That hilarious and also serious “Grow Up Nana” Feroze

Renowned playwright and director Feroze Kamardeen late last month staged his latest satirical play “Grow Up Nana” enthralling his audience which included people from all communities at the Lionel Wendt. The play was a look at Sri Lanka Muslims by a Muslim and performed by Feroze himself, a first in 16 years.

In his nearly three decades in theatre, Feroze has directed nearly 30 plays and written an equal number. He rose to fame with the political satire “Puswedilla” or “Thank you for voting” in 2007. Its success was such that by 2014 Feroze had directed five parts. Among 29 plays that he has directed include the Freddy series and Arsikland the Musical.

“Grow Up Nana” was certainly different. It was hilarious and also serious in some of the messaging. Feroze’s performance was outstanding and for many first timers in “Grow Up Nana” they found the actor in Feroze. In the show he admitted that many voices within talk to him. He was vocal and equally emotional on some of the pressing issues of today. A moved audience gave him a well-deserved standing ovation.

Post-show reviews were excellent and the only regret was the play was limited to two days.

For those who missed the last performance, there is good news. Due to popular demand “Grow Up Nana” will be staged again on 12 to 14 January at 7:30 p.m. at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. Box plan opens on 27 December and tickets exclusively at https://www.stagelightandmagic.com/growupnana/.

Sirraj Abdul Hameed and Sashane Perera, were the Artistic Directors of the play and Rikaz Hussain and Ashan Munasinghe, the producers.

“Grow Up Nana” contained many compelling messages in Feroze’s stellar script. Below are a few of them courtesy of Feroze to the Daily FT.

The Palestine-Israel war

Tonight, I will also share with you where I stand on a few things. One of them is the tragedy in Gaza. If we look at Gaza and don’t see collective punishment meted out to a people, if we can’t see the systematic starving of a whole nation, if we don’t see genocide, then the tragedy maybe in Gaza, but the problem maybe closer. 

Gaza is not a strip of land anymore, Gaza is a mirror held up in the face of humankind. Gaza, is a mirror that is asking us, all of us, not Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists or Hindus, the mirror is asking all of us, What makes us Human? Gaza is asking all of humankind to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. Gaza is asking. In Gaza, the humanitarian services use an acronym which just should NEVER exist, EVER. It’s W.C.N.S.F. It stands for Wounded Child No Surviving Family. Gaza is asking…

The Aragalaya

I have a small message to our Head of State, on behalf of not just my community but all of our people. Your Excellency, a nation is not just an economy. A nation is a people who have the freedom to live, speak, think and practice. A people who have freedom from hunger, ignorance and oppression. That is a nation. Without that it is only a corporation. And Sri Lanka is not a corporation, we are a nation.

We saw glimpses of that nation in 2022 during the Aragalaya. I am talking about the real, peaceful, citizens’ protest. When things got so bad, that Colombo’s middle-class got out on the streets and we all united as one, exercised our constitutional right to peaceful protest, that Aragalaya and for a brief moment the peaceful Aragalaya gave SLMs something very very precious, for a brief moment, a cap, a beard, a burka, abhaya or hijab did not matter, for a brief, special moment we felt freedom, thank you.

The Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act

I said I will come back to In Shaa Allah. It’s an Arabic phrase, simply translates to “God Willing” It is one of the most misused Arabic phrases. But that was just a segue for me to bring up another Arabic phrase concerning Islamic divorce. “Talak, talak, talak”. Lots of people, including more Muslims than we think, are unaware that there has to be an interval between those words. First one, interval, second one interval, third one. And the interval is specified, THREE menstrual cycles. A total of six menstrual cycles between first and last. With divorce rates rising in my community, women are being left vulnerable and helpless because men, who gladly use the Talaks and storm out the door, completely forget the duties and responsibilities obligatory on them. 

I think it’s time that all our so-called leaders, who spend so much time on committees to sight the moon, everyone, stopped pussyfooting around this issue and made the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act, not more favourable, more EQUAL to our women. It’s time. And until you do it, I don’t care if you WALK on the moon!! You have failed, you have failed your sisters, you have failed your mothers, you have failed your daughters, you have failed. Just thought might be useful to bring up, because I am at the end of my show.

Photo Credits: Sanjeewa Weerasinghe