By
Steve A. Morrell
The remote possibility that ‘Fifty fifty’, ‘Well Mudaliyar’ and Jith Peiri’s current offering He comes from Jaffna’ superimposed to the ‘50s, then the’ 70s could be viewed in concurrence will not be quite a just evaluation of what we saw last week – end. ‘He comes from Jaffna’ this time around was in context of the times, and cleverly interspersed with current day histrionics to give it that nippy fast paced dialog the that had the audience eagerly looking forward to what would come next.
English theatre; in its current form, notwithstanding the senior audiences who view these stage offerings attend just as a selected diversion. More factual would be that young theatre goers, if at all, would come only if ‘their’ crowd will be there. That too a remote possibility. Pity, really, in these days of some sort of English revival.
Naturally there are exceptions who have made an impact.
Within this somewhat limited medium, ‘He comes from Jaffna’, and Jith Perris’s newest interpretation, was a breath of fresh air infused in to the realm of theatre. In this instance, audiences in Colombo.
Duraisamipillai, correctly type cast fit the role of a robust Jaffnese in unfamiliar surroundings of the Colombo context. Given to some crude behaviour causing, some embarrassment to his brother-in-law Cleveland Rajaratnam. Critique, if at all, could possibly be that Anuruddha Fernando should have acquired a more positive Jaffna Tamil accent. Certainly not a simple matter. He did carry it off.
Anuruddha Fernando and young Shehan Wijemana mixed maturity and youth to sort of weld two diverse characters and ensured the audience were in titters.
Incidentally, they played to a full house. The ‘Full house’, phenomenon was also a telling factor to the icon factorization of a Jith Peiris production. Pre-emptive fore knowledge that there will not be a moment of sag or distracted interest.
Duraisamipillai, quite in type was a big framed character somewhat clumsy yet ensued the right degree of awkwardness to raise laughter. To make matters hilarious still, pitched in contrast with Cleveland Rajaratrnam, who try as he might could not quite get to that ‘upper crust’ demeanour of a Colombo ‘gentleman’; had that portrayal of acquired genteel behaviour, but missed step somewhere on the way.
Shehan Wijemana as Cleveland R. brought to bear mature interpretation of an obvious country bumpkin trying his best to fit into the “circuit crowd’. He had mastery of the part and caused peals of mirth that had the Wendt reverberate time and again with Cleveland trying his best to fit in.
These writings are not of any given sequence but subject to entry of various characters, they too were outstanding.
Martin the cook, with his Hitlerine moustache had just the right stance of feigned servile respect, but all the time eavesdropping on conversations, of the ‘master and Lady’, pretending to dust the furniture, or being overly duty conscious , was an outstanding portrayal of a typical cook in a Planter’s bungalow.
Just waiting for the lady and master to erupt in some belligerent exchange, that he alone would be privy to the ‘goings on in the bungalow’. Martin the Appu, played by Aviska de Alwis had these mischievous ingredients of a cook. He had just the right attitude of being a very correct servant but alert to some intrigue he could gossip about and alert the people next door to some whisperings of this or that.
His shuffling around, and his ‘cook appu’, attitude caused ripples of laughter. He did not really have to say anything.
The Burgher shoe maker, the other character whose dialog was more a contemporary context, of the times, was a deliberate portrayal of a never-do-well, who played on the masters emotions to get what he wanted. Chintaka Fernando who played the role of lsaacsz, the shoe maker was just right.
His ‘aside’ and his schemes of how he could cheat the master of this or that. But ‘I am not a rogue’ portrayal, he did not have to say that, but the undercurrent of a lovable rascal was more apt and much in context of our times. His entry and departure although short had that ingredient laughter of ‘what would he be up to next’.
Michelle Herft, the English second wife of Cleveland, Marion Rajaratnam, very correct, very pretty, with just the condescending air of the English woman who happened to be part of the Rajaratnam family, did have an Oxonian accent, but Cleveland try as he might could not match her wit. He was left half way behind, sort of groping to find his way, while Marion was far ahead.
The other players, Son of the man from Jaffna, Aru, played by Anuk Munasinghe, and his public school image and his failure in his alleged law practice, found it increasingly difficult to get his father off his back. That and his bleak attempt to concoct an answer to his father’s constant questions, was also hilarious.
Sharini Mathangaweera, Hector Fernando’s daughter, then there was Hector, a Sinhalese business man, up to some shady deal, trying to extract money from Cleveland or Durai, Hector, played by Abbasali Rozais, had their moments, which in the final scene, had them all have a good time.
The stage, costumes, they were all professionally done. Costumes by Lo Ching Wong, and stage Mano Chanmugam, Stage management by Deduni Fernando, all added up to 100 marks.
The evening was first class. And Jith, the master craftsman, re-built ‘He comes from Jaffna’ to fit an optimum period of togetherness.
COURTESY:SUNDAY ISLAND