Naomi’s dream of dinner dance theatre comes true
Reigning UK national Latin American champions – Gunnar Gunnarsson and Marika Doshoris, Blackpool Open Smooth Champions – Nauris Kalva and Manuja Hughes, will be in action in Colombo come April as they perform at Dance Epicure, a dinner dance theatre created by well-known dance teacher Naomi Rajaratnam. Sharing the spotlight that evening will be leading [...]
Nothing happens, then everything happens at this coffee lounge
“Outside. The world is falling apart. But inside The Lounge, it’s an ordinary day in a caramelised bubble, where things seem well within control. Until they aren’t.” Chaos Lounge set in an upmarket coffee locale, is an original script written by Tasmin Anthonisz, founder of Studiolusion, a performance lab for young artists, and directed by [...]
Building on sustainability and inclusivity: CFW turns 20
Celebrating an important milestone in the form of its 20th year, Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) returns once again with CFW Summer 2023 taking the spotlight over a five-day period from March 29 to April 2 at the Shangri-La Colombo, the official host hotel for the event. The CFW journey started in 2003 by giving a [...]
Visual and Performing Arts Uni soon to perform their ‘greatest show’
It’s the tale of a princess going in search of melodies to distant lands, so she can weave them together for a final magical melody- the Secret Symphony- which when played will end the drought plaguing her kingdom for 100 years. Such is the plot of the grand theatrical extravaganza the University of Visual and [...]
In Jaffna, literature to take new meaning in today’s context
It’s time to head to Jaffna with the Gratiaen Trust bringing new literary light to the reawakening peninsula. After their very successful day programme in 2020 (with overwhelming response and the performance event flooded by a truly diverse audience from America to Colombo though mostly Jaffna) they will have this year a more comprehensive line-up, [...]
My first day at school
Tuesday, 17th January – it was my first day at school. A 60-strong group of seven-year -olds were gathered in the school’s old dining hall, each of us having come with a parent or guardian, ready to be admitted to the primary class of that ancient school. As our names (surnames with initials, not first [...]
Skilful weaving of the professional and personal
The author of this book Padmani Mendis and I share a cherished friendship of many decades. That friendship goes back to a classroom from the primary grades in the school we both attended. It became less important to both of us in the in between years of youth and diverse career paths. We connected again and have shared both [...]
Manjula’s account of the death of a princess
The death of Diana, Princess of Wales at the age of 36 on August 31, 1997, was a shattering tragedy that caused grief and shock around the world. The most photographed woman in the world, the People’s Princess as she was fondly known, was snatched away in the prime of life. Diana died in a [...]
It’s back! Scrabble for senior citizens
The popular Senior Citizens Association scrabble tournament is back this month. It will be held on April 30 at the Hilton Colombo from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The tournament for Scrabble enthusiasts is open to those aged over 55. It will be played in two categories, the Championship category and the Intermediate category (A [...]
Letters to the Editor
Elections, the people’s rights and my problem The atmosphere in our country is like that of an ant hill, constantly in a state of unrest. People rushing everywhere, most often aimlessly indulging in idle talk of past times. The country’s economy is in dire straits and we are unable to settle our debts without getting [...]
APPRECIATIONS
A Jaffna man – an eminent surgeon with a European reputation The 180th birth anniversary of Dr. W. G. Rockwood fell on March 13 March 13, 2023 marked the 180th birth anniversary of Dr. William Gabriel Rockwood, MLC, MD, MRCP, MRCS. Born on March 13, 1843 in Alaveddy, a small agricultural town in Jaffna, he [...]