Scent Of `Setanggi` In The Air

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - National laureate and playwright Datuk Noordin Hassan was beaming with joy.

It was a rare sight to see the 80-year-old, incapacitated by bronchitis and more recently a mild heart attack, to be up on his feet (with a walking stick), posing for the cameras and passionately sharing his joy on the upcoming staging of his work with the press.

That work, the fantasy/soci-political Mana Setangginya, will finally see the light of day at the grand hall of Istana Budaya`s Panggung Sari from June 13-21.

Noordin, better known as Cikgu, had waited 10 years for this. Mana Setangginya was initially slated to be the opening production for the launch of Istana Budaya in 1999, until it was shelved for a number of reasons, depending on who you spoke to at the time.

But let`s not dwell on that. The rehearsals for Mana Setangginya is now in full swing under the visionary young director Zaifri Husin, Cikgu`s former student/actor, who has directed Noordin`s earlier work Sarah and consequently, entrusted with this mammoth task.

Speaking at the press conference, Cikgu said it was his decision 10 years ago to pull out Mana Setangginya from being staged because he was “unhappy with the changes they are going to make with it”.

It it were to be butchered, the themes and the direction of the play would change entirely. “My friends told me it was a good decision to withdraw the play, otherwise there will be no scent left of the setanggi (frankincense).”

Mana Setangginya deals with politics, power play, slander, disintegration of society and culture, good and evil as well as a catastrophic storm of Sodom and Gomorrah proportions, with references to Quranic verses and the Old Testament.

With a heavy use of metaphor and symbolism, it is both an absurdist play and a Greek tragedy. The show will feature a singing chorus and dialogues that are narrative in nature. It is also grand theatre with extravagant set design in this universal story that includes a giant eel and flying celestial beings.

Set in an undefined kingdom where the fishermen are forbidden to fish on Saturday, it tells the story of Hawar and his people who disobey such a rule and in turn live well and prosper. They embrace new philosophies brought by Uzza, a foreigner.

It is also a love story between Hawar`s son Juda and his lover Iriam, who is a subject to malicious slander by the evil Silbi and Subhat.

The show stars Sabrina Ali Dad Khan (Iriam), Tony Eusoff (Juda), Azman Abu Bakar (Ibra), Shaharuddin Thamby (Hawar), Mohd Nor Fatih Moktar (Silbi), Rudy de Luna, Jr (Subhat), Iqbal Taufik (Uzza) and Azizah Mahzan (Mira), among others.

Noordin said he gave Zaifri a “free hand” in translating Mana Setangginya to the audience, in the artistic sense.

“It is my intention to find the next generation of young directors for my plays,” he said, adding that this year will also see another premiere of his new work, Intan Yang Tercanai (July 8) which will be directed by another young director Wahab Hamzah.

His past works — including Tiang Seri Tegak Berlima, Cindai, Bukan Lalang Ditiup Angin and Jangan Bunuh Rama-Rama — have been helmed by both young and reputed directors in the world of theatre including Suiat Mukri and Ruhani Yusoff.

“If I can continue writing, I hope to see them being interpreted by young blood,” he said.

Zaifri hopes to bring out the humanity of the story to the audience. “It has a wide universal appeal and a strong moral stand,” he said, adding that the play will be revered as it is — word for word, and nothing about it will be changed or cut.

He said translating Noordin`s text dramaturgically is not easy. “It is packed with symbolism and metaphor. A dialogue is not just a dialogue — it tells a story.”

Understandably, Zaifri shoulders a huge responsibility in presenting such long-awaited work. “I have had sleepless nights, but my worry is meeting the expectations of the audience,” said the director known for his work in children`s theatre (Ali Baba, Taman Baginda and Gamat).

For Zaifri, Mana Setangginya is a social critique. “It`s interesting to discover new things every time you read it. There`s a story within a story. It feels like a social responsibility for me to do justice to the work,” he explained.

Multimedia elements as well as the state-of-the-art technical wizardry of Istana Budaya will add pizzazz. “We want to make it interesting and accessible for everybody through the use of visual effects, set design and costumes to complement the text.”

The show also marks Istana Budaya`s 10th anniversary and the introduction of a new slot at the theatre venue featuring works by renowned Malaysian playwrights.

Tickets to Mana Setangginya (show begins at 8.30pm) are available at Istana Budaya at RM30, RM50, RM70 and RM100 (there will be a 30 per cent discount for RM70 and RM100 tickets until Sunday). To purchase, visit www.ticket2u.biz or call 03-4149-8600. Faridul Anwar Farinordin

Source: http://www.nst.com.my (28 May 2009)

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