King Lear sans the Shakespearean touch
Amalshan GUNERATHNE
Sinhalese translation of William Shakespeare's classical masterpiece
King Lear was premiered recently. Translating a classical master-piece
in to another language and doing full justice to the original creation
is not an easy task. And after watching the Sinhalese translation of
King Lear you would have to say that the director Sujeewa Pathinisekera
has not been successful at recreating same Shakespearean magic on stage.
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A scene
from King Lear |
To put it in bluntly, the drama was a mix-bag. However, having said
that, it does not mean one should throw away the drama as sheer
theatrical filth.
Lack of originality
The drama does not offer anything new to those who have already seen
the play. There is no novelty in the whole experience. One could argue
that translations do not allow the director to freely express his
creative prowess. He has to stick within the norms of original play. But
it does not mean that the director should copy paste the whole drama and
recreate everything as it is.
Maybe the drama would suit those who are yet to see a stage
performance of King Lear. However, even they will feel disappointed, as
the drama is not enacted in a way that can grasp the heart-strings of
the audience. The emotive essence that you expect to feel from a
Shakespearean tragedy is somehow missing.
With this regard, a fact also has to be noted that most dramas that
come to theater these days are not original creations. They are either
translations or adaptations from European dramas. True, you do have to
share world classics with local theater lovers, but that doesn't mean
you have to recreate the whole thing exactly as it is. Sometimes it is
better to include unique and refreshing elements and add a sense of
originality in to your plays.
Strong stage performances
However it has to be said that some of the strong performances made
by budding actors added some energy in to an otherwise tedious drama.
Young Mahendra Weerarathne's performance as King Lear was exceptional.
He was almost a man possessed on stage and did full justice to his role.
Young actors Nigel Raymond and Piumini Wijeynayaka were also impressive
in playing their roles. Their charismatic performances did charm the
audience. But even that could not save the drama from being such a drab.
In way, it was a shame that such promising talents were invested in a
tediously, monotonous theatrical translation as this.
Well translated dialogues
  On the first viewing, one couldn't find any notable blunders in the
translation.
While you have to appreciate the effort that the director has put in
to translate the play, it does not by any means compensate for the
lackluster theatrical creation that it is.
Tediously long
Add to everything, the drama goes on for three hours. While there
were some memorable moments, it didn't have the legs to hold the
interest level for whole three hours. The stage settings also looked
messy and constant stage shifts which happened during scenes were also
very distracting to the audience.
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