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Theatre
the world of the fairies was
created by the dancers from SUTRA and
the performance, costume, music and
set reflected contemporary Malaysia
with its immediate Muslim past and
a far older Hindu heritage “lost in the
forests,” so to speak. So I was trying
even when doing Shakespeare to tell
our own stories in my own way. And
then of course, Jit Murad my good
friend and fellow founder went on to
write the plays that for me defined and
inspired our generation – Gold Rain and
Hailstones, The Storyteller, Spilt Gravy
on Rice.
ON MALAYSIAN THEATRE THEN AND
NOW:
It was good in that back then rehearsal
processes were longer. People weren’t
so product and market oriented, so
you had time to learn. I also went to
whatever workshops came to town
and there were some very good
directors brought in notably by the
British Council. They conducted actor
training workshops either as standalone
sessions or in tandem with a play that
was touring.
There are many more plays being
done today but fewer playwrights.
Less attention is spent on process, on
development. It’s less experimental,
less original and less innovative. It’s
more commercial and safer. It’s become
very product oriented. There’s not
enough desire to keep training, to keep
learning once you get into the theatre
world. The thing I regret is the lack of
hybridity. That could have been our
great strength in Malaysian theatre. I’m
still hoping it will be one day.
Your favourite alter ego?
It’s an open secret that it is Puan
Badariah. Maybe because comedy and
tragedy are so mixed up in her. In the
best theatre there is never one without
the other.
Ever felt discouragedor burnt out inyour
career inMalaysian theatre?
Many times.
Howdoyouovercome those feelings?
Whiskey. Good friends. Bloody
mindedness. Working on international
collaborations helps. I’ve enjoyed
several opportunities to make work
in Tokyo and to be engaged in work
with Indonesians and others from the
region. Seeing work elsewhere helps.
It inspires. Working abroad helps.
I’ve been doing a fair bit of work in
Singapore over the last few years and
it is rejuvenating. I can make the work
I can’t make here but I come back
fulfilled artistically and it gives me the
stamina to carry on here in our more
trying circumstances.
In your opinion, how relevant is
higher education to a career in the
performing arts?
I don’t know if I would say higher
education as such is necessary. But
being educated is necessary. What is
necessary is to read. Everything you
read – and you could go to university
to read Philosophy or Archaeology
or History or Medicine or Theology
it doesn’t matter – it’s all useful. You
have to read. You have to know what
is out there. You need challenges and
provocations and stimulation all your
life to make art. To people who have
a chance to study I say, go for it. It’s
invaluable.
What doyou like todo inyour free time?
Play with my cats. Amuse them with
bits of string.