Theatre Review: The Jungle and The Sea

The Production: The Jungle and the Sea by S. Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack

The Company: Melbourne Theatre Company

Runtime: Two hours 50 minutes (with two intervals)

Until: 15 September

Stars: 4.5

I needed to take a night before writing this review. 

A play that's three hours long about a family caught in the Sri Lankan civil war over a generation. A striped backstage containing a large turntable and a wall pock-marked with bullets and two traditional musicians on the stage and a cast moistly unknown to Australian audiences take us through the harrowing journey of a family as they negotiate the horrors of a pointless and long running civil war. 

I'm the first to admit that I know very little of the recent history of Sri Lanka, other than friends have emigrated to safety over the last century and that the situation was horrid. Violent, bloody and long lasting impacting a huge part of the population all for the want of power. 

This play was first performed at the Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney

The Jungle and the Sea shows a family coming to terms with all of this. Amma (Anandavalli) is the matriarch over four children. A Hindu married to Sivapalan (Prakash Belawadi) and elder of his church, the pair try to keep the family, and the community safe. Of their children, Lakshmi (Emma Harvie) is a budding lawyer accepted to university in Sydney. Madhu (Nadie Kammallaweera) is a budding vet, Abi (Kalieaswari Srinivasan) is in love with her childhood sweetheart Himal (Rajan Velu) and son Ahilan (Shiv Palekar) appears to be the happy-go-lucky younger brother. When the war comes close to the village, the town mayor, gives assurances that the churches and temples will not be targeted in the bombing raids. People shelter in these places. People die. Amma blindfolds herself to the world until her family are reunited after Appa and Lashkmi flee to Australia and Ahilan is conscripted into the Tamil Tigers. From here, the family are set on a journey to keep together as well as keep their dignity and humanity. 

This is not an easy play to watch. However, it is powerful in its simplicity and drive. It's an incredibly human story - cutting, moving and deeply human. The themes of war, family, dignity and survival are all there, overlayed with grief and guilt. 

I will say not more. 

This is an incredibly work that begs to be seen. The MTC have added a couple of extra nights, due to the play's popularity.

This is a throught-provoking and incredibly moving play about a piece of history that few are aware of. 

(As a side note, if you're looking to read more, in fiction, about this, the works of Shankari Chandran, particularly her novel, Safe Haven and Song of the Sun God look at this. Her novel, Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens won the Miles Franklin Prize and is also extraordinary. It also looks at the Sri Lankan diaspora in Australia. 

See this if you can. 

Today's song: