinghe had done a good job in making Lorca's occidental dialogue relevant to our Sinhalese-speaking audiences. It was well noticeable among the dialogues of the Maid, the Moon, and the Brides' Father. I would like to appreciate the direction, sound, and costumes as well. Kudos to the players!
My giggly first year- students had the time of their lives enjoying Yasantha Buddhika's capricious performance as the much-appeased Leonardo. As he is nevertheless considered the Darcy of the Rural Trilogy, I wasn't surprised when the lasses were attracted to the role, despite the convincingly natural performance of Saman Malalasekara as the Groom. :) I, of course, didn't have a favorite among the Men of the play. Being a typical instructor, I preferred both roles equally !
Chandima Karunadasa was the Heroine of the night. Although her persona suits politically rebellions and aggravating characters like Antigone better, she did a wonderful job merging into the soft, yet simultaneously fiery and impassioned role of the Bride, assuring to the spectators that the role is definitely not an ingenue! However, proving that first impressions never fail ( Ha!), the conversation between the Bride and the Maid during which they discuss Leonardo's frequent discrete visits to the Bride's abode showed more of the Antigone in her. My students also wished she would "slow down" with her deliverance of dialogue, but I personally know as a performer how difficult it is to "slow" anything down when you're on stage- whether it's the fire in your belly, the beat of your heart or the words on your lips- when you impersonate a role completely as your own. Been there, done that! :)
My favorite performer of the night was Mihirani Awanti, who, playing the role of The Mother ,throughout the play did perfect justice to her role. I felt that she even infused her role's age into her voice and gait, which is a characteristic of a well-trained performer. Muthumali Nuwangi won the attention of the entire audience and the loudest applause during the curtain call , after the Mother, for her nosey-neighbour's role. And we thoroughly enjoyed how her tiny, squeaky yet adorable voice, and her heavy gait matched her role perfectly.
Determinately, I would like to congratulate the Academic Players for entertaining and educating the audiences with yet another wonderful performance/production. Every performer, whether on stage, off stage or behind the stage, had contributed to execute yet another memorable rendition of a world-renown classic. Keep playing, Players!
ps: If any of you missed the University of Kelaniya- Drama Fest this time, await the next. Trust me as an academic and a die-hard fan of theater, you won't regret it.
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