Abstract:
This article explores how the Tamil diaspora in Switzerland employed theatre as a
means of political expression and cultural preservation during the Sri Lankan civil war.
Through the play Sri Salami (1989, 1990), themes of exile, identity, and resistance are
brought to the fore, reflecting the community’s struggle to reconstruct belonging and
preserve collective memory amidst displacement. Sri Salami, written and dramatized
by A.C. Tarcisius and co-directed by Anton with Swiss artist Braschler, depicts the
trauma and resilience of Eelam Tamils. As the first trilingual Tamil diaspora production—
performed in Tamil, German, and English—it integrates traditional Tamil performance
forms, hybrid stagecraft, and symbolic costuming. Refrains such as “I am running”
evoke embodied memory, transforming the stage into a space of shared grief and
resistance. The study positions Sri Salami within the evolution of Tamil diaspora theatre,
highlighting its role in documenting untold histories and reimagining identity through
performance. With little existing scholarship on this production, the paper seeks to
record its significance and contribution to diaspora cultural practices. Theatre here
functions as performative testimony—bridging past and present, homeland and host
land—marking Sri Salami as a landmark in the history of Tamil theatre in Europe.
