This play is based on a true story.

Set during the 1989 Marxist youth insurrection in Sri Lanka, the story centers on Amarawansa, a labourer whose son is abducted.

In a desperate attempt to get him back, Amarawansa and his wife turn for help to a powerful Chief Minister. However, when the Minister takes a liking to Amarawansa’s wife, Amarawansa finds himself pitted against not just a very powerful and greedy man, but the impunity and apathy of Sri Lanka’s broken political system.

Through local satire and dark humour, the play explores themes of political corruption, helplessness, and the common man’s struggle, using minimal staging and a masterful solo performance.

Runtime
25 minutes

Language
English

Last Bus was first performed in 2001, as part of CHECKPOINT: Three Strangely Normal Plays, at the British Council, Colombo Sri Lanka.

From 2001 to 2007 it was performed in Sri Lanka, India, Japan and the UK.

In 2025, the play was revived to mark Stages' 25th anniversary, featuring the original actor Gihan de Chickera, and was performed at the Ubumuntu Festival of Arts in Kigali, Rwanda, in July 2025.

The Sunday Observer, Colombo 2001

‘Last Bus Eke Kathawa is a wonderful piece of theatre.’
‘Acted out brilliantly by Gihan de Chickera, the play proves to be one worth watching.’

The Island Colombo, 2001

‘Last Bus Eke Kathawa was … the highlight of the evening.’
‘A thoughtful and brilliantly translated script.’
‘… truly professional and accomplished performance by Gihan de Chickera.’
‘… totally convincing and truly masterful.’

Sunday Leader, Colombo, 2001

‘The translation itself has been done brilliantly where the blend of Sinhala and English was enormously poignant and captures the bilingual linguistic realities of our communities.’
‘Last Bus Eke Kathawa – the one man show enacted by Gihan de Chickera was completely stunning.’

Daily Mirror, Colombo, 2006

‘The poetry, lyricism of Sinhala plays evident in the more prosaic everyday English.’
‘Performed as brilliantly as always, watching Gihan do his almost trade-mark one man number is always a delight, for his instantaneous changes from passive passengers to distraught drunk are just so slick and the build up of emotional tension is so well controlled.’
‘Even after having seen it several times, I feel… well wrung out at the end of it.’

The HINDU, @The Metro Fest, Chennai 2007

‘The Drunk won hands down, a sterotype pushed to the extreme, but one that touched a deep chord of pathos within the ‘toffee’ of humour.’
‘A one man play masterfully performed by Gihan de Chickera, with tremendous flair and perfect timing of comedy.’
‘Gihan de Chickera performed this one man play with tremendous zest and perfect sense of comedy. His narrating style, mutating body with perfect east shifts in the tone of his language were all amazing. The drunken in him won hands down.’

Director
Ruwnathie De Chickera

Writer
Dhananjaya Karunaratne

Cast
Gihan De Chickera

Translation
Gihan de Chickera
Ruwanthie de Chickera
Shakthi Ranatunga

Photographer
Deshan Tennakoon

Producer (2025 Revival)
Shazna Zuhyle

Production Assistant (2025 Revival)
Visura Padeniya

Photographer (2025 Revival)
Daniel Ecwalu