Namel brings Nattukkari again
Nilma DOLE
Namel Weeramuni's adaptation of Jean Anouilh's 'Colombe' into
Nattukkari staged at the Punchi Theatre two weeks back, was such an
immense success that he will bring back the drama again on August 30 at
6.30 p. m. at the Punchi Theatre. He spoke to Daily News 'Artscope'
about the re-run of Nattukkari.
Please describe the feedback for the show and your reasons for
staging Nattukkari again.
 The
feedback was tremendous. At the opening three nights, we had three full
houses and on the final night people were turned away without tickets.
This was mainly because I believe that word of mouth had spread from the
spectators who witnessed the play on August 14, 15 and 16 saying that
the play was a play that should not be missed since dramatically and
theatrically they may have considered it a treat. A great theatre man
like Henry Jayasena may have not said that it is "a play directed and
acted extremely well", if he did not like it. He hailed it. Edwin
Ariyadasa said "it is a brilliant production with an approach to
perfectionism", Sanath Gunatillaka, "an acting lesson to the new
generation of actors whether they are on stage, in the cinema, or
television"; Dr. D. B. Nihalsinghe, "an extremely clever play"
Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, "you have awakened us onto a new theatre
world". Two others very well versed in theatre expressed their emotions,
saying this is the best play they have seen. Likewise everybody hailed
the production.
I staged Nattukkari again because it is a great script dramatically
and theatrically rich which is structured superbly that can entertain
any audience. It is the human aspect of its theme that attracts me as
the most salient quality of the play. Whether it is done forty years
back, or today, or next for thousand years ahead, the experience would
be the same. It's a universal play.
When you first acted in the drama way back in February 1970 at
Lumbini (Havelock Town Theatre), how did you feel about it? Was that a
vital factor in you directing the drama today? Please explain.
In 1970 too I felt the play was great. I always go for a play when it
has a universal quality which can move the audiences. Back then, I had a
great cast of the Sinhala stage scene like Upali Attanayake, Prema
Ganegoda, Somalatha Subasinghe, Malini Weeramuni, Wickrama Bogoda, Daya
Tennakoon, and G. T. Wickramasinghe who brought great colour to the
production through their acting and enlivening the parts brilliantly as
in the present production. Besides, I always felt that this is a great
play that can succeed at whatever time you produce it. It is this vital
factor that prompted me to direct it even today.
Please describe your experiences when the play was staged in London
in 1976 being the first time ever a full length Lankan play had been
done there.
When I think of the London production it is very nostalgic. It gives
me great pleasure to think about it because it too was a success over
there too. Of course, the main characters were done by an experienced
few. They were Malini Weeramuni, Prema Ganegoda, Douglas Ranasinghe, and
me. The rest of the cast was from Sri Lankans living in London who
proved to be very good in their characterizations and we had seven
performances including at the prestigious Shaw Theatre having had full
houses at all the performances.
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Senes from Nattukkari |
Nattukkari became a success every time I did, because I think I was
able as a director, to drill the cast to achieve the portrayal of the
humanistic theme that is inherent in the script. It was hard work
rehearsing late during the weekends only. Some came from very far places
for rehearsals. We did it purely for pleasure and without remuneration.
I remember we did rehearsals at the Ceylon Students' Centre for over a
period of six months or so. It was dedication, punctuality, and hard
work that made it work.
What makes 'Nattukkari' a special play that people remember and talk
about it after they have seen it?
It's an extremely well directed and acted play all the time it is
produced as Henry Jayasena says. Theatricality is also another salient
feature that is imbued into the production in order to enhance the
universal theme of the play.
When you talk about Sri Lankan English theatre surviving more than
Sinhala theatre, what do you think about 'Singlish' theatre? Don't you
think international audiences should understand Sinhala productions?
What about fusion theatre like Feroze Kamardeen's 'Thank You for Voting'
plays?
Sri Lankan English Theatre survives better than the Sinhala Theatre
because it has a ready-made appreciative sophisticated an audience,
especially of the younger generation who come to see English plays only
as a fashion. It is unfortunate in both of the English and Sinhala
Theatre the audiences have been tuned to appreciate only mostly
slapstick productions where they can laugh shallowly and carry nothing
serious in their heads when they are out of the auditoriums. This fact
was apparent recently when Jerome de Silva produced 'Death of a
Salesman' in Sinhala; when I noted that there were not more than thirty
or forty people in the audience on the first night. I don't know what
the audience would have seen on the rest of the days but I doubt it
having a reasonable house considering the response on the opening night.
It is because 'Death of a Salesman' is a meaningful and serious play.
If a production is cleverly and meaningfully executed, whatever its
language, the audience (international or local) would appreciate without
knowing the language in which the play is presented. For that, there
must be matured and appreciative audiences. |
