EKA ADHIPATHI
The Dictator

Written & Directed by

Dharmasiri Bandaranayake

New Production 2009

Very few Sinhala stage plays have stood the test of time
among which 'Eka Adhipathi' (The Dictator)
of Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka stands out as an
exceptional experience by two generations of
theatregoers spanning from 1970s to the present day.

In 1976, it won seven awards including
Best Actor whose role was played by him
and Best Original Production at the State Drama Festival.
From its inaugural staging till 1993,

the play continuously mesmerized the Sinhala audience
 with 1400 shows being successfully
performed all over the island.

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
is the motto Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka
tries to convey through this political satire.
The very fact that this piece of art
has managed to keep the immense attraction
of the Sinhala audience for such a long time implies
the inability of the Sri Lankan society
to come to grips with the brutal nature
of power even after three decades of democratic exercise,
thereby keeping the validity of the satirical issue intact.
The dichotomy between the ruler and the ruled
in its most crude form has not changed,
and it still perpetuates itself to puzzle the society at large,
hence the relevance of Eka Adhipathi (The Dictator) even today.

Dharmasiri Bandaranayaka is an artist who strives
to engage his audience with burning issues
 of socio-political importance in order to make that audience
not only into an entertaining collective
but also into an active mass of conscious agents of social change.

In short, art for him is a joy only to the extent

of its being a catalyst for responsible social intervention.

His later productions,

'Makarakshaya'
(The Dragon by Soviet writer Yevgeny Shvarts-1985),

'Dhawala Bheeshana'
(The Men Without Shadows by Jean Paul Satre-1988 ),

'Yakshagamanaya'
(The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui by Bertolt Brecht-1994 )

and 'Trojan Kanthavo'
(The Trojan Women by Euripides-2000 )

attest to this conviction.

Eka Adhipathi

The Dictator

1976 - 2010

In this lacklustre period of Sinhala drama, the new production of

'Eka Adhipathi' (The Dictator-2009 ) touring again in major towns
would definitely be an aesthetic solace strong enough
to lure the people back to the theatre,
coupled with a powerful voice no longer to be ignored.

Next performances in Colombo

21st January 2010 at 3.00, 7.00 p.m,

Elphinston Theatre, Colombo 10

06th February 2010 at 7.00 p.m.

Lionel Wendt, Colombo 07

2010 Schedule

NEXT SHOW:


21st January 2010
3.00 PM & 7.00 PM
at the Elphinstone Theatre

Tickets are now available at the Elphonstone Theatre, Sarasaviya book shop and Sadeepa book shop.

SHOWS IN FEBRUARY:


1st February - 7.00 p.m.
University of Sri Lanka - Peradeniya, Kandy

6th February 2010 - 7.00 p.m.
Lionel Wendt - Colombo

12th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Local Government Auditorium - Kurunegala

26th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Youth Centre - Anuradhapura

27th February 2010 - 2.30 & 6.30 p.m.
Sudasuna - Chillaw

The ‘Angry Young Man’ is back - Dinidu Karunanayake

Aristotle, the first scholar to theorise stagecraft in his legendary text poetics written in the 5th Century BC, clarifies the role of the poet/playwright as being in a prophetic mission. It is a universal journey in which the poet/playwright sees into the future. In Sri Lanka, a 25-year-pld rebel par excellence ventured on a similar mission in 1976 with his debut play Eka Adhipathi which reverberates with its timeless, universal criticism of corrupt politics, proving the playwright’s prowess. This is an interview with the rebel on the theatre Dharmasiri Bandaranayake who brings his highly acclaimed Eka Adhipahti back to theatre after 33 years.
By Dinidu Karunanayake

Q: As you believe, an artiste makes an attempt to express himself and to read ‘life’ through his creative mission of which your first stage work Eka Adhipathi (The Dictator) is a good example. What were the forces that motivated you as an amateur in 1976?

A: I entered theatre as an actor. Theatre has been the most dazzling medium in my life since my schooling time. I obtained much knowledge from the teachers I associated with. From the outset, I realised that I was being moulded by the training of drama in my creative sphere as well as personal life. While I gained immense pleasure and satisfaction out of theatre activities, I did not want to be a mere actor. Making an attempt to give life to good characters became a duty as well as responsibility for me. In this regard, I must mention three playwrights who had an enormous influence on me - Dayananada Goonewardena, Henry Jayasena and Sugathapala de Silva. Among the work I received to exhibit my talent, I must gratefully remember Makara by Henry Jayasena in which I was trained for the character called ‘Lanslot.’ My limbs, my voice, my gestures were all trained well for this character which was totally different from the character I play in Eka Adhipathi.

When I got involved in that play, the 1971 rebellion had just been over. It was the 1971 rebellion that devastated our education and the whole future. By the time I finished schooling, my dreams of university entrance had been shattered against a backdrop in which universities had become jails and rehabilitation centres. In 1971, I got a job as a government clerk, and this period was a turning point in my life. While all my future expectations had collapsed, the only recuperative power existed in theatre. As I feel, the ’71 rebellion and its context, the Sirimavo Bandaranaike regime and its collapse, the betrayal of the leftist movement etc. which gave birth to a political upheaval in the wider context had created a psychological tension within me. It was this tension that propelled me into my first stage creation, Eka Adhipathi at the age of 25. Initially I scripted this as Ghaathanaya (‘Murder’). The play was premiered at the Lumbini Theatre on November 25 and 26, 1976. The audience response was enthralling. Interestingly, the critics were polarised into two extremes as some argued the play as an excellent piece while some were of the view that it was a bad piece of work. Both types of criticism were important for me as an emerging playwright in terms of guidance which contributed to my successive work.

Q: The term ‘Eka Adhipathi’ is not confined to the protagonist per se, but it transcends to some other characters such as Malcolm the junior (the protagonist’s son). How do you perceive the contemporary political milieu of 1970s that paved the way for this play, and what is your reaction to the contemporary left-wing and right-wing political movements?

A: After Ms. Sirimavo Bandaranaike came to power, she opted for an alliance with the pioneers of the leftist political movement, and this existed since 1963. By 1970, the latter had much trust in the Bandaranaike administration, and accepted ministerial positions in her government. We, government servants, were fed with stuff like manioc with the so-called purpose of developing the country. At the same time we were informed that those who imposed the regulations were not consuming the same stuff. As I see, the ruling class is the one that burdens the ruled with innumerable burdens while living comfortably. This is called democracy. During the rebellion those from our generation who got involved were eliminated. This contemporary milieu had much impact on my play. The ‘super-speedy’ characters I have created in Eka Adhipathi were, in fact, drawn from my contemporary time.

Today, I do not look at this play as an antique work. Many spectators praise that I had created a prophetic work more than three decades ago of which the dialogues bear relevance even today. In the latest production, I haven’t changed even a minute detail of the original script.
The reason for me to re-stage it today is not because an election is forthcoming. We stared rehearsals around five months ago.

Q: This play is located in a Western context in regard to the fictional characters and also references to the real political figures to such an extent that the spectator may feel it is an adaptation of a foreign play. Why did you opt for this technique? Were you influenced by the Western theatre?

A: By 1971, institutions such as the British Council were staging many good theatrical pieces than earlier. Sometimes we did not understand their language because we were part of a generation that kept the English language aloof. However, their alluring quality, mode of casting and stage direction etc. inspired and impacted us a lot. This does not mean that we tried to imitate the Western theatre. As I think, drama is not a discipline of our own, but it came from ‘that side.’ Once it came to us, it could be moulded in accordance with the requirements of the Asian context. In the casting in Eka Adhipathi, I made an attempt to transcend beyond the locally prevalent mode of casting. Conversely, we were also highly influenced by the local playwrights such as Sugathapala de Silva, Dhamma Jagoda and Upali Attanayake.