Priyankara Rathnayake (born June 3, 1964 as ) is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama, and television. He also works as a senior lecturer for the Department of Drama, Cinema, and Television at the University of Kelaniya.
Personal life He started drama career under Somalatha Subasinghe's children and youth theater and state drama school. Then he joined Rajitha Dissanayake's drama troupe.
He entered to University of Kelaniya in 1989 and obtained the Bachelor of Arts Special Degree (Honours) in 1992. He completed Master of Arts Degree in Drama and Theatre from University of Sri Jayewardenepura in 2005. He is working as a lecturer and visiting lecturer for mass media, drama and theater as well as performing arts in University of Peradeniya, National School of Drama, Tower Hall Theatre Foundation and Sripalee campus of University of Colombo.
Acting career Rathnayake is credited for introducing famous plays by Sophocles to the Sri Lankan theater with the titles Oedipus and Ada Vage Davasaka Antigone. He also directed Aristophanes' play Lysistrata in 2015 as Visekariyo. In 2016, he directed William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the title Premawantha Kumarayo.
In 2016, a four-day theater festival was held at the Lionel Wendt Theatre in Colombo from June 7 to 10 daily at 7 pm.
Notable works Ada Vage Davasaka Antigone Asinamali Bakamuna Weedi Basi Oedipus Poth Gullee Premawantha Kumarayo Sihina Horu Aran Visekariyo
Selected television serials Abhisamaya Ahanna Kenek Na Charithayaka Paata Denna Dhawala Yamaya Diya Ginisilu Giri Kula Kadadora Maheshika Manikkawatha Sakarma Satya Sulangata Enna Kiyanna Vishwanthari
Author work He wrote several books related to drama and media. One of them is Natya Vicharaya.
Filmography Rathnayake started his film career with Thunweni Aha back in 1996, directed by Anura Chandrasiri. His most popular cinema acting came through films Irasma, Bandhanaya and Dedunu Akase.
Year Film Role Ref. 1996 Thunweni Aha Vimukthi 2000 Rajya Sevaya Pinisai Janaka shooter 2003 Irasma Tharintha Wijesundera 2005 Guerilla Marketing 2008 Prabhakaran Piyasoma 2008 Aba Yakchanda 2017 Bandhanaya Ariyapala 2017 Dedunu Akase Dance teacher 2019 Sulanga Apa Ragena Yavi Edward 2022 Ashawari 2022 Hithumathe Jeewithe IP Dasanayake 2023 Kandak Sema 2024 Mandara Police officer
Awards and accolades He has won several awards at the local stage drama festivals and television festivals.
Presidential Awards
|| 1999 ||| Dorakada Marawa || Best Screenplay ||
Sumathi Awards
|| 2001 ||| Abhisamaya || Merit Award ||
Raigam Tele'es
|| 2012 ||| Sulangata Enna Kiyanna Kadadora || Merit Award ||
References
External links Drama Festival by Priyankara Rathnayake අපේ වේදිකාවේ වෘත්තීය නළුවෝ නැහැ සම්භාව්ය කෘති තුළ තමයි මිනිසුන්ට විනෝදයත් සමග දැනුවත් කිරීමේ ඥානය ලබා දිය හැකි උපරිම දේවල් තියෙන්න ප්රියංකර රත්නායක පුදුමයට පත් කළ මෙරට වේදිකාවේ විශිෂ්ටතම නාට්ය හත මුළු සමාජයමටම අද බරපතල ප්රතිසංස්කරණයක් අවශයයි යකැදුරාගේ සිට නාට්යවේදියා දක්වා