Upali returns with Sinhala adaptation of Murdoch classic

EMD Upali, a familiar name in both the Colombo Bar and the Sinhala stage, is gearing up to unveil his latest theatrical venture, Pavul Kana Minihek, the Sinhala adaptation of Iris Murdoch's acclaimed novel The Black Prince.

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The play goes on board on December 6 at 7 pm at the open-air theatre of the Sudarshi Hall, Colombo.

Though not physically tall, he stands tall in fame. Upali's open, friendly nature and ever-present smile make him a respected figure in both legal and theatrical circles. The veteran director is also remembered for introducing the late Jackson Anthony to the stage through his 1983 hit Methanin Maruwenu, a production that went on to win national acclaim.

But his journey began much earlier. As an undergraduate at the University of Colombo, he created Methanin Maruwenu for an inter-faculty drama competition in 1981 and walked away with the Best Director award. The reworked version won him another Best Director title at the 1983 State Drama Festival. Two years later, he repeated the feat with Piyambana Assaya.

Academic commitments kept him away from the stage until 1995, when he returned with Eva Balawa, a Sinhala adaptation of J.B. Priestley's An Inspector Calls.

"Lucien de Zoysa first staged the English version at the Lionel Wendt in memory of his son Richard," Upali recalls. "I adapted it into Sinhala using the script by my guru and friend, Upali Attanayake. Eva Balawa went on to win four State Awards, including Best Director (Adaptation)."

He followed this success with Chara Purusha (2000), adapted from Gogol's The Government Inspector; Wana Tharavi, his staging of Ibsen's The Wild Duck during the Ibsen Centenary celebrations; and Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard as Idamedi Wikine in 2014.