Angelo Pereira always loved plays. He was
never an actor or director of any sort, but grabbed every chance to see
theatrical productions.
“I learnt a lot by watching,” he says. “I
learnt a lot about plots, and about acting and directing.”
It is not a surprise, then, that into his
twenties, whenever he re-read a familiar story from the bible, play-scripts
just seemed to present themselves to Pereira. He took one of his completed
scripts to his good friend Dominic Kellar from Pussweddilla fame, in 2011. And
in December of that year, they produced “Star of Wonder” based on the story of
the magi who were at Christ’s birth.
At the first staging, glancing through the
audience, Pereira was surprised to realize that most of the spectators were
“people not from the church and not [his] friends”. Word had got out and the
play made a small hit.
And now, the events might just be about to
repeat themselves. Albeit on a much grander scale.
Although “Daniel” is only the first major theatrical
production of a work by young playwright Angelo Pereira, the enthusiasm behind
the (literal and figurative) scenes signals much more than that. Pereira has
well-known names like Jerome de Silva, Domini Kellar and Dhanan Senathirajah
backing him up on a maiden project that could be the beginnings of a legacy.
The story of the play begins with Dhanan
Senathirajah. Head of Finance and Planning at NDB by day, he is bible teacher
on the weekends. And by night he writes. Bringing his father’s love for
history, his mother’s love of God and 30 years of bible-teaching experience
together, Senathirajah wrote “Daniel out of His Comfort Zone” in 2011. The book
contextualizes, historically and psychologically, the biblical tale of Daniel
who was thrown in the lion’s den.
Pereira had heard of Senathirajah long
before 2011, so on a whim, he decided to go for the launch of “Daniel out of
His Comfort Zone”.
“It was completely random,” Pereira says, “I
had decided not to go, but ultimately went and even got myself a book.”
From there, the history and psychology had
him hooked.
“Even while he was reading the book,
[Pereira] would call me after finishing each chapter and tell me he was inspired
and touched by it,” Senathirajah says.
So when, after finishing the book, Pereira
suggested a play based on it, Senathirajah was ready to go. The author calls
the playwright “quite brilliant”, and true to the compliment, Pereira finished the
first draft of “Daniel” in what Senethirajah says was “a matter of days”.
Senethirajah was so excited to see the text
of the play that he read and edited it while walking through airport terminals.
And then a bigger idea started whispering.
Another pleasant surprise on Senathirajah’s
list of diverse commitments is the Christian Arts Foundation (CHRAFT). And of
course, he is good pals with Jerome de Silva. Here is possibly the highest
accomplished English theatre director in Sri Lanka to date, and a fresh script
by a passionate young writer. The rest is probably history.
Jerome de Silva “jumped at the idea” of
producing Pereira’s script, Senathirajah says.
“There is so much of drama in the Bible!”
de Silva enthuses. “I find it fascinating, the process of turning a bible story
in to a drama.”
De Silva was, in fact, still in that very
process with “Jesus Christ Superstar” when Senathirajah told him about
“Daniel”. He was familiar with the story, and had already directed a musical
version of it, so he took the project on with no hesitation, knowing what
energy and potential it held.
From that point forward, it has been a revelatory
experience for Pereira.
“Jerome is phenomenal,” the playwright
says. “When I finished editing the script, I handed it over to him and told him
now it’s his turn, my work is done.”
Pereira, in what appears to be a
characteristically unassuming fashion, is now caught up in the production just
as any other spectator would be. His eyes light up as he describes his emotions
at seeing what de Silva is doing with his script, with literal showers of
Nebuchadnezzar’s gold, and silent sinister smiles that say so much more than
just the words on the page.
“There are elements of horror in the story
which I never foresaw,” Pereira continues in disbelief. “But when I see the
actors...” he trails off, lost for words.
The four main roles in the production are all
played by Muslim actors, a fact that may come as a surprise to some. But for
Pereira it is an encouraging opportunity to “learn from each other” and grow
together, discovering that despite coming from different backgrounds, they are
“on the same page”.
The rest of the cast of “Daniel” is a
combination of new as well as familiar faces. Some of the actors, like Niren
Ranasinghe (playing Nebuchadnezzar), are those who have already been a part of
major theatrical productions. Senathirajah, the author of “Daniel out of His
Comfort Zone”, the book on which the play is based, is also part of the cast. Many
others are products of the Annual Interschool Shakespeare Drama Competition,
and people that the director, de Silva, has been looking forward to working
with.
Such a cast, under the guidance of Jerome
de Silva, is bringing to life the horror and glamour of Daniel’s story. A story
written with the simple and earnest pen of a young writer, Angelo Pereira,
reflecting Senathirajah’s love of God and history. “Daniel” could be an
unforgettable moment in Sri Lanka’s history of English theatre.
Don’t miss it!