A play with universal appeal

THE PLAY, Swordfish + Concubine, is considered to be one of author, playwright and actor Kee Thuan Chye’s best-known works, after 1984 Here and Now and We Could **** You, Mr Birch.
The play was first presented at the International Playwriting Festival in the United Kingdom in 2006, and has been staged twice in Singapore in 2008 and 2011, and in Malaysia last year, in Mandarin.
Now, Swordfish + Concubine will be staged here once again, this time in English, at Pentas 1 of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) from Nov 2 to 5.
This production will have the added distinction of being directed by Kee himself.
Based on two legends from Sejarah Melayu (or the Malay Annals), Swordfish + Concubine features two interlinked stories of how a young boy saved the island of Singapore from being attacked by a swordfish, and of how a royal concubine was sentenced to death on false charges.
These two stories are familiar to most people around the region, with messages that resonate even today.
In a recent interview, Kee says: “These two stories ... are related, in a sense that in the Swordfish story, the Sultan [of the time] is Seri Paduka Maharaja. In the Concubine story, it’s his son, Sultan Iskandar Shah.
“I started writing this play in the late 1990s. I can’t recall what was the source of my motivation. It might have been [the] Reformasi, or post-Reformasi [period].
“Since then, the play has undergone many revisions. Each time I revised it because I saw with each staging that it could be further improved.
“So if you compare this version with the first version that was staged in Singapore in 2008, you will notice a [big] difference.”
Kee explains that he only makes revisions to his plays on his own accord. “The way I see it, this play is a living organism. It has been evolving.”
He adds that when he does his revisions, he is aware of the current social and political climate. “One of the themes of the play is the abuse of power.”
In the Concubine story, we learn about a covenant that was made between Demang Lebar Daun and Sri Tri Buana.
Demang Lebar Daun was the former ruler of Palembang, who abdicated in favour of Sri Tri Buana, who is supposedly descended from the heavens, and whose ancestor was said to be Alexander the Great.
In the covenant, Demang Lebar Daun and his descendants pledged their eternal loyalty to Sri Tri Buana and his descendants in exchange for being well-treated by their rulers.
In return, if the rulers ever oppressed or brought shame to their subjects, it would bring about the destruction of the kingdom.
“This idea is central to the play,” says Kee.
One major challenge he faced with the new production was finding corporate sponsors. He had to rely on the help of “old friends” to stage this play.
However, he was happy to get many fine actors on board, as well as the help of skilled stagehands working behind the scenes.
The cast comprises Na’a Murad, Sandra Sodhy, Qahar Aqilah, Alfred Loh, Hana Nadira, Arief Hamizan, Amanda Ang, Bella Rahim, Gregory Sze, Lefiz Alaudin, Bright Ong, and 12-year-old Joel Timothy Low.
“Some I cast after auditions, and some I approached directly because I knew of their abilities,” Kee explains.
Although Swordfish + Concubine was first staged in Singapore, and the Swordfish story is a Singapore-based legend, Kee explains that “to be honest, this play was written about Malaysia for Malaysians”.
But when he offered it to Ivan Heng, one of the leading directors in Singapore, “he liked it and felt it was about Singapore.”
In a way, Kee sees the play’s themes as having a universal appeal.
“The story of the boy who saves Singapore and gets rewarded – that speaks to everybody. I think this is the kind of play that everyone can relate to.
“I fashion it so that it is about Malaysia and about Malaysians, and the mindset we are labouring under. I put in all sorts of eclectic influences. I draw from here, there and everywhere.
“Although the essential story and what it is trying to convey is seamless, I made it a fun-filled experience. [There] is a lot of humour, drama, songs, dances, and silat. They all have a significant meaning.”
Kee is also using Swordfish + Concubine as a fundraiser for former RTM Orchestra conductor Ooi Eow Jin, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, and his son, who recently underwent surgery to remove a brain tumour.
For details, visit klpac website or call 03-4047 9000.