The Plays – kolamba kamatha festival

kkf

plays

අට වන බුවනෙක Ata Wana Buwaneka by Chalaka Ranasooriya

Fri 27th Mar | General Audience | Sinhala | 14:30 -16:00 (95 mins) | in the Mihilaka Medura

අට වන බුවනෙක Ata Wana Buwaneka is a sharp-witted political satire that strips away the masks of the ruling class to reveal the opportunism and cunning lurking beneath. While the name suggests a king from ancient chronicles, this “Buwaneka” is a purely modern creation—the kind of “leader” who meticulously crafts a facade of service to fulfill personal ambitions.

The story unfolds against the chaotic backdrop of the “Aragalaya” (People’s Struggle), specifically on one of the most tumultuous days in the nation’s recent history. In a desperate bid to escape a retaliatory mob, our protagonist snatches a fallen police cap and seeks refuge in a massage parlor. His arrival triggers a hilarious and disastrous chain reaction: a terrified young man leaps from a fourth-story window, crashing straight into the middle of a traditional wedding ceremony in the house below.

As the wedding turns into a catastrophe and the world outside descends into riotous uncertainty, the cunning “Atawana Buwaneka” begins weaving a masterful plan to exit the chaos—not as a fugitive, but as a hero.

Fri 27th Mar | General Audience | Sinhala | 17:30 – 19:40 (130 mins)

| in the New Theatre

In රහසිගත ලිපිගොනු Secret Files (Rahasigatha Lipigonu), the color palette is anchored in white—a nod to the ancient Roman tradition where senators wore white togas to symbolize an integrity that our own modern parliamentarians still attempt to mirror. Every character in this play is draped in white, reflecting their desperate, often fragile, pursuit of honesty. Yet, these costumes are stained with touches of maroon: the color of impure blood, violence, and the weight of coercion.

The play explores a universal human struggle: the yearning to rectify past mistakes and find a way to heal those we have wronged. It asks if a sincere heart is truly enough to change a life, or if the people and world tethered to our errors will ever truly let us go. To navigate this complex psychological landscape, the production embraces the heightened Melodrama found in modern thrillers and international series, blending it with the director’s signature use of song, music, and comedy. Supported by a skilled ensemble of performers and designers, “Secret Files” is a bold creative expedition into the depths of the human conscience.

රහසිගත ලිපිගොනු Secret Files (a musical melodrama) by Indika Ferdinando

Poison by Lot Vekemans (Dir. Tehani Chitty, Mind Adventures Production)

Fri 27th Mar | Adults Only | English |18:30 -20:00 (90 mins) | in the Studio

An estranged couple are forced to meet almost a decade after a devastating loss. Alone in a room together, they must face their opposing emotional worlds and have the conversation they never got to have. Poison takes an intimate look at two people wrestling with grief in their different ways. Through humour and honesty, the play asks the question, ‘is it ever really possible to move on?’.

Sat 28th Mar | General Audience | Sinhala | 14:00 – 17:00 (180 mins) | in the New Theatre

The grand finale of the Kolamba Kamatha Short Drama Competition is an annual event organized by the Kolamba Kamatha Arts Center. This prestigious competition is dedicated to discovering and nurturing talented, creative artists among Sri Lanka’s emerging young playwrights and theater practitioners.

Kolamba Kamatha Short Drama Competition

අප අතර ඌ Apa Athara Oo

Sat 28th Mar | Adults Only | Sinhala | 21:00 – 22:30 (95 mins) | in the New Theatre

අප අතර ඌ Apa Athara Oo centers on Kusal and Vatsu, a beautiful newlywed couple. Living in a rented house away from their parents, they lead a life crafted entirely by their own desires. The play captures the initial magic and grandeur of marriage—filled with unwavering passion, deep affection, and mutual admiration. For a moment, the audience is left wondering if a love this perfect could even exist.

However, this idyllic world is shattered in an unexpected way by an uninvited guest: a rat. While the rat becomes the central figure around which the entire plot revolves, it remains an invisible symbol throughout the play.

Sun 29th Mar | Children’s Theatre/ Youth Theatre | Sinhala & English |13:00 – 13:45 (45 mins) | in the New Theatre

The Diga Kalisama: a simple piece of cloth with the power to transform a boy into a man, a friend into a bully, kindness into greed, jealousy and hatred. Those coveted white longs. The moment mallis in shorts become aiyas. Respect comes with it, they say. Power too. Maybe even a few extra inches in height. And then, you get them. Somewhere in that moment, something shifts. Sweet little boys step quietly into a world of hierarchy and male machismo—a subculture carefully fed and protected by schools, prefects, parents, and sports teams, where power, control, and intimidation slowly begin to look like the marks of ‘real men’. Three best friends wait eagerly for that day, convinced the white longs will open the door to an elusive and exclusive world. But in their eagerness to enter, to belong, what are they willing to forfeit? And what do they risk losing?

The Diga Kalisama by Ananda Drama

අපේ ගෙදර ගිනි තියයි ද Ape Gedara Gini Thiyayida (Will They Burn Our House Down)

Sun 29th Mar | General Audience | Sinhala | 17:30 – 19:15 (105 mins) | in the New Theatre

In Ape Gedara Gini Thiyayida (Will They Burn Our House Down), a group of female friends are gathering for a long-awaited school reunion at the home of one of them. The occasion is made even more special by the attendance of a friend who now lives abroad. As a surprise for the visiting friend, the others have invited the singer who was her favourite back in her school days.

What most do not know, however, is that one of the friends is in an extramarital affair with this singer. On the day of the reunion, an unforeseen incident sets off a chain of dramatic events. The tensions that follow are further inflamed by a coordinated social media campaign. The night builds to a fever pitch, and even the house hosting the reunion stands in danger of being burned down.

Written & Directed by : Rajitha Dissanayake

Sun 29th Mar | General Audience | Sinhala | 18:00 – 19:45 (105 mins) | Studio

We warmly welcome you to the world of the Wingfield Family—a place of love, dreams, and gentle struggles. Inspired by Tennessee Williams’ the Glass Menagerie, this timeless story was beautifully adapted into Sinhala by Dr. Henry Jayasena as Punchi Paligu Rana and brought vividly to life on stage.

Amanda, the mother, holds on to memories of the past; Tom, her son, wrestles with responsibility and the longing for freedom; and Laura, the daughter, finds solace in her delicate Glass Menagerie. Jim, the visitor, brings new hopes and possibilities into their lives. The Wingfield Family is a tender, relatable, and profoundly human story, a celebration of love, dreams, and the quiet courage to keep believing, even when life feels impossible.