The play ‘Dreamland’ didn’t give me a chance to figure out if I was watching a play or a movie in a theatre.

Yesterday (April 19, 2025), I attended ‘Megalai 30’, a cultural night event of the Nainativu people. Apart from knowing that Nainativu is a place, I had no other connection to it. However, I had learned through social media that the event would feature a play by Meiveli, a British Tamil theater group led by familiar media personalities Sam anna and Rajitha akka. Additionally, I had recently come across a short video clip of the play ‘Dreamland’ by chance, which sparked my interest and motivated me to attend Megalai 30.

It seems to me that Meiveli has woven a narrative around a theme that is relevant to the current times through this play. During the height of the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, many fled the country to escape the threat to their lives. However, after the war ended in 2009, many more have come abroad not just to escape the fear of death but also in search of economic opportunities.

We’ve all been talking about how people in the homeland perceive the concept of ‘abroad’ for a long time. But this play not only explores the understanding of people in the homeland but also how those abroad contribute to that understanding. It’s like they’ve hit two birds with one stone, conveying a powerful message in a single play.

The impact of ‘Dreamland’, which featured around 15 artists, including children and adults, was indescribable. Initially, when the actors entered the stage, bathed in dim red light, and began to move around, I thought they were people with physical disabilities or beggars. Then, I thought they were boatmen. It was only later, as the characters and their words slowly unravelled the threads of ‘Dreamland’, that I became completely absorbed in the stage, unable to look away.

Meiveli had masterfully portrayed a group of migrants who traverse seven seas and continents, crossing days to reach a nation they perceive as paradise, while rejecting all the beauty that lies within their reach. In short, one could say that this play is an updated version of the proverb ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ that our ancestors used to say.

I believe that only those with a keen insight into the current mindset of the people in the homeland and the psychology of the diaspora community, like a foreign psychological disease, could have dared to tell such a theme so accurately. It’s no surprise that Sam anna, who has worked in diaspora media for over 15 years and has fearlessly expressed many controversial opinions that others dare not speak, wrote this daring script. His poetic choice of words and lines lifted the play like a towering wave, elevating it to great heights.

The songs in the play, particularly the one sung by Rajitha akka, touched my heart and moved me deeply. The music, costumes, and the symbolic scenery of ‘Dreamland’ placed on the stage’s shore, as well as the props used by the actors, showcased the group’s meticulous training. The three actresses, including Rajitha akka, who appeared between scenes and provided emotional expressions to the songs, effectively highlighted the intense moments of the theme.

The use of words like ‘asylum seeker’, ‘refugee’, and ‘immigrant’ might have caused some discomfort, but their judicious use in the right context added to the play’s impact. The careful balance and precise application of these terms were crucial.

All the actors, regardless of age, were so well-crafted for the play that it was impossible to distinguish between the children and adults. Meiveli’s production showed me the significant difference between staging a play based solely on enthusiasm and doing so with careful planning and proper training.

I think that Meiveli’s Tamil drama group is stirring up a renewed interest in the art of theatre among London’s Tamil community, which has been largely limited to Carnatic music, karaoke, and film songs. If you ask me, Meiveli’s plays are a must-see artistic creation. I would say that their productions are not to be missed.

I wish them continued success in producing excellent plays. There are many like me who would love to watch their performances. My best wishes and congratulations to all the artists involved.