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| Saturday, 24 April 2004 |
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Bandula back with Odd Couple
"This will be the first time a drama by Neil Simon is produced in Sri Lanka and I am confident that it will provide a novel experience to our theatre lovers," Bandula noted. Bandula's latest drama - Ey Sonduru Minisa, a translation of Simon's Odd Couple - one of the most popular broadway dramas, comes after a lapse of nearly eight years since the production Bandula's last drama "Romaya Gini Gani" (1996), which went onto win four awards at the State Drama festival including Best Director, actor and actress. Bandula plans to bring in his new drama for this year's State Drama Festival which is scheduled to take place after about two months. Odd Couple - first produced in America in 1960s is about men who are divorced. They get new girlfriends. Most of these men share apartments with other divorced men because alimony payments forced them to save money. The basic conflict in the " Odd Couple " stems from two people of " completely opposite nature and temperament " - the meticulously neat man and his roommate, the compulsively untidy slob. " I put them in an intolerable situation and let the sparks fly. The extra ingredient is that they must both emphatically believe that their way of life is the right one......" Simon was quoted in an interview about the drama. Not only did the Odd Couple chalk up a Broadway run of 1964 performances, as a film it became one of Paramount's all time high grossers. As the 1960s draw to a close, the play is still touring and being performed in many corners of the world. "The drama has a contemporary value to the Sri Lankan society as we are now experiencing similar problems," Bandula says. The main role of the drama played by Bandula himself while the female lead is by his daughter Vajira Kumari Vithange who is also assisting the direction of the play. "Besides, I have selected a novel crowd for this play. We do rehearsals once a week. It will increase when the festival is getting closer. Already, I have made the lay-out for the drama." Amongst the new faces are Upali Bandara, Seneviratne Rodrigo, Uditha Kumara, M.D. Dassanayake etc. In his journey in the drama field for nearly four decades, Bandula has shown dramatic performances winning many awards for his dramas. He first produced a translation of Harrold Pinters' drama in 1968 and then Gangawak, Sapattu Kabalak and Maranayak in 1971 which went on to win awards at the State Drama Festival. "During the last few years, I was busy with other work such as acting in teledramas and workshops and as a result, it took several years for me to produce a new drama." Bandula has a special interest in Shakespeare dramas. This prompted him to make several Shakespeare dramas - Merchant of Venice, Macbeth etc. He produced two other translated dramas Senehebara Dolly (1987 - an American play) and Hiru Dahasa (1990). In an interview on the drama, Simon says: "When I wrote The Odd Couple, I actually didn't think I was writing a comedy. Maybe I was naive enough to think I was writing a semi-serious play. The man in the beginning [Felix] is about to commit suicide; his wife has left him. Oscar is down and out; he has nothing in his life except that poker game." The first person that Simon showed The Odd Couple to was director Bob Fosse, who said, "Very sad play." "So, it surprised me the way it went." Unlike many playwrights, who prefer to have an ending in mind and work backward, Simon feels exactly the opposite. Despite all the pre-thought involved, playwrights can't always anticipate audience reactions. "More often than not, I won't know how they'll react. They surprise me. You watch with the director, hear a big laugh, and say, 'I had no idea that would happen.' ###################### Lankan films storm Abu Dhabi A Sinhala Film Festival is now being held in Abu Dhabi. The event is organised under the patronage of Sri Lankan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the National Film Corporation. The festival comprises six films namely Punchi Suranganavi, Sudu Sevanali, Agnidahaya, Bheeshanaye Athuru Kathawak, Mathu Yam Dawasa and Sudu Kaluwara. The festival which will be held till April 27 takes place at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Centre. A number of local artistes including Ravindra Randeniya, Malini Fonseka, Neetha Fernando, Nadeeka Gunasekera, Robin Fernando, Dilhani Ekanayake, Renuka Balasooriya and Roshan Pilapitiya are participating. |
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Produced by Lake House |
Veteran dramatist and well-known artiste Bandula Vithanage will make a
comeback to the local drama scene by presenting a world renowned American
play titled "Odd Couple" by Neil Simon, widely known as
Broadway's King of Comedy in America.
