Yes, the “theater stalwarts” labour against tremendous odds to stage their productions and they should be commended for that. But amateur or not financial transactions take place and it is reasonable to expect certain standards to be met.

And as I, like all the other patrons, paid the cost of admission then it is my right to comment on this production as I see fit. And as I also pay for this site then it is also my right to air my critique here and publicize it to the best of my abilities. If this does not please you then you are well within your rights to ask for a refund.

Oh, wait… I didn’t ask you for any money did I?

I’ve dealt with flak for my reviews before and it doesn’t bother me. Apparently it is considered sacrilege to be less than fawning and I choose to be honest instead.

If you wish to write your own reviews then I will gladly publish them on this site. I’m sure you would find that more productive than calling me long-winded and vicious.

As for Jim’s sexual orientation… the dialogue implies that he is straight though not overtly enough that it can be taken as fact. The delivery confuses even further because the audience is unsure of whether the character is gay, just overly effeminate but straight or acted over-the-top for humorous effect. If the first then this is needlessly confusing, or if the latter then it is redundant as the play is funny enough without it. Effeminate would have been the ideal, but it didn’t feel like this had been achieved satisfactorily.

Longing Adventure, your last paragraph could be interpreted as insulting by a lot of people, including myself. The price of this ticket was more than worth the experience, and it was still cheaper than a lot of other productions. Also, if only a few people like me were the only theater patrons, then there would be no theater in this country. That’s not the way things work. What I hope to achieve is to hopefully put a little more perspective on the subject.

Firstly, of course someone needs to be credited for makeup and set design. It is only professional. They are both crucial aspects of any theatrical production and require expertise. Designing the set and making the actors up are both jobs for people who are intimate not only with staging conditions but are also thoroughly familiar with the play and the characters at hand.

Secondly, what made you so certain that Jim IS a heterosexual teen?

longing adventure : Is 350 really that absurd?

wow you must really be into reviewing stuff cause you’ve seen through all of the details. ten of my friends went over to watch it the last time round and said it was brilliant, but they were probably not qualified enough as an audience to comment.

seven more friends went to watch it this time around, two of whom had been to it the last time and they claimed it was better than the first run. idiots that they are.

i honestly believe we need more people like you who can read between the lines of every theatre production that happens in colombo, saves us the trouble of paying absurd amounts like 350 rupees to go watch it ourselves.

I eagerly await the next one.

thanks so much for your review. it’s good to know that someone is out there doing it, because there is such a lack of objective analysis. cheers.