Artistic Director of WSP since its inception, Jerome studied at St. Josephs College Colombo 10 and St. Peters College Colombo 04. Jerome was an announcer at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation from 1972-79. He owes his theatrical career spanning over 45 years to Mrs. Wendy Whatmore, Rev. Fr. Claver Perera, Mrs. Oosha Wijesinghe and Mrs. Ena Heynnecker. He has over 100 productions to his credit.
He received the ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Sri Lanka’ (TOYP) award for Theatre and Drama in 1982 and the award from St. Peters College for Theatre and Drama at the inaugural Honours Awards in 1983. He has been felicitated by D.S. Senanayake College, Holy Family Convent Bambalapitiya and the Creative Arts Foundation for services rendered in the field of theatre and drama.
In September 1996 he was a fellow at the Salzburg Seminar, Austria for session 340 ‘The Power of Theatre, Artistry, Entertainment, Social Commentary’, being a winner of one of the two scholarships from amongst nominees from North Africa, Middle East and South Asia. Course Faculty included: Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman, Crucible), Ariel Dorfman (Death and the Maiden, Widows), Andre Brink (Elsewhere Fine and Warm), David Thacker (Director – Royal Shakespeare Company), Benedict Nightingale (Drama Critic – London Times) and Christopher Bigsby (Professor of American Literature – Unit of East Anglia). He participated in Master Classes with the Royal National Theatre Actors for Andre Brink and Ariel Dorfman while in Salzburg.
At the State Drama Festival in 2000, Jerome received the award for Best Choreography for the Sinhala production of ‘The Trojan Women’. In 2004 his adaptation of Ariel Dorfman’s Widows’ won Best Production and other key awards. He was also nominated for Best Director. This success was repeated in 2010 with his production of Millers
‘Death of a Salesman’. He was awarded the first ever ‘Synergy in Theatrum’ award by the YMCA in 2004.
He has conducted many drama workshops during war times as well as the ceasefire in Jaffna, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. He also worked with children affected by the Tsunami in Balapitiya, Galle and Hambantota. Under the aegis of the Rotary Club of Colombo he worked with the students from C.W.W. Kannangara Vidyalaya, St. Aloysius College,
Richmond College, the ECSAT Foundation and the inmates of the Juvenile Detention Centre in Kottawa.
He teaches drama at St. Benedicts College Kotahena, Gateway College Rajagiriya, Dehiwala and Negombo. Jerome has conducted theatre workshops for schools in Galle, organised by Sangamitta College, Mahinda College and Richmond College. He is a visiting lecturer for choreography and drama at the University of Visual and Performing Arts. At Lyceum International, Nugegoda he conducted a two day theatre workshop for 470 of their primary staff. Jerome also helps out at Achievers, a school for children with special needs. He often conducts theatre workshops on Miller, Bronte, Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare for his dear friend Delys Steyn, a former colleague at SLBC.
Jerome’s artistic feats are not limited to the stage alone. He has acted in renowned films including ‘Good Marriages as Inspector Rao, ‘Akasa Kusum’ as the gynaecologist and in
‘A Common Man’ as SP Victor, alongside Sir Ben Kingsley and Ben Cross.
He is a member of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka, who are responsible for the functions of the sub-councils of Drama, Music, Art & Sculpture, Dance, Literature and Angampora in Sri Lanka.
