Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

The Ash Girl proved herself
By Apsara Kapukotuwa
In all honesty, I had no expectations as I settled down to watch The Ash Girl put together by the Academy of English and Drama at the Lionel Wendt on April 3. You can just imagine how much I enjoyed the production as a consequence – not just due to the stimulating script of Timberlake Wertenbaker, but also its delivery by a talented young cast. This classic and time-tested tale of a beautiful poor young girl falling in love with a handsome and charming prince was given its extra entertainment value all thanks to the thought provoking lines given to each character, regardless of its standing in the play.

It was obvious that the young cast enjoyed their time on stage and it helped that there were so much young talent for the audience to appreciate. Special mention should go to those who played the roles of the Ash Girl, Ruth, Princess Zehra, and the stepmother.

Despite the fact that at times the words were not clear, especially in the case of a few very young members of the cast, the delivery of dialogue (and for that matter even the emotionally wrought monologues) were generally well-timed. One of the most interesting scenes in that respect takes place at the Ball when Ash Girl gets to dance with Prince Amir, just before the entrance of the stepsisters, their mother and Princess Zehra. Nilshana Jayamaha was truly captivating as the Ash Girl, a young girl coming to terms with her own identity, with an identifiable mixture of sadness, hope, apprehensive love and happiness. Her decision to take refuge in what she calls “my ashes”, reeling from a sense of betrayal of a much loved father who “went in search of his heart,” at first makes the audience pity her and later, wish that she would take charge of her life. Her metamorphosis into a confident and hopeful young lady was indeed heartwarming.

Ruth, played by Vishan Gunewardene was a brilliant portrayal of comic relief. In his hands, Ruth became alternatively naïve, eager to please, nasty and yet just short of been outright wicked with more than a touch of humor in every move. He was ably assisted in making the best of his role by those who played his stepsister Judith (Anushka Rambukwella) and stepmother (Shanelle de A. Guneratne).

The seven deadly sins were also among those who stood out for their enthusiastic portrayals especially the Anger bird, the Slothworm, Glutton toad, Envy snake and Sadness.

On a different note, the set design was very interesting and lovely and the very economical way in which the set changes took place was indeed admirable. The same could be told of the costumes, which were quite ingenious in design. Special mention should also be made of the make-up of the seven deadly sins and the main characters, which was very fascinating to say the least.

Directed by Nirmali Hettiarachchi and assisted by Chaya Sri Nammuni, Nazmia Wahid, Chamindri Wijayatilake, Dinusha Pathiraja, Ranmali Wickramesinghe and Rekha Manamperi, The Ash Girl was indeed an evening well spent at the theatre.

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