MANDATE QUESTIONED AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CRISIS EMERGES

Sri Lanka's recent local elections have produced hung councils nationwide, revealing widespread voter disillusionment

- By K.K.S. PERERA

A new direction on a revised script of acclaimed director Prasanna Vithanage’s Sinhala language adaptation of Dario Fo’s play, “Horu Samaga Heluwen,” is currently being staged at two strategic locations across Colombo. This innovative theatrical experience divides the narrative between Flower Road in the city and Pelawatta in the suburbs, offering audiences a unique dual perspective on political maneuvering. Vithanage’s adaptation brings Fo’s satirical style to a contemporary Sri Lankan context, creating a thought-provoking examination of political dynamics that resonates with current social realities.

At the elegant Flower Road venue, theatergoers witness the political “losers” engaged in clandestine machinations with corrupt powerbrokers (the “horu”). These fallen elites forge desperate alliances with notorious figures, plotting to undermine their victorious opponents and orchestrate their return to power. The intimate setting transforms audiences into silent witnesses of backroom deals where principles are sacrificed for political gain.

Meanwhile, at the modern Pelawatta complex, the triumphant “winners” grapple with an unexpected erosion of their political capital. Despite their electoral success, these newly-empowered leaders find themselves vulnerable and increasingly paranoid. In a striking display of political irony, they contemplate wooing the very same corrupt elements (the “horu”) they once denounced to strengthen their fragile position. Is blocking a rival party that won the most votes from governing a legitimate strategy?

This innovative dual staging captures the cyclical nature of political opportunism, where yesterday’s moral outrage transforms into today’s strategic necessity, and the line between opponent and ally blurs in the relentless pursuit of power.