Reviving Eka Adipathi
Samodh THAVEESHA
The senior playwright, director and actor Dharmasiri Bandaranaike has
once again burst into the stage with the new production of his acclaimed
play, Eka Adipathi.
Bandaranaike reveals that the society in turmoil after the 1971
insurrection had influenced him to write the play. He goes on to say
that time was equivalent to now where an election was announced.
A scene from Eka Adipathi |
A dire flood strikes the country ruled by the Fascist ruler, Macclum.
But he remains totally ignorant of the victimized and tries to secure
his power. He gives orders to cut a finger of every citizen.
A young boy, Antonio, was also imprisoned by him. Antonio was used by
his brother, Walter to raise awareness of the plight of flood victims.
The tyrant also poisons his army chief and confers the title to his son.
Antonio's flood-affected family members were brought before the
tyrant accused of gathering in public. He lets his generals enjoy with
the daughter of the family and she dies of their harassments. The
family's head is also murdered there.
But Walter, with the valour of his tongue, challenges Macclum showing
his own and his officers' inefficiency. The humiliated tyrant then
entrusts Walter the almost-impossible tasks of stopping the flood and
rehabilitating the flood-affected lives in 6 months time to save his
life. Walter readily takes the challenge and with the help of
nothing-to-lose people like him, does a remarkable job in four months.
So, the masses gather around him.
Meanwhile, disaster strikes for the tyrant; one of his guests makes
his wife pregnant. The predictions reveal the birth of the child will be
the end of his rule and the revival of leftists. Since then, the tyrant
and his son are fully committed to irrational blunders.
They arrest Walter and torture him. This news makes the masses to
stand tall against him. Malcolm, the tyrant's son, even calls Walter's
wife to sleep with him if she wants to save her husband's life. But her
silence and indecision in the most poignant of moments, makes Malcolm
shoot Walter and kill him. News arrives that Macclum's wife had died in
childbirth.
Meanwhile, the rebels attack the castle with the help of soldiers.
They insist on killing the tyrant and his son despite the protests of
Walter's wife, Olga, who is all against bloodshed.
The poignancy of the moment heightens as the little Antonio suddenly
appears playing a sorrowful tune with his violin. The play ends here
with the bent heads of the tyrant and his son, giving vent for the
audience's imagination.
There's certainly a lot to laugh about the play. It is full of subtle
political sarcasm and even crude jokes at times.
But it's not a mere political satire. It is a humorous and symbolic
exploration of the contemporary Sri Lankan society in the most ironic
terms. In fact there is much food for thought in it.
Eka Adipathi clearly brings out the predicament of the people and
religious institutions under the iron hand of totalitarian regimes, and
their nothing-to-lose struggle to shake off the manacles which suffocate
them. The unsurpassed strength of humanity, togetherness and forgiveness
are also successfully dramatized.
Dharmasiri Bandaranaike, playing the tyrant's role himself, really
does a marvellous piece of acting. He exploits facial expressions and
intonation admirably and perfectly shows the anxiety, insecurity and
fear hidden in the subconscious minds of every unmerited ruler. With him
on the lead, the entire cast and crew also do a commendable job making
the full use of the set, props, music and lightening, making him not 'Ekadipathi'
of the play.
Somebody threw a potato chip to the Elphinstone theatre's fish pond
when I was coming out. Even though it was too large for him, a big
Gourami dashed to grab it and disappeared. But suddenly a group of small
fish gathered from nowhere started giving him a chase.
They cornered him, and the next second I saw them nibbling the potato
chip together. The big Gourami looked at them from a safe distance. |