Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.3/5)
Genre: Drama / War Fiction / Political Theatre / Sri Lankan English Literature

Book Review:
Thicker than Blood by Delon Weerasinghe – winner of the Gratiaen Prize 2005 – is a gripping play set against Sri Lanka's decades-old ethnic conflict. A decorated war hero, wounded and retired, struggles to adjust to civilian life. Exploited by a hard-line political party ahead of the 2001 parliamentary elections, he becomes tormented by a guilty secret and increasingly disillusioned, realizing his own convictions differ from those he's fighting for. Premiered in September 2002, the play has been performed several times in Sri Lanka and abroad. As The Sunday Times noted, it ''stunned our jaded audiences'' with its irony, sarcasm, and wit. A thought-provoking departure that doesn't preach but lets the viewer decide. Essential reading for lovers of contemporary theatre and Sri Lankan literature.