After a quiet night in Karachi the party landed in Colombo to an airport welcome. Buchman and Baynard-Smith found that they were being cared for at their hotel by the bearer who had always looked after Baynard- Smith's father when he visited Colombo from his tea plantation. From the talk which ensued Buchman conceived the idea of going into the hills to visit the holy city of Kandy and to meet the Baynard-Smiths' planter friends. Their way of life interested and amused him. 'If they had real morning risers, they'd have fewer sundowners,' he commented. He also saw their quality and potential. 'Nothing would have greater power here than a humble Englishman who admitted his mistakes,' he added. After four days he returned, relaxed if a little dilapidated-looking, announcing that he had begun to get the feel of the country.

His team, meanwhile, were entering into Colombo life at many levels, from the Stalinist and Trotskyite factions in the dockers' unions to the dignitaries of the invitation committee. They told Buchman on his return, however, that the plays were to be given in the Young Men's Buddhist Association Hall although the best place would have been the Regal Theatre, now a cinema and booked solid. '"Dear Lord and shall we ever live at this poor dying rate!"' exploded Buchman. 'Things must be best, absolute best, BEST!' A party was despatched to find the heavyweights of the invitation committee, who were all discovered at Sir John Kotelawala's birthday party. A letter from them secured the release of the cinema - at a price. They were left haggling about it with the manager, while Buchman rejoiced that they were now getting into action. Surya Sena, the well- known singer of Sinhalese folk music, who was secretary of the invitation committee, had earlier told Buchman of the committee's plan to charge from 3 to 20 rupees for seats at the plays. 'No, no,' Buchman had replied. 'There will be no charge anywhere in the theatre... I've not come to Asia to get but to give.'

'How on earth can we meet the expenses of two hundred people for ten days?' protested Surya.

'The Lord will provide,' said Buchman, and, in his autobiography, Surya Sena notes, 'Every cent of expense was met.'3

The plays themselves - The Forgotten Factor, Jotham Valley and Annie the Valiant* — were put on in repertory, and were an enormous success. The Prime Minister and six of the cabinet, with forty-three MPs and diplomats to match, came on the first night. The populace besieged the theatre, one man walking twenty-six miles and queueing six hours in hot sun to get in. Every seat was taken, and the police estimated that 500 stood in the aisles and at the back for each performance. No one was turned away.

(* A play about the life of Annie Jaeger.)

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