Friday May 1, 2009
Sounds of Malaysia
By SHARMILLA GANESAN
In this year’s BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, the most nominated theatrical productions are not in English.
WHAT does Malaysia sound like? At any given time, in any given part of the country, you are likely to hear a cacophony of dialects, accents and languages. More than any utopian idea of oneness, it is this coming together of different ideas, cultures and stories that make us who we are.
It is perhaps fitting, then, that the local arts scene is beginning to reflect this diversity; a look at the nominees for this year’s BOH Cameronian Arts Awards (the Cammies), for instance, reveal a host of non-English nominees.
As the only arts awards in the country that includes both independent and government theatrical productions in all languages (as long as they put themselves in the running), the Cammies has always provided a platform for non-English works to be highlighted. This year’s nomination list, however, is notable for the fact that the most nominated theatrical productions are not in English.
In theatre, the Bahasa Malaysia drama Air Con racked up the most nominations, with eight nods, including Best Original Script (Bahasa Malaysia) for Shanon Shah, Best Director for Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Amerul Affendi.
The Chinese musical, Jewel of Tibet – A Musical, also received 14 nominations, the highest for any single production, while Animal Farm, a Mandarin remake of the George Orwell classic, picked up six nominations, including Best Director for Loh Kok Man.
The Bahasa Malaysia drama Air Con racked up the most nominations for this year’s BOH Cameronian Arts Awards. What is striking, however, is that most of these nominees do not consider language a barrier in presenting a Malaysian story.
“The most important thing is to put the sounds of Malaysia on stage,” says Shanon. “It’s about sharing our own stories.
“Whether it’s BM, English, Chinese, Tamil or any of our other languages, it should resonate with as any people as possible.”
Loh points out that it is the quality of the production, rather than the language, that is likely to attract audiences.
“When I start working on a production, I don’t think about whether it’s Chinese, English or BM. For me, it’s about making it the best production I can,” he says.
Kimmy Kiew, who was nominated for Best Original Script (Bahasa Malaysia) for One in a Billion in Race, also believes that a good show can overcome the language barrier.
“If it’s a good show, you can enjoy it even if you don’t completely understand the dialogue. A creative, quality production will attract people to come,” she says.
Shanon attributes the success of Air Con, set in a boys’ school where the students grapple with issues like homophobia and racism, to the crew and cast’s commitment to telling a truly Malaysian story.
“We all made the effort to be honest. We explored issues like race, religion, sexism and homophobia without censoring or sweeping anything under the carpet. I think the Malaysian audiences appreciate this,” he says.
Loh, on the other hand, says his productions appeal to all races because they involve a lot of physical expression. “Animal Farm, for example, wasn’t just about the text. It had a lot of movement and expression, and the story was something anyone can relate to.”
He further believes that elements like music, lighting and sets play an important part in bridging the gap when the audience may not understand the language of the production.
What these nominees also reflect is that the language of a production need not necessarily confine it to representing a particular culture. In fact, telling Malaysian stories in different languages allows one to question and redefine what culture is.
“Every time I get involved in a production, we are always looking for an answer as to what makes something ‘Malaysian theatre’,” says Kiew. “The different languages, different lives; that’s the beauty of Malaysia.”
Shanon recalls how he ended up writing a Bahasa Malaysia script.
“I initially thought (the play) would be bilingual. I went to school in Alor Setar, (Kedah) which is part of the inspiration for my story, and there, we would hear English, BM, Chinese, Tamil, and so on.
“But the heart of the story, what we were trying to show, ended up being BM. It was very organic, the language came from the story itself,” he explains.
Kiew, too, found that the language of One in a Billion in Race evolved on its own. “I first thought it would be completely in BM, but it ended up being a mixed of English and Chinese. It was a devised play, where I threw scenarios at the performers and they would react. That’s how the lines emerged,” she explains.
In Loh’s opinion, culture doesn’t need to be forced upon the audience.
“When I create my shows, I don’t think, ‘Is this Chinese culture or not?’” he says. “Just because the play is in Chinese and I am Chinese, I don’t need to put chopsticks and lion dances in my production. To me culture is daily life, what we are living and developing every day.”
Shanon concludes: “We are all telling each other’s stories. It will be great one day to not be seen as Chinese theatre or BM theatre, but just Malaysian theatre.”
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