More from Moscow

THEATRE: Now that I have got hold of my Moscow Diary, I am going to make full use of it. On 11, January 1965 I have this brief note. "Madam Bovary at the MHAT Theatre. An excellent production in traditional Russian style. Excellently acted too."

January 12 - "'The Idiot' at Vahktangova. A wonderful play and produced most competently. It is a deeply human story around an impoverished Russian prince who is called 'The Idiot' because of his illness (epilepsy) and his inoffensive manner, and a high-society Russian harlot - the mistress of several rich men, in turn, a very complex character.

Finally a jealous lover kills her and kills himself too, heart broken. The prince (the 'idiot') goes mad. There were some superb performances and Barisova, a famous stage actress in Russia, was absolutely outstanding...."

In Russia, especially in Moscow, I have never seen spectators rushing to the stage after a performance to congratulate the actors. (I believe intimate friends do, perhaps in the actors' dressing rooms) Instead they throw flowers on to the stage and those who carry bouquets somehow edge themselves to the front of the stage and persent them to their favourite actress or actor from there.

They are accepted with a bow and a courtesy and sometimes a flying kiss. There were numerous occasions when I felt like rushing to the stage, like we do here, and embracing either the heroine or hero, or even both in ecstatic appreciation! But alas that was not to be.

When one is abroad for a long time, especially when you are young and newly married, the mind itself creates a sort of protective cocoon and you don't think of home and other home comforts, but concentrate on the day's work. You could spend the first three months like that.

Then, little by little 'missing home' and the loneliness begins to creep in. So, the one thing I looked forward to when I visited the embassy, which was quite frequent, was a letter from home.

Unfortunately, at that time, letters - even air mail - took time to reach Moscow. That made me rather unhappy. Anyway, one learns to handle such situations as time goes on.

Best workers

Working with Zoya was sometimes a little tiresome. It was rather like going out with a rather strict mother who insisted on explaining everything. If we crossed a bridge she would explain when it was built, how long it took and how many engineers worked on it etc.

If we were passing a factory she would point out at the large cutouts displayed along the walls and tell me that they were the pictures of the best workers of the factory. "Are they the best always?" I would ask just to tease her. "Oh no, they are the present set of best workers.

The list changes every six months or so. "Do they go by favour too?" I would tease her further. "Oh no, no such possibility in our system." She would insist. "It is always strictly on merit".

One morning we were crossing a bridge that was under repairs and as usual Zoya was explaining something to me - most likely details of the repairs etc. Half listening to her I took the initiative to cross the road at a point I thought was the correct place. Suddenly a vehicle came from somewhere and nearly ran over me.

Zoya pulled me back with a suppressed shriek and held me tight until the vehicle passed - its driver gesticulating angrily at us. For a moment I could feel Zoya's quickened heartbeat in spite of her light overcoat (that being a sunny day) and then she released me and chided me properly.

"You nearly got yourself killed Gynery....!" "You tried to cross the road at the wrong place. Why didn't you wait till I told you where to cross?" "I am extremely sorry Zoya, I thought that was the right place.

These guide signs are a little complicating." I apologized. She was still holding on to my hand in a tight grip and the poor girl was panting with excitement.

I felt foolish and I felt very sorry for her. "Do you realize what the consequences would have been if anything happened to you? You naughty man from Tsylon? I would have lost my job and my Ministry would have had to pay compensation!" She was trying to smile.

"I am not worth very much Zoya/" I told her kissing her hand lightly. "Anyway, thank you for saving my life. My wife will be ever grateful to you.....!" By now she had settled down and she was smiling broadly.

"In your lessons to me you never taught anything about rotten bridges in Moscow, my dear Zoya.." I told her trying to look serious and her laughter was almost unstoppable.

Diary note - 14th, January. "Swan Lake' at the Musical Theatre. A little shaky at the beginning but caught up later. The prince was never very good though. Stage effects used are unbelievable - storms, fire, thunder and lightening, rippling water etc.

This is the third 'Swan Lake' I have seen here. It is not the sole property of the Bolshoi Ballet theatre. It is staged in other Theatre Houses too, like this 'Musical' Theatre. Perhaps they have the permission of Gosconcert to do so. Wherever it is done the decor, the stage sets, costumes and special effects are stunning."

Make-up material

"Went to Maali Theatre in the morning and met my friends there. They gave me New Year present - some very useful makeup material, wigs moustaches etc. Later to G.T.C. (Govt. Theatrical Council) They also presented me with a lovely, compact box containing a lot of make up material. All this is going to be very useful to me back home." `Diary Note - 15th January - "Three Penny Opera" at Stanislavsky Memorial Drama Theatre. And now I have seen all four Brecht plays performing in Moscow. Although my first preference still is 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle, tonight's play too has the unmistakable stamp of Brecht.

The production was very interesting in that it created an extremely pleasing light atmosphere, in which we, the audience accepted anything. But of course there was a purpose in every light move and every easy posturing. A little overdone towards the end, I thought.

Borrowed type writer from Mrs. Subasinghe and finished typing my English translation of 'Kuveni".

Yes, I vaguely remember doing a translation of 'Kuveni' although I have lost it since. Dr. Laksmi de Silva did a superb translation of it in 2000 and won the State Literary Award as well as the Gratien award for it.

Speaking of 'Kuveni' brings vivid memories to me of my wonderful friend, Felix Premawardhana, who passed away on 25th of last month. I seek the readers' permission to devote the rest of this column to the memory of that unmatchable human being.

Felix Premawardhana

I first met Felix 52 years ago, in 1954, when I was looking for a powerful actor to play the role of Sir Edwin Ranaspathy in my adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 'A Woman of no Importance' - 'Vedagathkama'. (Regular readers of this column might remember my writing about 'Vedagathkama', Felix and Ruby de Mel etc.) When I had tried a number of men for the role and failed and was in desperation, it was my good friend Ruby de Mel who introduced me to Felix.

I remember going to a small twin house somewhere in Nawala and I remember the two little children in their underpants who were playing in the small garden.

When I offered my sympathies to Kuvera and Kuveni (son and daughter of Felix and Indrani) in the gathering dark at the Borella Kanatta last evening (I am writing this on the 27th of April) I remembered those two grimy little faces that I saw so many years ago, in their Nawala home.

The way Indrani and the two children bore their immense loss with stoic courage itself was a silent tribute to the man who mentored them and shaped their lives for over half a century. Indeed it was their courage that made it possible to bear my own grief without breaking down.

Over the 52 years, Felix Premawardhana and my family became very close friends. Felix and I were 'teasing' friends who teased each other with all kinds of memorabilia. Indrani and Manel became very close friends too. We saw their two children grow up into adulthood.

In fact the Premawardhana family and their friends had prayed for me night after night when I was very ill a few years ago and they had done the same when Manel was very ill just two years ago.

I am very proud that I introduced Felix Premawardhana to the Sinhala stage 52 years ago. He was much more a God's man than a 'Theatre man' all his life. If God had created an ideal human being - loving, caring, generous, honest, patient and mindful - that man was Felix Premawardhana.

He travelled almost all over the globe on all kinds of missions of mercy. In fact, I had made up a standard greeting for him, every time I met him. - "Hi Felix, when did you get back?"

Felix later appeared in three of my stage productions - Kuveni, Manaranjana and Hunuwataye Katawa. I will always remember him as the bewildered 'Hunter' in Kuveni who befriends Kuveni's two children lost in the jungle and who tries to console them in their loneliness, with kindness and patience.

He was a massive 'Irakli' (the good natured bandit) in Hunuwataye Katawa, but only for a short time.

Rehearsals

God and his Church were his first preferences. In that great service he had to miss out on our mundane rehearsals etc. and turn down many offers to act. Nevertheless, Felix contributed largely to our theatre too.

If I remember right his first production on the Sinhala stage was 'Minis Gathiya' an adaptation of Noah. This he followed up with 'Deva Warama' (Man for all Seasons) which was a highly praised production.

He introduced J.B. Priestly to the local theatre when he presented an adaptation of 'An Inspector Calls' by the title 'Chaaya'. 'Andhakaaraya' was the Sinhala version of the famous Broadway play 'Wait until Dark' which was also a very powerful production.

Felix also brought out Sinhala versions of The Black Comedy and Distant Drums as a doublebill titled Kaluware Jaramare and Maara Bere.

Felix won many awards too including Best Actor for his performance in Premaranjith Tillkeratne's 'Ammai Appai'.

Felix Premawardhana, the irrepressible human being and God's good man won many friends and his friends kept him and he kept his friends too. His soft ways and his innate kindness belied his Herculean stature, his walrus moustache and his penetrating eyes.

I am going to miss his teasing, his infectious laughter and above all his constant concern.

Many many men, women, and children are going to miss my good friend - God's child, Felix Premawardhana.

May you rest in peace

In God's good hands

My good friend

And may you still

Extend your healing touch

To us, lesser beings

[email protected]

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