Somalatha Subasinghe was born in Gampaha on 2 July 1936. Her father was a principal and her mother was a teacher. She attended Musaeus College and later Buddhist Ladies College, Colombo. After successfully completing her Advance Level examination, she entered the University of Peradeniya in 1958 and read Sinhala, Economics and History for her degree. Subasinghe joined the Education Department of Sri Lanka in 1962 as a graduate teacher. She taught drama at Nalanda College, Colombo in the mid 1970s.
Family
In 1962, Somalatha was married to Lionel Fernando, who has acted as Sri Lanka's ambassador to Malaysia, the Netherlands and France. They have two children, Kaushalya Fernando, who is married to Dr. Chandana Aluthge, and Shyamalika Nanayakkara. She died on 30 May 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Career
Involvement in theatre
Having shown an interest in art and music from a young age, Subasinghe's stage career took off while she was studying at the University of Peradeniya. Her first role, at age 24, was that of an old woman, the only female character in the original cast of Ediriweera Sarachchandra's play Raththaran. Sarachchandra encouraged her to consider a career in acting and became a lifelong influence on her. She founded the Lanka Children's and Youth Theatre Foundation in 1981. Somalatha Subasinghe's involvement in Sri Lankan theatre included her participation as an actress and later, as a scriptwriter and director of her own productions. When she appeared as Sara in Mudu Puththu by Gunasena Galappaththi she performed her own songs, and sang with rhythm and melody. The play, an adaptation of Garcia Lorca's Yerma, included a well known song that is now sung by children.
Films
Somalatha Subasinghe also acted in films including Viragaya, Madol Duwa, Mahagedera, Thilaka Saha Thilaka, Me Mage Sandai, Sudu Kaluwara and Siribo Aiya.
Television dramas
Somalatha Subasinghe acted in several television dramas including Ella Langa Walawwa, Gamperaliya and Suba Anagathayak.
Awards and Honours
Somalatha Subasinghe won Best Director and Best Translated Production awards for the stage play Yadam and the Best Director award for the playAntigone, at State Drama Festivals. She has been recognised with the national Kala Suri award. She was given the Kala Keerthi awards for her contribution to theatre on 15 November 2005.
1993 Antigone by Sophoclese Sinhala Production; Translated from English translation by E. F. Watling
1998 Mavakage Sangramaya Sinhala Translation of Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, in collaboration with German Cultural Centre to commemorate 100th birth anniversary of Bertolt Brecht.
