The synopsis of ‘Walking Path’, a devised, wordless play directed by Jayampathi Guruge and scripted by Ruwanthie de Chickera, mocks me now. It declares the play to be about the new walking path culture in Sri Lanka, the ‘culture of exercise, of healthy living, of beautification of the city and the people within it.’ While all of that is true, the allegorical scope of the play is stunning, turning the already complex events of cities and people going through forced change into something that spans themes that affect the whole country. The whole thing unfolds like a warped social experiment, as if uniformed arbitrators are setting the scene and then monitoring the involuntary participant’s interactions.
As Ruwanthie said, “the audience will have to take responsibility for their own journey”, therefore I am merely documenting mine.
The beginning is jarring, unexpectedly showering gunfire that melds into fireworks. Water pistol toting figures of authority stand as people pose for pictures around them, barely cracking smiles as peace signs are thrown around. The celebrations are scarcely over when the new environment is introduced, it was set in place without anyone on stage noticing. Soon after, there is a steady flow of joggers using the path. The characters slowly try this out, each running in a distinct style that hints at the play’s study of human character. They quickly settle into this lifestyle of exercise, strangers exchanging glances, limited interactions that are exhaustedly repeated.
‘Parana Sinhaya Ko (Grrr)?’ had a symbolic lion that the characters were familiar with suddenly start snarling, perhaps turning on the people who had looked to it with pride. A disembodied piercing whistle in ‘It wasn’t me!’ forbade any public displays of affection – to the point when fellow characters turned on a pair of miscreant lovers. One scene poked fun at our use of cell-phones, a bit of lightness that was welcome in an otherwise weighty play. Not that it was at all a caricature, in fact one part that stood out was a young girl’s selfie-taking efforts being metby lukewarm reactions.
‘Battery babies’ was another open-ended scene, a brilliant metaphor that worked on many levels. The characters played with their toy racing cars; also their children, possibly calling to mind another child who was given his choice of toys. ‘The world in my phone’ had us listening in on what each character allowed themselves to be influenced by, from music to troubles at home to religious prayers, subtly addressing the current racial conflict in Sri Lanka.
‘Alone in a crowd’ had one character struggling to move one of the seats, becoming so enraged at the change that he blocks the joggers and pushes them back. We laughed, but then were quickly moved to an entirely different emotion as he was carried away and beaten up. Characters that tried to help him were killed for their efforts. Chillingly, the joggers then continued running, over their prone bodies. ‘Don’t take stupid decisions so…’ jolted us back into the real point of the play, a disturbing and moving final scene that was very emotional. I found myself unexpectedly in tears, overwhelmed by all that the play was trying to say.
The acting was superb, each character perfect in their various roles, covering many different types of emotions with ease. Every transition was fluid, the poses, lighting, use of limited props combined with the stellar performances meant that the minimalist play worked extremely well. I liked how the authorities had a vaguely menacing air without obvious weapons except in ‘After all the noise’ where one emblematic slingshot was fiddled with, now without use. The costumes too were not overtly suggestive, but the polo necks and slacks conveyed a strict uniform. The effects with the balloons were eerily alarming.
Overall, the play was powerful, finding its power in what was never explicitly said but implied in discreet undertones.
Comments from audience members
“The play not only entertained me, but was very thought provoking and I was left with a lot of things to ponder on. This is what a good play should do to you. The actors were so natural and comfortable on stage and brought out the emotion and atmosphere of the scenes so well.” – Shenali
“I didn’t understand some parts, the abstract way they showed situations was really nice but some were too abstract for me. This was the first play I watched and it was good, all the everyday things were shown really nicely. You really can say a lot of things without words.” – Surami
“Beautifully crafted and deeply thought-provoking.” – Amanda
“It really forced me to engage with its themes through silence, rather than imposing one interpretation. Its lack of clarity allowed each member of the audience theirvery own experience of the play.” - Elizabeth
By Marissa van Eyck
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