Life...Sdn. Bhd. is an ensemble theatre presentation, directed by Faridah Merican. It is dramaturged, scripted & videographed by Joe Hasham. Production design is by Caecar Chong. It stars Ari Ratos, Gavin Yap, Iqbal Rahim, Ben Tan, Wei Jun, Tina Tan, Alicia Daniel,Sharmaine Othman, Kaylee,Susan Lankaster and Patrick Teoh. Life...Sdn. Bhd. shares with the audience anecdotes, experiences and thoughts - some amusing, some sad, some shocking as told by the ensemble. Moments in our lives that at times pass by like a ship in the night are captured and addressed by the cast. Ensemble theatre is not new to Malaysian audiences. But for Faridah and the cast, this is a virgin experience, both enjoying the discovering and out-pouring of our Malaysian minds and hearts.
I arrived half an hour late at the venue in The Actor’s Studio Bangsar, leaving me with just the later two-thirds of the show and was told by my earlier-arrived companions that I missed some pretty interesting segments. Oh well. Nevertheless I found Life.. Sdn. Bhd. a showcase with an eclectic mix of tales and anecdotes; some more memorable and linger a bit longer in your mind than the rest.
The atmosphere felt almost like a gathering of friends (and close ones at that), with intimate and profound thoughts flowing freely amid amusing narratives and several ‘cover version’ tunes as well (did you ever imagine the line ‘the darling buds of May’ being uttered in a dikir barat ?). Transition between segments went mostly smooth and easy, the audience were kept guessing whether the next one is going to be a serious monologue or a funny skit. Props were mainly chairs and stools that they move around as they move about. The play of lighting was very effective in drawing the audience’s attention towards the right direction, i.e. the ‘narrator’ for the moment.
The combination of personalities onstage proves to be an interesting aspect. You get among others a Kelantanese actor who found the English theatre scene not as he expected, a gay guy who’s irked that his sexual preference is an issue, an Indian who’s been told (by a seven-year-old girl, no less) that he looks like a Pakistani and individuals from mixed parentage who feel sometimes they are not regarded as full-fledge Malaysians.
There were nostalgias (”I miss my dad”); reproach (”We’re just a third-world country trying so hard to be taken seriously”); confessions (”I don’t understand women”); eye-opening hard facts (”Three percent of rapists are below the age of sixteen”); aspirations (”Why can’t we be like our children, to look at another person and see just a possible friend?”); forthright remarks (”The perception is nine out ten Malays are lazy, three out of ten Indians will either cheat or lie to you, the Chinese will do anything for money”); and to end it all, a solid concurrence (”Kami semua orang Malaysia!”). Sounds familiar?
While watching the performers being in the spotlight one after another, each with their own particular stories to share with the audience; a rather intriguing thought struck me – it was just like reading the daily posts of several weblogs in one go, live. Like going through all the daily pings on the Project Petaling Street main page *grin* (only this time you cannot choose to click just your favorites – so you have to bear with each 'post', regardless how you find it).
In Life… Sdn. Bhd., each story or soliloquy was drawn from the respective performer’s own experience and observations, the whole show being a collection of stories from different facets of life – opinions, thoughts and reminiscence of events contributed by different individuals. In the process of producing the show, they deliberated and mulled over the details, which excerpts of their lives to be included, the final lineup being the facets that were considered suitable for the audience (and most probably hope they'd like to see it), in view to reflect the essence of the show as the production intended it to be, the faces it should portray.
They talked about being Malaysian; about racism; about the prejudices that they encounter; about their friends and family members; about amusing things that happened to them on the streets, about current issues and other things.
With weblogs, each post is the result of the blogger’s own experience and observations, the whole blogosphere being snippets of opinions, thoughts and reminiscence of events contributed by different individuals. In the process of coming up with a post, bloggers deliberate and mull over the details, which excerpts of their lives to be included, the actual posts being the parts that they consider suitable for the readers (and most probably hope they'd like to read it), in view to reflect whatever and however each blogger intends his or her blog to be, the ‘faces’ it should portray.
They (read: We) blog about being Malaysian; about racism; about the prejudices that they (we) encounter; about their (our) friends and family members; about amusing things that happened to them (us) on the streets, about current issues.
Hmmm?
An apt title, Life Sdn. Bhd.? Their lives, sendirian berhad, certainly. What they see fit to share, that is. Just like in the blogosphere.
Read Vovin's review here.
The atmosphere felt almost like a gathering of friends (and close ones at that), with intimate and profound thoughts flowing freely amid amusing narratives and several ‘cover version’ tunes as well (did you ever imagine the line ‘the darling buds of May’ being uttered in a dikir barat ?). Transition between segments went mostly smooth and easy, the audience were kept guessing whether the next one is going to be a serious monologue or a funny skit. Props were mainly chairs and stools that they move around as they move about. The play of lighting was very effective in drawing the audience’s attention towards the right direction, i.e. the ‘narrator’ for the moment.
The combination of personalities onstage proves to be an interesting aspect. You get among others a Kelantanese actor who found the English theatre scene not as he expected, a gay guy who’s irked that his sexual preference is an issue, an Indian who’s been told (by a seven-year-old girl, no less) that he looks like a Pakistani and individuals from mixed parentage who feel sometimes they are not regarded as full-fledge Malaysians.
There were nostalgias (”I miss my dad”); reproach (”We’re just a third-world country trying so hard to be taken seriously”); confessions (”I don’t understand women”); eye-opening hard facts (”Three percent of rapists are below the age of sixteen”); aspirations (”Why can’t we be like our children, to look at another person and see just a possible friend?”); forthright remarks (”The perception is nine out ten Malays are lazy, three out of ten Indians will either cheat or lie to you, the Chinese will do anything for money”); and to end it all, a solid concurrence (”Kami semua orang Malaysia!”). Sounds familiar?
While watching the performers being in the spotlight one after another, each with their own particular stories to share with the audience; a rather intriguing thought struck me – it was just like reading the daily posts of several weblogs in one go, live. Like going through all the daily pings on the Project Petaling Street main page *grin* (only this time you cannot choose to click just your favorites – so you have to bear with each 'post', regardless how you find it).
In Life… Sdn. Bhd., each story or soliloquy was drawn from the respective performer’s own experience and observations, the whole show being a collection of stories from different facets of life – opinions, thoughts and reminiscence of events contributed by different individuals. In the process of producing the show, they deliberated and mulled over the details, which excerpts of their lives to be included, the final lineup being the facets that were considered suitable for the audience (and most probably hope they'd like to see it), in view to reflect the essence of the show as the production intended it to be, the faces it should portray.
They talked about being Malaysian; about racism; about the prejudices that they encounter; about their friends and family members; about amusing things that happened to them on the streets, about current issues and other things.
With weblogs, each post is the result of the blogger’s own experience and observations, the whole blogosphere being snippets of opinions, thoughts and reminiscence of events contributed by different individuals. In the process of coming up with a post, bloggers deliberate and mull over the details, which excerpts of their lives to be included, the actual posts being the parts that they consider suitable for the readers (and most probably hope they'd like to read it), in view to reflect whatever and however each blogger intends his or her blog to be, the ‘faces’ it should portray.
They (read: We) blog about being Malaysian; about racism; about the prejudices that they (we) encounter; about their (our) friends and family members; about amusing things that happened to them (us) on the streets, about current issues.
Hmmm?
An apt title, Life Sdn. Bhd.? Their lives, sendirian berhad, certainly. What they see fit to share, that is. Just like in the blogosphere.
Read Vovin's review here.
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