Lat commended the recent theatre production “Seniman Negara Datuk Lat – Kampung Boy”, which runs at Auditorium JKKN Perak here until today, for skilfully blending elements of reality and fiction, and noted that it stood in contrast to his original “silent” creation, with the stage adaptation enriched by witty and meaningful dialogue.

“So, if anyone wants to tell Lat’s story, go ahead and make it your own. I don’t interfere, just as I didn’t with Hans Isaac or Harith Iskander in their previous ‘Kampung Boy’ production at Istana Budaya,” he said after attending a recent performance.

“Artistic work like this requires freedom, and the freedom I’ve given to everyone involved, the production team and cast, is complete and unconditional. That’s why we say the story contains both fictional and real elements.”

Lat, who was also conferred the title of Royal Artist in 2023, cited a tin-mining scene in the show, saying he had never actually held a mining pan: instead, in his comics, he would recount his friends’ experiences as though they were his own, adopting the perspective of a first-person narrator.

Despite the artistic licence, he described the stage production as “lively” and enriched with a broader range of stories than his original comic, successfully conveying the essence and origins of “Kampung Boy” to the audience.

“I could see how my story expanded in many directions. With so many characters involved, it felt far livelier than my books, where it is the illustrations that carry the narrative,” he added.