Skip to main content

First Sinhala play at Tower Hall


Tower Hall which is synonymous with Sinhala theatre celebrated its 95th anniversary last week. It was on December 16, 1911 that the first play was staged at Tower Hall. The play was 'Pandukabahaya' (a historical play based on King Pandukabhaya) written and produced by Charles Dias, a lawyer by profession.

Tower Hall was built by a prominent businessman of the day, G. D. Hendrick Seneviratne Appuhamy who lived in Dematagoda. Along with a friend, B. J. Perera he ran a hotel at Panchikakwatta close to where he built Tower Hall. Maradana was not such a busy area then and he selected a little hillock opposite his hotel,Passenger Union Hotel to build the theater. He had bought the block of land for 50 rupees from the Municipality for a stable to house the horses who took part in the weekend races.

The hall had accommodation for 800 seated and 400 standing audience with facilities for the actors to change and get their make-up done.

The clock tower, which remains to this day was designed on the basis of the Tower of London, which also gave the name to the theater. The three faced clock had a glass cover.

Records indicate that the hall was opened by Governor Sir Henry McCallum at a colourful ceremony with lights blazing, crackers firing, and with bands in attendance. The proceedings began at 8.15 pm with Charles Dias welcoming the guests. Governor McCallum, in his reply speech, promised assistance to develop Sinhala theater. The play started at 9.15 pm.

Tower Hall soon became a popular place to stage Sinhala dramas, which were mainly historical plays. Charles Dias is credited with 34 plays, most of which were intended to re-awaken the spirit of nationalism among the Sinhalese. Apart from him, wellknown playwrights, John de Silva,P.T.P. Premachandra,E.A. Abeysekera, S.L.B. Kapukoyuwa, S.D. Stephen Silva, Sirisena Wimalaweera, B.L. Bodhipala and M.G.Perera staged their productions at Tower Hall.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Today's Special - January 13

In 1948, D.S. Senanayake became the first Prime Minister of independent Sri Lanka  In 1948, a new chapter in Sri Lanka's history began with the appointment of D.S. Senanayake as the country's first Prime Minister. As the leader of the United National Party, Senanayake had been a key figure in the country's independence movement and had played a vital role in securing autonomy from British rule. Senanayake's political career began in the 1920s when he was elected to the State Council, the legislative body of British Ceylon (as Sri Lanka was then known). He quickly made a name for himself as a vocal advocate for independence and was a leading member of the Ceylon National Congress, a political party that campaigned for self-rule. In the 1940s, as the country's independence movement gained momentum, Senanayake became a key figure in the United National Party, which emerged as the dominant political force in Sri Lanka. In 1947, the British government granted Sri Lanka a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Samuel Morse (1791 -1872)

American artist and inventor, known for his part in the invention of the electric telegraph and Morse code.   Samuel Finley Breese Morse important thing in his life Born - 27 April 1791 Died - 2 April 1872 (age 80) Education - Yale College Occupation - Painter , inventor Known for - The invention and transmission of Morse code Children - 7 Parents - Jedidiah Morse (father), Elizabeth Ann Finley Breese (mother) Spouse(s) - Lucretia Pickering Walker, Sarah Elizabeth Griswold Samuel Finley Breese Morse was born in charlestown Massachusettes(now part of Bostorn), on April 27, 1791, and Educated at Yale College (now Yale University). He studied painting in London and became a successful portrait painter and sculptor. In 1825, he helped found the National Academy of Design in New York City, and the following year he became the first president of the institution. he continued his painting and became a professor of painting and sculpture at New York University in 1832. About tha...
Post a Comment
Read more