ENTERTAINMENT: Time to play up English

2009/10/19

DENNIS CHUA

DENNIS CHUA writes of a play about time-travel, love and life by UiTM, which is out to prove that it is an ace producer of English theatre. THE Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Ethos Society’s original play about a free-spirited time-traveller named Willow will be back on a bigger scale in January.

To be staged at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Auditorium from Jan 8-10, Whoa Willow! made its debut in Panggung Bandaraya, Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur in February last year.

Written and directed by Adlan Ramly, the staging of Whoa Willow! is in aid of childcare centre for the handicapped Tasputra Perkim in Jalan Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur.

Adlan said he and singer Ana Nur Hidayah Rafali conceived the play two years ago.

He said: “We were both students of UiTM and members of the Ethos Society, which encourages theatre activities in the university.

“The society has, for the past three years, produced English musicals such as Dielle The Musical in 2007, besides Whoa Willow!” Adlan, now a full-time drama activist pursuing a post-graduate course in English literature at University Malaya, is once again teaming up with his drama mentor Kamran Shavarebi for Whoa Willow! Kamran, who is an architecture lecturer in UiTM, is the play’s artistic director. He has 20 years’ experience as a drama instructor in the university.

There’s more depth and colour to the characters this time round.

“For a start, hero Willow is more witty. So is Brooke, Willow’s love interest,” said Adlan.

He said the time-travel story will have distinct features for each “era” that Willow visits on his adventures.

“Willow’s time is futuristic, while Brooke lives mainly in the 21st century.” Adlan composed the musical’s 28 songs in collaboration with UiTM education faculty student Mohd Afiq Dharma.

“While the songs are rendered Broadway-style, each era has its distinct sound, and fashion styles,” he said, adding that the university’s music faculty arranged the songs.

“The costumes were designed by the art and design faculty. The artistic and creative technology faculty did the choreography, and the architecture faculty did the set,” he said, adding that choreography lecturer Hamzah Tahir “brought out the best” in the cast.

Kamran said Whoa Willow! was also a means to promote the arts amongst UiTM students.

“It’s a training ground for UiTM students to boost their command of English, and to show Malaysians that UiTM can produce good English language productions,” he said.

Adlan said the City Hall Auditorium had a much bigger seating capacity than Panggung Bandaraya. “It can easily seat 600 people, twice as many as Panggung Bandaraya.” The cast of Whoa Willow! has been increased from 20 to 30, with them coming from various faculties of the university.

“Whoa Willow! is my fourth play, but it’s the first that’s being staged on a big scale,” he said.

Most of the original cast has been replaced, including Izwan Husni who played the original Willow.

“We’ve now got Meor Ghazi to play Willow. Wan Nadrah Yusof plays Brooke, replacing Farah Hayati in the original cast,” he said.

“The play may be a romantic comedy-cum-fantasy but it really is a critique on modern society’s views about love and life.” The goal is to raise RM100,000 for Tasputra Perkim with the production team busily seeking sponsorship.

Kamran said audiences would be welcomed by a “time tunnel” announcing the various eras of Willow’s adventures and news reports on the musical.

Those who wish to sponsor the production can contact Khairul Azri Khalid at 012-247-3554.