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A novel experience with backdrops of socio-political unrest 

Shailendree Wickrama Adittiya
By Sarah Hannan

This July, Kandy will come alive with a novel experience for those who enjoy theatre, photography, and a bit of interaction with immersive installations, as the French Spring Festival brings yet another entertainment segment to the hill capital.

A French-German production, inspired by Heiner Müller’s play, Hamlet-Machine, conceptualised by Clyde Chabot will stage from Friday (1 July ) through next Sunday (3 July) at the Kandy City Centre. Chabot received assistance from the University of Peradeniya (UoP) Faculty of Arts and the Department of Fine Arts to present A Museum (Theatre) along with some familiar backdrops of Sri Lanka’s socio-political unrest that has unfolded in the past decades and at present.

The Morning Brunch was able to catch up with Clyde Chabot, who is in Kandy to guide the cast on realising the production in the coming days, whilst the cast was rehearsing for the upcoming show, at the UoP Department of Animal Sciences.

“This production has been presented in various locations and countries over a period of 20 years and brings together various cultural and social moments that would resonate with the audience. In each country that we presented A Museum (Theatre) – Hamlet-Machine, we have incorporated backdrops of the corresponding country along with various social moments and then also use the vernacular, so that anyone could interact with the installations,” Chabot elaborated.

Chabot had shared the script with the cast at UoP about two months ago and with the assistance of the resource personnel connected to the Goethe Institut – Navadharshani Karunaharan, Ashani Ranasinghe, and Asoka de Zoysa – had translated some excerpts to Sinhala and Tamil.

It is at a very trying time that the UoP undergraduates and the academic staff is putting together this performance as the faculties face closure due to the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka. We spoke to UoP Department of Fine Arts Senior Lecturer Priyantha Fonseka who is co-ordinating the performance on behalf of the university on how the cast managed to stay back to rehearse for the performance.

“Even before the closure was announced by the Vice Chancellor last week, our department was to be given a two-week suspension of lectures, so the students would be able to focus on the rehearsals of this production. In fact, when the faculty had to close, the Vice Chancellor and the Arts Faculty Dean provided special permission for us to remain on campus and practise. With the assistance of the French Embassy and the Goethe Institut we are also housing the cast and crew and providing them with meals and transportation as required to attend practices,” Fonseka noted.

The students that are participating have been very resourceful, as they have brought in their personal musical instruments to practise the play. Speaking to The Morning Brunch, UoP Department of Fine Arts Lecturer Niroshi Senevirathne affirmed: “These students were given the liberty to flesh out the presentation. We explained to them the basic idea of how Clyde presented Hamlet-Machine during her previous productions. We did not have much to direct or guide them, as they were very enthusiastic about coming up with the dance sequences and adding appropriate music. The play will incorporate a fusion of dance and music representing our traditional musical instruments and dance routines representing our multicultural aspects.”

 

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‘A Museum (Theatre) – Hamlet-Machine’ by Clyde Chabot

Venue: 

Kandy City Centre, Kandy

 

Dates and times:

Friday (1 July)    

Installation: 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Performances: 10.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m.

 

Saturday (2 July) 

Installation: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.  

Performance: 5.30 p.m.

 

Sunday (3 July)

Installation: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Performance: 3.30 p.m.

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Conception: Clyde Chabot, Priyantha Fonseka, Chamila Priyanka

Choreography: Sudesh Mantillake and Hasanthi Niriella

Music: Niroshi Senevirathne

Production assistant: Dinuki Panditharatne

Production support: Uvasara Dissanayake, Anuradha Jayaweera, and Pruthivi Tharaka Kalpadeep

Technical support: Danushka Kumarathunga, Nalin Wijesiri

Drama performers: Lahiru Sudesh Priyankara, Krishmi Apsara, Dinuki Panditharatne, Selvaraj Rajeew, Balendran Pradharini, Randika Rajapakshe, Chamodha Kumarasingha, Udeni Ellegala, Sanduni Chamishka Wanasinghe, Ayesha Malshani, Chiranthi Sanjana, Dharshani Kumari, Pruthivi Tharaka Kalpadeep, Tharushika Teenavi De Silva

Music performers: Vidura Gunawardhane, Udeshika Swarnamali, Iman Manodya, Nimthara Jayasooriya

Dance and percussion performers:  Sudesh Mantillake, Hasanthi Niriella and Kanchana Keerthirathne

Artist in the installation space: Manusha Sahanya Jayasinghe

Mediators: Dilanjana Madushan Pathirana, Dulmini Pavithra Kumari (Sinhala), R. Thivya, M. Kopitha (Tamil), Keshala Perera, Rochana Jayasinghe (English)

Supporting staff: Sunil Bandara, Deepani Herath

Special thanks: Department of Fine Arts, Faculty of Arts and Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Alliance Française of Kandy, Goethe Institute, French Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Maldives