Saturday Oct 31, 2026
Saturday Oct 31, 2026
Saturday, 31 October 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The English Drama Society of S. Thomas College Mount Lavinia is ready to tread the boards with William Shakespeare›s political drama “Julius Caesar” from 5 to 7 November at the School Main Hall at 7 p.m.
The play which details the intrigue and tragic betrayal and death of the infamous Roman dictator who is assassinated by his senators, takes on a new narrative as the Drama Society contextualises the event in a ‘mythical and imagined’ Ceylon. Set in the political upheaval of the nation in the late ‹50s and early ‹60s, Director Dylan Perera, along with the cast is looking forward to presenting their take on the Bandaranaike assassination and the ‹62 coup.
The play is one of many celebrations for the school as it marks 175 years of excellence this year. The English Drama Society of the school also holds a comparable record. Being one of the oldest in existence in Sri Lanka, since 1872, it has been the springboard for many notable figures in the industry, including but not limited to Richard de Zoysa, Vinodh Senadeera, Jith Pieris and Christopher Ponniah. Over its 154 years in existence, it has seen a multitude of genres, ranging from musical theatre, comedies, greek plays and of course, the Bard himself.
The Society has been building momentum over the past few years.
S. Thomas College Mount Lavinia’s The English Drama Society Teacher-in-Charge Gihan de Chickera said: «In the last two years, we won the inter-school Shakespeare competition in 2024 and made it to the final four in 2025. Before that, in 2023, we did a full-length production of ‘Brothers Menaechmus’. Additionally there has been a growing interest in inter-house competitions, with students acting, writing and directing their own plays.”
“So we felt we had the capacity to pull off a full-length Shakespeare production this year to coincide with the school’s 175th anniversary. And ‘Julius Caesar’ was a good choice because it can accommodate a large cast, and contains a powerful message,” de Chickera added.
Tickets are priced at Rs. 2,000 (reserved seating) and Rs. 1,500 (free seating) and are available on
boxoffice.lk.
