project
kok man
January 22 - February 4, 2001
Manic-Depressive Ah Moi
Theatre Production
ONE OF THE BETTER STAGE performance of last year, Ang Tau Mui, was once again the focal point of another stage performance which was entitled Aku II : ang tau mui. Despite it being a production in which the dialogue was entirely in Mandarin, I found that I had no problems understanding the play as the producers had helpfully provided print-outs of the English translation of the monologue. In fact, it would be safe to say that a large portion of the production was actually a monologue in four voices.
It would also be appropriate to label the production as a piece of performance art rather than a stage presentation or theatrical work per se. This was especially true with the great d�cor and nifty lighting that the production crew came up with. The setting was quite dark and sombre with the actors starting off seemingly tied to the ceiling. Strings were draped around the ceiling and there were hanks of hair dangling from the intersections in the strings. The music added an eerie feel to the start of the production with the actors on the floor seemingly reaching out for salvation.
The actors themselves, Kee Chung Phear, Chin Lee Ling, Gan Hui Yee and Hee Shiang Yin, had gotten their roles, or their movements, down pat. In fact, their coordination and their sense of the surroundings were especially apparent towards the end of the production in a scene where the actors used chalk to draw lines on the floor and then used these lines as guides for their increasingly rapid pace. At times, it seemed as if they would crash into each other, but this never happened. A number of close calls, and that was all.
The costumes were also quite eye-catching. All the actors were dressed similarly, yet there was enough variance for each to have her own individuality. The similarities in the costumes were in the material and the style. They were all in crude cotton smocks that were vaguely reminiscent of hospital gowns gone quite abruptly wrong. The make-up was another interesting idea with the actors all in minimal make-up, actually just plain white grease paint on their faces, The make-up artist and the costume designer both deserve a pat on the back for their interesting use of minimalism.
The director, Loh Kok Man, did a great job of adapting Leow Puay Tin's script and he successfully put his own stamp on the work. He managed to create a production that was almost ethereal in nature, but at the same time, quite down-to-earth. It is good to know that experimentation and the conjoining of different forms of art are still very much alive in the Malaysian theatre scene.
The lighting played an integral part in the production and it was here, once again, that the ideas of Loh bore fruit. Not was he the director of the production; he also designed the lighting. The lighting might have been a little too subdued at certain points but it did serve to high-light the movements of the actors in a way that bright glaring neon could never have done. In this respect, the costumes and make-up of the actors served as indicators of their movements and their expressions. In the dark, the while faces and costumes stood out against the background of squares made of string to which the hanks of hair were attached.
Not having seen the original Ang Tau Mui, it is impossible for me to make any form of comparison between the two but having seen AKU II, I think that it is a great pity that I missed the original. Kudos to all involved for an entertaining and thought-provoking show that I enjoyed immensely.
PENTAS PROJECT
about
KOK MAN
international events
director works
lighting design