The God King Drama

Author – Tharanga Dandeniya

Publisher – VAPA university Press

First Edition 2022

ISBN 978-624-5785-24-7

152  Pages

Continuing wars between leaders great and small have left a mangled mess of commerce, livestock and human life in 17th century Ceylon. The fist of the Western intruders, the portuguese are no more, and with the allegiance of the Dutch, the king of the kandyan kingdom, rajasingha  ii, regained his strongholds. As the loyalties of the new invaders are constantly tested and contentions rise over the sharing of profits, Ordinary men, including dancers, are sent forth to battle. Songs of praise about the king are longer effective enough to lift the burdens borne by his people. The king, who trusts no one, including the women in his harem, resorts to becoming his own spy in this mission to detect defamers, rebels, and invaders. Through the struggles and the frustrations of the masses, new deities and demons are born to soothe and alleviate their misery. However, all such demons, deities, and human subjects must exist within the sovereignty of the king.

“The Good King Drama” is a play that blends Sri lankan folklore, legends, and historical accounts, taking readers on a journey from modern – day conflict to 17th – century Sri Lanka. This political and social fabric is interwoven with the saga of Munna and Guru, two traditional dancers who have been conscripted by the king’s army. Through the harshest days and darkest nights, the lingering hope of the two friends is to desert the war and return to their families. Freedom, however, comes at a price, and this price cannot be bargained.

Dr. Tharanga Dandeniya is a playwright ,theatre director and academic working as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Theatre, Ballet, and Modern Dance of the University of the visual and performing Arts in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

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