It’s time to believe in magic!

Saturday, 2 November 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

STC Drama Society directed by Vinodh Senadheera to bring magical adventures of the Pevensie siblings to life on stage

This November, the Drama Society of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, will be bringing to life once again, the magical adventures of the Pevensie siblings as they travel deep into the mystery, magic and marvel of C.S. Lewis’ land of Narnia. Produced by Marlon Jesudason and directed by Vinodh Senadheera, ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,’ the first in the seven part series of children’s novels, will be back on stage – and this time with a few extra technological tricks as well to interpret a story that has been a grand favourite among us all. For those unfamiliar with the story, it is set during World War II, where children are being evacuated from the cities and boarded away in the country, safely out of reach of the dreaded aerial bombings of the Blitz. This is where the readers meet the Pevensie children Peter, Susan, Edm-und and Lucy. Sent away just like most other children, they find themselves boarded at mysterious relative Digory Kirke’s house in the country, where they find out that there is more to the big boring house than meets the eye. Slipping through by accident into a magical wardrobe that is a gateway to the magical kingdom of Narnia, the children embark on an adventure filled with talking animals, evil queens, a prophecy and a challenge that is more than they bargained for but only requires a faith and love to overcome. The production promises to be groundbreaking with the use of an ingenious combination of traditional theatre and awe inspiring special effects complete with hi-tech video mapping projections, lighting illusions and 360° radius horizontal plane (2D) DTS HD surround sound technology used for the first time in the history of the performing arts of Sri Lanka, to bring to life the magic and mystery of Narnia. Following are excerpts of a Weekend FT interview with Director Vinodh Senadheera: By David Ebert Q: What made you pick this particular production? A: I selected this play because I felt I had the perfect cast for it. I had the mature actors who could tackle complex roles such as Peter, Edmund, Tumnus, the White Witch and Aslan. Another reason is that most of my seniors first took part in Narnia when I did it many years ago, that was their stepping stone to the world of theatre at college and since this is their final performance, I thought it will be a fitting tribute to them to do it all over again. Likewise, I often feel that we have very little theatre productions for children in English. True, this story is for children but the more you read the chronicles of Narnia, the more lessons there are that adults too can learn from it. It has an allegorical meaning to the whole thing. Q: Tell me about the cast and the roles they would be playing A: Anushka Samara-singhe plays Peter, Akil Ismail and Tharuka Jayaratnam play Lucy on alternative nights, Niran de Mel plays Edmund, and Chathura and Adnan play Susan on alternative nights. Jodash is the White Witch, Katesh is Aslan and Asanka is Maugrim. The ensemble cast consists of 60 actors from the ages of 10 to 18. Q: What will you be doing different? A: I don’t believe in doing things different just for the sake of making things different. I find today’s directors do things differently without any reason and thereby hamper on texts. It’s best to stick to the text and work within the writer’s intentions. Yes, the play is magical, and so we will try to create it as much as possible. The movie was fabulous, the stage version is different. But we are doing our best to create the atmosphere which will be unforgettable. Q: What do you think the trick is for the successful adaptation of a piece of popular literature? A:The trick for a successful production is the acting, nothing else. One can do all the gimmicks under the sun, but if the acting is bad, there is no good play, and by that you have murdered the play. I hope the people won’t compare this to the movie. The stage and movie are two different pieces of performance. My producer Marlon and his team will handle the production work and I will concentrate on the performance. So by this we hope we will breathe life to an age-old story. Q: What do you believe is the message that theatregoers could take away with them after watching this? A: There are many lessons. Firstly, good will always prevail. Living in a troubled, often corrupted world, let’s have hope that one day evil will be gotten away with and the good one does will make this place a better world. Secondly, let’s believe in magic; something unique in our lives. True, Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan enter a magical world and we too could, if only we believed. But saying that, let’s not forget the fact that though we go into this world, at some time or another, we have to come back to reality. Q: Why do you think theatre is so important in today’s context? A: It’s a form of entertainment. We all lead stressful lives. The theatre often gives us that relief. As for performers, it’s a wonderful platform to showcase your talent, not only in acting, but being associated in some way of a show – either backstage or on the production side. Children are very talented and the theatre is one way which can bring out their talents. Today let’s be content that students spend time at doing shows rather than idling and spending time doing nothing. They not only learn to act, but being part of a play means taking up responsibility and it builds confidence; the list is endless. Q: What will be your next project at S. Thomas’ College? A: Need to finish this one first. We have had two shows this year. So the children now need to settle with their studies. But yes, College will be doing one next November too. I think it will be something funny.

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