Kalumaali: a fairy tale for grown-ups looks at the challenges of modern-day parenting against the backdrop of our age-old yearning for magic and destiny. It is structured around 5 fairy tales told to a young child by the adults in her life.

Runtime
1 hour 30 minutes

Language
English and Sinhala

Kalumaali, written and performed simultaneously in English and Sinhala, included veteran actors like Peter D’Almeida and Kaushalya Fernando.  It ran to full houses and was well received by audiences. The script was shortlisted for the 2013 Gratiaen Prize in Sri Lanka.

Kalumaali was first staged at the Lionel Wendt Theatre, Colombo, Sri Lanka in September 2012.

The staging was supported by The Sunethra Bandaranaike Trust, Rithihi and Halien Production House , John Keells Group, Dialog, Dove, Anagi, and Ponds’.

“The language of the play and the voice of the characters are distinctly Sri Lankan, but this sensitive and insightful play about living, loving, resisting and growing up transcends its context and reaches out, particularly to anyone who has ever felt both exhilarated and trapped by motherhood and generally to everyone who has felt constrained by social norms.”

Vivimarie VanderPoorten, Lecturer, University of Colombo

“An innovatively structured play which, while being described as “a fairy tale for grown-ups”, works at the level of magical story for children and as powerful theatre for adults exploring the identity crisis of a working woman and a mother.”

Gratiean Judges’ citation

“Kalumaali should be applauded for many reasons, amongst which is, the mettle it possesses as being a work that strikingly captures a facet of contemporary Sri Lankan thinking through the magic of theatre.”

Dilshan Boange, Sunday Observer

“Kalumaali, for me is not a fairy tale. It’s a very real tale. A tale that both men and women need to watch and listen to.”

Chandani Kirinde, Sunday Times

“The simplicity of the production and the genuinity of the script helped in no small measures to get the very complex concept of motherhood across.”

Sandya Salgado, Daily Mirror

“The play throws up a true Pandora's Box of questions and problems as to the kind of parenting required for the modern world…”

Shiromi Gunasekara, Daily Mirror

“Kalumaali is an unusual combination of folk tale, myth and social criticism - the criticism offered up in dialogue that is understated but powerful; its power and poignancy deriving from the voices of real women in real situations of challenge, self-identity, and social pressure.”

Dushyanthi Mendis, Lecturer, University of Colombo

“One of the best productions I have seen in a long time. Its simplicity and reality just blew my mind away. The fact that it had us talking about its meaning and depth after the performance goes to show how relevant and gripping the story was.”

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Director
Ruwanthie de Chickera

Writers
Ruwanthie de Chickera & Nadie Kammallaweera

Cast
Lakmini Seneviratne
Nadie Kammallaweera
Peter D’Almeida
Kaushalya Fernando
Miranga Ariyaratne
Irangani Serasinghe
Juanita Beling
Shenali Rajkumar
Shyalina Muthumudalige
Sahlah Anees
Gihan de Chickera
Dhanushka Dias
Malshani Delgahapitiya
Jayampathi Guruge
Kaushalya Mendis

Kalumaali - RESOURCE PACK (ENGLISH)

Kalumaali - RESOURCE PACK (SINHALA)

Kalumaali - RESOURCE PACK (TAMIL)

Kalumaali - PLAYSCRIPT