Written by Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca in 1945, this electrifying play on authoritarianism, fate, oppression and freedom will now be presented to Malaysian audiences as “Anak-Anak Malik”.
The adaptation, performed by a 10-strong all-male cast, is set in the 1970s in a fishing village on Pulau Aman, off the coast of Penang.
“This is a Malaysian reimagining of the original text. It is not a direct translation. As such, it has allowed playwright Yusuf Bakar to exercise his own creativity in placing the story here on our shores,” director Christopher Ling told FMT Lifestyle.
“Many of the issues addressed exist only in this version of the play, making it truly local in context.”
The original “House of Bernarda Alba” tells of a matriarch named Bernarda, who holds a tight control over her five daughters and enforces an eight-year mourning period after the death of her second husband.
The play, which is said to be inspired by Lorca’s real-life neighbours, has been adapted for film and television, as well as a musical by Michael John LaChiusa which Ling directed in 2010 for klpac.
As in the original, the character of Malik instructs his five sons to mourn for 100 days after the death of his wife and forbids them from leaving home during this period. Protests ensue and, as tension escalates, tragedy strikes the family.
“For me, ‘Anak Anak Malik’ is the ultimate ‘father-son relationship’ play. Despite how fractured their familial connections are, the five sons still very much love their father and have, thus, learnt how to live with one another,” Ling said.
The ensemble is made up of Aidil Rosli, Ammar Aqsya, Aniq Syahmi, Asraf Zulk, Danish Zakwan, Mark Beau De Silva, Saiful Wazien, Sudhan Nair, Sunio Rushairi, and Ubai Talib.
The play is performed in Bahasa Malaysia with English surtitles, and features movement by Zhafir Muzani and sound design by Kirthana Kuhendran.
In this unique staging designed by the director, audiences are seated as if they were out in the ocean peering into the lone house in the middle of the theatre.
“This is translated into a claustrophobic arena setting where the audience literally peers into the daily lives of Malik’s family,” Ling explained.
“The 90-minute play hurtles towards a rather devastating conclusion, which we hope will leave a visceral impact on the audience.”
When:
- July 24 & 25 (Thursday & Friday) @ 8pm
- July 26 (Saturday), @ 3pm & 8pm
- July 27 (Sunday) @ 3pm (with post-show talk)
Where:
Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac),
Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan,
51100 Kuala Lumpur
Ticket Prices:
- RM100 (patrons of the arts)
- RM60 (regular)
- RM50 (concession: educators / students / persons with disabilities / seniors above 60)
For more information, visit klpac’s website. Tickets can be purchased from Cloudjoi.