A Thousand and One Nights

“Miss, Amaya said there was something in my eye.”

Meth Abeysinghe I don't know about her but there was indeed something in my eye, a tear.

For those of you who may not know, “A Thousand and One Nights” is a compelling collection of middle eastern stories told within a period of one thousand and one nights. The narration is done by Sheherazade played by Amaya Perera, attended to by Sharyar ennacted by Siyath Anandasiri, and the hilarious Dunyazade impersonated by Meth Abeysinghe.

I would also like to note that as enthralling as the original literary composition was, the drama club of SIS managed to take that quality and amplify it by including their own personal touch.

The first thing that caught my eye was the unique setting of the play. To go into more detail, the backdrop and additional props display clear skill, attention to detail and the effort which went into its creation. On top of this, the lighting on stage and the overhead lights off stage all contributed to creating a captivating ambience, flawlessly complimenting the mood of “The Arabian Nights” and successfully transporting the audience into the world created by the cast.

Setting aside the physical contribution, the well thought out presentation managed to deliver a hugely enchanting recital to the audience. Furthermore, I would say that the talent of the cast is what truly and most effectively brought the play to life.

Firstly, the cast selection couldn’t have been more perfectly appointed. Anyone could see that each of them managed to excellently fit into their role and portray the characters’ mannerism, successfully projecting their intentions and giving extra purpose to the storyline. The personalities of each character appeared to emerge so naturally, it was as though they weren’t acting at all. To develop this, the evident chemistry among the cast was only able to convey better relationships between the characters in the act.

To be more particular, let us consider the language and behaviour adopted by each performer. Through the mere use of words and tone, the cast was able to emphatically and passionately display emotions which was a great contribution to the play. However, even in the moments of silence, each and every member was able to interpret their roles in utmost earnest ways through actions, gestures, and facial expressions, wholly possessing the audience’s attention throughout every moment of the play.

Furthermore, we can now confirm that the drama club is not only comprised of skilled actors and actresses, but musical talent as well. Personally I believe the singing exceptionally executed by both soloists Amaya Perera and Lourdi Perera deserves a large round of applause. Every word was rendered so vehemently that I am almost completely sure it gave the audience goose bumps; as it did myself many times over. Along with the vocal talent, the instrumental talent was also a great contribution to the allure of the play.

Finally, I do not believe for one second, that all of this would have been accomplished without the help of the backstage crew, the editors, costume designers, audio engineers, and the brilliant directors who put their all into the making of the play.

- Akayla Gonawela