3-day theatre festival for children and youth from 1 to 3 December

Somalatha Subasinghe Play House Kotte presents a three-day theatre festival for children and youth from 1 to 3 December at Lionel Wendt Theatre at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. This is the second theatre festival for the year organised by Somalatha Subasinghe Play House. 

The festival will feature the following three plays produced by Somalatha Subasinghe Play House: 

nVikurthi (Distortion) on 1 December. The play is written and directed by Somalatha Subasinghe

nDutu Thena Allanu (Wanted) translated and directed by Kaushalya Fernando on 2 December 

nPunchi Apata Dan Therei (We Know It Now) and Thoppi Velenda (The Hat Seller) written and directed by Somalatha Subasinghe on 3 December. 

All these plays are semi-musical type. The production style of the plays has been developed so as to give the audiences an aesthetic journey of entertainment. 

The play ‘Vikurthi’ is a prescribed text for GCE O/L Drama and Theatre. Punchi Apata Den Therei is a prescribed text for Grade 6 Drama and Theatre and Grade 9 Sinhala Language. Toppi Velenda is a prescribed text for grade 7 Sinhala language. Therefore, the festival provides a valuable opportunity for students to watch the play as part of their studies. 

Punchi Apata Dan Therei (We Know It Now) and Thoppi Velenda (The Hat Seller)

Punchi Apata Den Therei (We Know it Now) and Toppi Velenda (The Hat Seller) are based on famous international Falk tales. They are semi musicals produced with the objective to instil in children, a sense of basic art forms and a pride in our own culture as well as to promote the importance of the institution of family and its values. In addition, the lessons of love, humanity and world awareness are refreshingly presented in these plays. In the adaptations, new characters and situations have been incorporated particularly to facilitate an intellectual and entertaining discourse with the Sri Lankan child.

Punchi Apata Dan Therei and Thoppi Velenda have participated in International Children’s Theatre Festivals in France, South Korea, Bangladesh, India, Australia and the Netherlands. 

The cast includes Wickrama Seneviratne, Dilum Buddhika, Saviour Kanishka, Thilakshini Ratnayake, Geetha Alahakoon, Chamara Gamaathige, Sameera Lakmal Wimalasiri Mayura Perera, Pramod Edirisinghe, Dilip Kumara Koralage, Susith Ishantha and Kesara Hasarinda. The plays are written and directed by Somalatha Subasinghe. M.R. Chulasinghe composed music for the plays.