Edinburgh International Festival – Belvoir – Counting and Cracking
A profoundly moving story of love and political strife, of home and exile, of parents and children, ‘Counting and Cracking’ follows the journey of one Sri Lankan-Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004.
It features nineteen performers hailing from six different countries: Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, New Zealand and France.
On the banks of a suburban Sydney river, Radha and her son Siddhartha release the ashes of Radha’s mother – their final connection to the past, to Sri Lanka and its struggles.
Now they are free to embrace their lives in Australia. But a phone call from Colombo brings the past spinning back to life, and we’re plunged into an epic story of breakup and reunion.
Written by S. Shakthidharan, a Sri Lankan-Australian who researched and developed the work over the course of ten years, the play tells the tale of two countries: Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation.
It is directed by Eamon Flack, an award-winning director and the Artistic Director of Belvoir, one of Australia’s most celebrated theatre companies.
Performed in English, Tamil and Sinhalese, with live, translation into English.
‘Counting and Cracking is on at the Lyceum Theatre from 8-14 Aug (not 10)