Veteran dramatist Somalatha Subasinghe passed away early this morning at a private hospital in Colombo.

She had been suffering from ill-health periodically during the last few years.

Subasinge revolutionized Sri Lanka’s drama field, especially with her plays for the children and the youth. Joining the Education Department in 1962 as a graduate teacher, Subasinghe was involved in a host of activities with the Education Ministry in the field of Drama and Theater.

She was also a versatile actress in the fields of stage drama and films.

Subasinghe is perhaps best remembered for her explosive performance, playing the character of Sara in Mudu Puththu, Gunasena Galappaththi's adaptation of Garcia Lorca's Yerma.

She was nationally honoured for her roles in highly acclaimed film productions, such as Viragaya. She wrote and directed many stage plays, and won the Best Director and Best Translated Production awards for the stage play Yadam and Best Director award for the play Antegone, at State Drama Festivals.

Somalatha Subasinghe was 79.