Music, mischief and magic in ‘Sang Kancil and the Dragon King’

‘Sang Kancil and the Dragon King’ stars Putrina Rafie, Joshua Anthony Gui, and Phraveen Arikiah. (Daniel Adams pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Often, in the face of global crises or societal injustices, it is easy to feel powerless and insignificant. What can anybody do against the might of influential people or corporations? You might think you are too small and too weak to make a difference.

Shafeeq Shajahan, co-founder of British-Malaysian theatre company Liver & Lung, begs to differ.

“As a young Malaysian, you’re sometimes told you can’t make change, that things are always going to be the way they are. But I think we’re like cili padi: we may be a small nation, but there’s a lot of power within us,” he told FMT Lifestyle.

Perhaps no other character exemplifies the huge power of small people more than Sang Kancil, the wily trickster of Malaysian folklore. As such, it should be no surprise that he is the main character of Liver & Lung’s newest musical.

“Sang Kancil and the Dragon King” tells the tale of Ben, a schoolboy who loves painting. He is distraught to learn his favourite playground is about to be demolished to make way for a concrete condominium.

On the eve of the demolition, magic takes place and Ben is suddenly transformed into Sang Kancil. Meeting a cast of colourful characters – including a clueless tiger, conniving crocodiles, and the imposing Dragon King, who wants to wash away the joyful Lunar New Year celebrations – Ben is in for the adventure of a lifetime!

The musical is written, composed and directed by Shafeeq Shajahan. (Daniel Adams pic)

The 70-minute musical is directed and written by Shafeeq, with music by him, Ji Yong, and Irena Taib of local indie band The Impatient Sisters. It is produced by Su En Hoh, with choreography by Riena Aisya. Joshua Anthony Gui, Putrina Rafie and Phraveen Arikiah make up the cast.

Shafeeq, 30, certainly has his hands full with productions this year: he recently debuted his one-man cabaret show “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” at the Soho Theatre in London. Influenced by a 1978 Bollywood film of the same name, the performance was a celebration of his Malaysian, Indian and Muslim identities.

“Sang Kancil and the Dragon King” will mark the first children’s musical for his theatre company, whose previous works include “Sepet: The Musical” and “Melur: The Musical”.

“I wanted to pay homage to my nieces, aged six and eight. The idea is to make the kids feel like they’re in a safe space, where they can have fun. But it’s also for the young at heart. And even if you’re older, you’ll find messages in the show for you as well,” he said.

According to the director, the musical’s setting is based on a playground in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur, where he used to play as a child. Part of the fun will be in seeing it transform into an exciting and exotic world through the magic of theatre.

The show’s music is arranged by Irena Taib (right) of local indie band The Impatient Sisters. (Daniel Adams pic)

“You’re going to see things like green rubbish bins turning into crocodiles. The sandpit, with its orange and brown, becomes the tiger,” Shafeeq teased. “I enjoy developing these things because it allows me to hone in on the mind of a child, where everything around you becomes more than it is.”

Amid all this whimsy are more serious messages: Shafeeq hopes audience members will be inspired to think about the beauty of the natural spaces around them and preserve them for future generations.

Music-wise, expect fun, pastiche-y tunes with distinctly Malaysian lyrics: listen out for the enchanting ballad “I’m Not Big Enough”, an expression of the show’s main themes.

“It’s not a typical Sang Kancil story. It’s a Sang Kancil that’s loud, modern, contemporary, and very camp!” Shafeeq declared.

“I think in a world where things can get quite dark, it’s nice to let yourself be loose for an hour and a bit. ‘Sang Kancil and the Dragon King’ is a great opportunity for the young to enjoy themselves, and for the young at heart to rediscover the child within.”