CentreStage Productions is one of Sri Lanka’s more renowned amateur drama groups. Led by dramatist, director, choreographer, and writer Jehan Aloysius, this year sees CentreStage Productions mark the 20th anniversary of its very first original musical – ‘Rag: The Musical’. 

Marking this milestone, Aloysius and his team are currently hard at work on a special 20th anniversary performance of ‘Rag: The Musical’ which will take place on 19 and 21 July at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. 

The Sunday Morning Brunch was invited to a special preview of this 20th anniversary performance, which promises to be as enthralling an experience as its very first staging. 

The story of ‘Rag: The Musical’ began over two decades ago when a young Aloysius received an acceptance letter to the University of Colombo, a huge achievement for any student looking to continue their education through the State university system. However, instead of celebrating, Aloysius’ first reaction was fear. He hid the letter, but his mother eventually found it and insisted that he accept the place offered to him. 

This fear stemmed from the tragic deaths of two students due to ragging that year. Pushing through his fear of being bullied, Aloysius went on to study at the University of Colombo and while he did fall victim to ragging, his experiences at university became the foundation for ‘Rag: The Musical,’ a production that has left an indelible mark on Sri Lankan theatre.

The musical follows the story of Joseph, an idealistic young man who enters a State university with dreams of ending ragging through words, not violence. His childhood friend, Peter, now a senior and a pro-ragger, holds a personal vendetta against him. The musical portrays both the fun and dark sides of university life, aiming to present an objective look at the issue of ragging.  

Aloysius chose to present the story as a musical rather than a play because of music’s ability to transcend language barriers and make hard-hitting subject matter more accessible. The musical features a sparse set with minimal props, demanding more from the actors to immerse the audience in the story.

‘Rag: The Musical’ was first staged as a work-in-progress in 2004, then staged in its entirety in 2012 and again in 2017. Since its first full production in 2012, it has received praise for its portrayal of institutionalised bullying in State universities. The 2017 performance was shorter than the original and saw the musical explore fewer characters in order to spark stronger debate and open eyes to the harsh realities faced by many undergraduates. 

This 20th anniversary performance, Aloysius shared, had been further streamlined and designed to be easily taken abroad as a travelling show. Aloysius hopes the musical will inspire audiences to address both violent and non-violent ragging with a clear message of non-violence.

A spotlight on the impacts of ragging

Based on Aloysius’ own experiences with ragging as well as those of others, ‘Rag: The Musical’ first and foremost serves as a means to shine a light on the often detrimental impact of ragging. 

The launch event for the 20th anniversary performance of the musical leaned into this vision by featuring a curated preview of the musical itself as well as perspectives from those who have lived through ragging, including actress Yashoda Wimaladharma and Avanti Perera, who collaborated with Aloysius on the musical arrangement for ‘Rag: The Musical’ as well as many of Aloysius’ other musical productions. 

Wimaladharma, who entered university in 1993, recounted how ragging affected her family profoundly. “Ragging was meant to be about welcoming newcomers with love, but it has not been that way for decades,” she said, attributing the rise of violent ragging in the 1980s to frustrations of youth, especially rural youth, brought about by the civil war and the many challenges Sri Lanka faced during this period. 

Despite being a popular and well-known figure (and sometimes because of her fame), Wimaladharma was subjected to severe ragging. Her father, a lecturer at the university she attended, despite being faculty, couldn’t protect her from the brutal treatment. Seeing Wimaladharma struggle with being ragged mercilessly led to her father suffering from a nervous breakdown, further health difficulties, and his eventual death. 

Despite the hardships, Wimaladharma has found peace. “Today, I can forgive them very peacefully,” she said of those who had bullied her in the name of ragging. “But I can never forget them.”

Perera also shared her experiences with ragging at university, emphasising its ongoing nature. “Jehan and I got to know each other through university. My mother also went to the Law Faculty 25 years before me and also went through the same ragging. As far as I know, nothing traumatic happened to her,” she recalled. 

Perera shared that she as well as others from the English Department became a focal point for ragging because they were English-speaking – the perceived privileges of being an English-speaking student from Colombo who did not have to live on campus often led to resentment from those from rural areas. 

She recounted an incident where she was threatened because of her clothing but stood firm and refused to change the way she dressed to appease raggers, and part of how she was able to do this was because she had the support of her friends who stood with her. “We had strength in numbers and that’s a theme in ‘Rag’ – the strength of numbers as a way to avoid ragging, to avoid being vulnerable and alone,” she noted.

Today, in her capacity as a lawyer at the Attorney General’s Department, Perera often deals with cases of ragging gone bad and called for all authorities involved to address the issue more effectively. “All we can do is fight back and ask authorities to change their approach to it. We also need to ask some of those authorities not to turn a blind eye,” she urged. Despite years of trying to address the issue through theatre and other means, the problem persists.

Looking ahead

‘Rag: The Musical’ continues to resonate with audiences, shedding light on the harsh realities of ragging while celebrating the vibrancy of university life. The upcoming 20th anniversary performances are not just a celebration of the musical’s success but also a call to action. 

As the cast and crew prepare for the special performances, the hope is that ‘Rag’ will continue to inspire change and spark meaningful conversations about ending the culture of ragging in Sri Lankan universities.

Info box

The 20th anniversary performance of ‘Rag: The Musical’ takes place on 19 and 21 July at the Lionel Wendt. Presale tickets can be reserved through WhatsApp on 077 294 9767

PHOTOS VENURA CHANDRAMALITHA