With less than a week to the much awaited production of Jehan Aloysius’s smash-hit comedy Bengal Bungalow at the Lionel Wendt, on 30 November and 1 December, tickets are running out fast, we hope you’ve got yours. Set in Bengal in the late 1930’s, Bengal Bungalow’s plot revolves around a British family, comprising Arthur Fenworth and his daughter Lillian that resides in India. Their home, Bengal Bungalow, becomes a bizarre circus when a British pilot decides to accidentally crash his aircraft through the newly refurbished guestroom. Aloysius, views Bengal Bungalow as “a family play with just a hint of tongue in cheek humour” and said he has much love for his new cast, which is definitely bustling with creative energy – with this year’s performance consisting of both young and prominent thespians ready to take the stage for the fifth run of Bengal Bungalow. Heshal - Pilot [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="13267"] “As a Josephian, I gained his stage wings in the Shakespeare drama competition and was part of the 2015 winning cast with his portrayal of King Lear. I have since been a part of many plays in various capacities, including the Rag - The Musical with CentreStage Productions. I play the ‘Pilot’ in Bengal Bungalow, a vocally and physically challenging role that requires me to bear it all, yet witty and outrageous enough for me to ‘crash’ in love with.” Chantal - Lily [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="13266"] “Bengal Bungalow is my first production with CentreStage. Playing the role of Lily has certainly been a very interesting journey for me. Having watched almost all of Jehan’s plays, some twice or thrice, I’ve always dreamt of working with him. I never imagined I’d be playing Lily when I watched Bengal Bungalow two years ago. There were many challenges I faced when portraying this role, for example getting her flirtatious, crazy nature. However, I was able to overcome most of these and bring out the very best with Jehan’s expert guidance. Working with Jehan has been a great experience and you go home having gained some valuable advice in acting. I am a past pupil of Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya, and I hold an ATCL and an LLCM in Speech & Drama.” Patrick – Charles [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="13268"] “This is my second performance of Bengal Bungalow with CentreStage Productions. I’m enjoying every bit of it. I have a burning passion for comedy, so I thoroughly thank my director Jehan Aloysius for giving me this opportunity to be a part of this wildly hilarious play. Working with Jehan is a great learning curve for me as I get to explore numerous ways to perform as an actor; it has helped me to improve my speaking skills as well as my posture. Moreover, after every rehearsal I’m able to keep on adding layers to my character to boost my performance like never before.” Shehan (Babs) – Papa [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="13269"] “The Inter School Shakespeare Drama Competition 1999 was the first time I worked with Jehan. It was a turning point for my passion towards drama. What I learned then as a 13 year old helps me understand and portray any given character up to date. The regular workshops and training for those school productions were the foundation of my acting abilities. My introduction to CentreStage Productions was playing the role of the Mahout in Bengal Bungalow (2004). Since then I’ve taken part in all 4 previous runs as the Mahout and Papa, so I’ve been part of Bengal Bungalow since its first run. Jehan and CentreStage have taught the dos and don’ts of theatre, and also some do’s and don’ts for life as well.” The crew advise our readers to purchase tickets soon, so as not to miss out on the juicy happenings at Bengal Bungalow. Nov 30 - Dec 1 Lionel Wendt Auditorium Box office is now open at the Lionel Wendt! Call 0112695794 Online Sales: www.lionelwendt.org By Dimithri Wijesinghe