Divorce Me Darling! - A night to remember 

The Past Pupils Association of Bishop’s College and the Old Boys’ Association of S Thomas’ College got together to produce a hilarious musical comedy for the first time in the history of both schools. Recruiting highly talented past students from both schools, this joint theatre production ‘Divorce Me Darling’, was a sweeping success. Celebrating the common heritage of the historical bonds developed through decades of camaraderie and the traditions of being in the forefront of theatre throughout the years,‘Divorce Me Darling’ was a truly memorable theatre extravaganza with song, dance and intrigue that were enjoyed by a variety of people. 

The evening began with everyone in the auditorium standingup for the two School Songs. The two anthems, sung with such passion and love for the alma maters, echoed in all corners of the packed auditorium. This was a unique and emotional moment! It’s not often that a brother and sister school sing their anthems together, and I’m sure it brought a lot of pride and joy  to the hearts of every past and present student in the audience. 

 

‘Divorce Me, Darling!,’directed by Thushara Hettihamuand assisted by Nafeesa Amiruddeen and Jith Peiris, was a nostalgic take on the musical comedies of the 1930s and a sequel to the ‘The Boy Friend’. The charming young pupils of Madame Dubonnet's finishing school who married their respective 'boy friends' come together again after ten years of marriage at the Hotel du Paradis in Nice. But as the initial euphoria of married life has worn off, they sing and dance their way through some catchy numbers. 

 

After the overture, the curtains open togilt-edged pillars and a grand red carpeted staircase, a fully stacked bar and portraits of European royalty:the glamorous foyer of the Hotel du Paradis at Nice on the French Riviera.The hotel manager Gaston is the first to strut in singing ‘Here We Are in Nice Again’ followed by an assortment of hotel guests. Outside you could see the old street lamps and an elegant stone structure.The ambiance of the set designed and executed by Jith Pieris was terrific. You cannot help but be transported to Europe in the early 20th century. 

Our heroine Polly and her friends are back in Nice for some fun in the sun without their husbands. They discover that handsome, ex-playboy Bobby Van Husen is also in town… ‘sans’ his wife, their old schoolmate Maisie. When they spend an evening catching up, the door to yet another series of misunderstandings and complications is opened. This time it involves a tell-tale lipstick smear, a trio of health nuts, a mysterious cabaret singer and a plot to assassinate a South American president. When Maisie and the girls' husbands descend on Nice - divorce is in the air! 

 

Act two opens outside the Cafe Pataplon. Hannah, whose character epitomizes the element of comedy, mentions the scarf as well as the lipstick stain on the glass and provokes another argument and songs of ‘Divorce Me, Darling’ between suddenly unhappy couples.In sharp comedic contrast, Hannah laments her unattached state with "Here Am I, But Where's The Guy?" bemoaning the fact that "every time that I spot him/some other dame has already got him." 

After all the twists and turns the story ends with ‘…….and they lived happily ever after’ which I believe the audience has come to believe will last only another ten years until the girls relive their escapades. 

‘Here we are in Nice again’, ‘Someone to dance with’, ‘Whatever happened to love?, ‘Lights! Music!, ‘Together again, ‘Divorce Me, Darling!’, ‘Here am I, But where's the guy?’, ‘Out of step’, ‘Fancy forgetting’, ‘You're absolutely me’, ‘Back where we started’, ‘Blondes for danger’ and ‘Swing-time Is here to stay’were some of the memorable songs that were performed. 

The singing was just amazing! Such a lot of talent on one platform, it was spectacular! The resounding success sure made the audience want another collaboration of these two institutions to happen in the near future! 

Daily Mirror Life spoke to the few people from the audience as well as directors and cast to get their opinion. 

Rochelle Tissarachchi 

Fantastic singing. They pulled of the accent every well. Bishop’s College and S Thomas College have really shown their colours! Polly and Hortense were super. 

Oshada Senanayake 

Kudos to the directors and the cast for a superlative performance taking the audience back in time for a musical that kept us enthralled throughout! 

Shiran Jayasinghe 

Spectacular performance with theatre at its best. The costumes were beautiful. It took you back in time. You rarely get to see shows of this caliber nowadays. All in all it was a great show! 

Amila Siriwardene 

It was a fantastic show. Hilarious and entertaining!  The singing was remarkable. The costumes and sets were impressive. We enjoyed it. Hannah brings to life the comedy aspect of the whole drama. Congratulations, Bishop’s and S Thomas’! 

Ramala Wijesekera 

All in all a witty and entertaining show! I think I could speak for everyone in the audience when I say it reached beyond expectations. There was never a dull moment. An excellent production. Well done BC and STC! 

Ajani Ranwala 

After many years I witnessed a joint production between two schools. It was obvious that much thought had been given to music direction and choreography which was commendable. Also we saw outstanding talent among the cast. We are looking forward to many more productions of this calibre in the future. 

Tarita Nugaduwa 

It was super. Great production. Hannah was pretty good. 

Ramani 

It was excellent. The dancing, the sets everything was excellent. Beautifully organised. Precision timing. The flow was very smooth. They were all very good. But I think there was something special about Hortense the maid. 

Gihan Sirimanne 

I enjoyed the show very much. The cast was very talented. Even though they’ve left school they haven’t lost the touch. My favourite character was Hannah. She was so natural. 

Directors & Cast 

Thushara Hettihamu (Director) 

It’s a wonderful thing for these two prestigious schools to come forward in making a production of this nature a reality. I’m really really privileged to be a part of this and to take this super talented cast and put this whole production together with the support of Jith and Nafeesa. I’m so glad to be here and so happy that I could make this happen. 

Dmitri Gunatilake (Music Director) 

This was different in a good way. Different genre and a different set of cast. Everyone is pretty much older to me. Tiring but very exciting. Every has been very supportive so it was great! 

Swasha Malalasekera (from the cast) 

We were all a little nervous on the opening night. Also a little tired after all the strenuous practices. But the energy was really good and everyone was happy about their performances. 

Sulakshana Dias Ameratunga (from the cast) 

It’s a novel experience to work with a cast such as this with diverse talent and capabilities. It’s a challenge as well as a privilege.  It’s amazing how such a vast and wide group can pull this through in such a short time. 

Suranthaka Cabraal (from the cast) 

This a magical experience of sorts. After leaving College this is the first production I have got involved in. I love the character I’m playing. It’s a different experience and a challenging role. But I enjoyed it. 

Reviewed by Niro Waidyaratne 
Photographs by Pradeep Dilrukshana