IT has been three hours of futsal practice, six days a week for the young actors making up the Malaysian football team in Istana Budaya’s first musical of the year, Ola Bola.
On top of that, the 20 footballers in the Harimau Malaya squad of 1980 have to turn their footwork into stylish dances, with an equal period of daily coaching from their no-nonsense coach, Harry Mountain, otherwise known as British musicals actor Stephen Rahman-Hughes.
Director Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina, whose company Enfiniti Productions has adapted filmmaker Chiu Keng Guan’s 2016 cinematic masterpiece into a feel-good musical, is never far away from the diligent ensemble, and constantly exhorts the members to “make each scene memorable”.
The five “football heroes”, Brian Chan, Kai Chalmers, Abimanyu Masilamani, Luqman Hafidz Fauzi and Lim Jian Wen are excited and nervous as they await the big day, Feb 8.
They have never appeared in musicals of such magnitude, despite some having four years’ theatre experience.
Nevertheless, they are honoured to be part of Malaysian musical history because Ola Bola The Musical, which runs from Feb 8 to March 11 at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur, is the country’s most ambitious sports-themed play, and celebrates every aspect of the “beautiful game”.
BRIAN, THE SWIMMING AND SOCCER TOWKAY
Playing “Towkay” Chow Kok Keong, the dedicated but dogmatic captain of the team is Brian’s eighth theatre role in his four-year acting career.
The performing arts graduate from Sunway University College in Subang Jaya is no stranger to Enfiniti as he starred in Aladdin Reloaded in 2016.
“While Kok Keong may be stubborn and rigid, he cares for his team and believes in giving the best.
“He may be the captain but he has a lot to learn,” says Brian, 23, a Liverpool fan who also plays rugby and swam for the Federal Territories in Sukan Malaysia 2006.
Auditioning for the role based on football legend Datuk Soh Chin Aun late last year, Brian was picked by Enfiniti within a week.
“It’s truly an honour to play a character based on Chin Aun. To my family, Chin Aun is one of the world’s greatest footballers.
“During his days, Malaysia was a major power in Asian football, and the national team he captained had outstanding players — a 1Malaysia success story,” he adds.
Brian initially found dancing and rapping difficult, but singer and songwriter Altimet gave the ensemble a “crash course” which boosted the members’ confidence.
KAI THANKFUL TO KING JAMES
The role of Eric Yong, the player from Sabah who is moved from goalkeeper to striker by Harry, seems tailor-made for Kai, as Eric is inspired by real-life Sabahan striker Datuk James Wong.
“Tiara said I was just the man to play Eric as I bear an uncanny resemblance to Wong,” says Kai, 24, who spent three years studying musical theatre in the UK.
“I also got to chat with the real Wong, who was nicknamed King James, and he gave some tips on how to portray Eric.
“The most important of these was to be humble towards fellow players especially Towkay.”
While Kai liked Eric Teng’s portrayal of Eric in the movie, his Eric will be more vocal than Teng’s.
“I’m a taller, stronger Eric, and that means I’ll be more intimidating towards fellow striker Ali!” jokes Kai, who last appeared in Mud and was exposed to theatre in Garden International School.
The musical omits the character of “present-day Eric”, who was the movie’s narrator, in order to accommodate new scenes.
“This means we’ll get to see more of Eric’s interactions with Towkay, Harry and Ali.
“He has long been a football fan — Towkay recruited him, while Harry made him a striker, to the chagrin of Ali, who sees him as a competitor,” says Kai.
Eric and Ali, however, gradually become friends and form a tag team that “sinks” the South Koreans in 1980.
When rehearsing heated argument scenes with Luqman who plays Ali, Kai faced some difficulty as he was too gentlemanly towards his fellow striker.
“Luqman told me to imagine being in an action movie and confronting the bad guys. He even made monster faces at me to foul my mood, and that worked!”
Another challenge Kai faced was adapting to the special effects on stage.
“State-of-the-art projection mapping is used, and we players have to appear on a projected scene in a split second. I have to think on my feet and no mistakes are allowed!”
ABIMANYU, BASKETBALL AND SPIDER-MAN FAN
Stepping into actor Saran Kumar’s shoes as “Spider-Man” Muthu Kumar, the team’s goalkeeper, is a dream role for Abimanyu, despite basketball being his favourite game.
“I’ve always admired the late Datuk R. Arumugam, the real Spider-Man on whom Muthu Kumar is based. I’ve spoken to Selangor footballers who were coached by the legend, including some of my relatives who played in the 1990s,” he says.
“Arumugam possessed great leadership qualities, and was the peacemaker and voice of reason whenever his team mates had differences. Besides, he was their motivational speaker, even after he retired.”
Abimanyu, 27, who studied in Sekolah Menengah Stella Maris, Pudu is fortunate to have learnt how to be a goalkeeper from ensemble members.
“There are a number of goalkeepers here, and they taught me how to be an effective Muthu. While I didn’t get to meet Saran, I watched the movie and footage of Harimau matches in the 1980s to prepare myself,” says Abimanyu, who has appeared in seven plays including P. Ramlee The Musical and Seussical by Enfiniti.
Abimanyu’s favourite scene is one where he arrives in Stadium Merdeka before sunrise and jogs around the track, with his younger brothers watching him from a corner seat.
“I love this scene because it shows how passionate Muthu Kumar is. I also love his finest moment where he tells the team it does not matter whether it goes to Moscow or otherwise.”
Abimanyu, who won Best Actor at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards 2017 for the play Sand, thanks Tiara for “pushing him out of his comfort zone”.
“I’ve never worked this hard. The daily rehearsals since last October have been tiring but rewarding in terms of experience and friends gained.”
HAVE ALI WILL TRAVEL
Luqman Hafidz’s portrayal of Ali has taken him places since he starred in Ola Bola The Movie.
The 26-year-old quantity surveying graduate from the International Islamic University in Gombak is becoming a household name, appearing in television dramas and films such as Busker.
“Ali is still passionate and aggressive in the musical. In fact, his emotions — good and bad — are magnified and expressed in hip-hop form!” says Luqman, one of two actors from the movie in the musical.
While he spars with Kai’s character Eric, Luqman has become close friends with the new actor, as they are both Selangor football supporters.
Luqman is also delighted that Harimau Malaya legend Datuk Hassan Sani, whom Ali is based on, paid them a visit and was impressed with the musical’s production values.
Having played with Klang Valley team Prato FC since 2014, Luqman is one of the “experienced” footballers in the main cast. Nevertheless, he learns new tactics in the game from co-stars.
“I believe there’s no limit to learning new tips from players younger than me. The game is a lifelong process. Even Hassan told me he still learns from his proteges.”
CAI’S ADORABILITY STAYS PUT
Harimau Malaya’s Mr Adorable Ong Tiam Cai is once again played by Lim Jian Wen, who appeared in the movie.
While his character remains “cute, funny, honest and dedicated”, Lim, 25, promises theatre fans they will get to see a different side of him.
“Thanks to Luqman’s encouragement, I gave this musical a try, and I’m so glad I made the right decision!” he says.
“Ah Cai sings, dances and raps, and while his role is not as prominent as that of Towkay, Eric, Muthu or Ali, he holds his own. He remains superstitious of number 14, still bites his new shoes but has wittier lines to steal the show!”
Lim, who graduated with a biological science degree from Tunku Abdul Rahman University College in 2016, thanks Tiara for introducing him to musical theatre.
“At first I was nervous as I didn’t know how to dance or sing. But Tiara believed in me, and I did my best, with encouragement from fellow ‘players’ especially Luqman.”
FROM SILAT GURU TO SOCCER COACH
Stephen Rahman-Hughes’ last musical role in Istana Budaya was as Hang Tuah in Puteri Gunung Ledang in 2005.
He describes his “comeback” to the national theatre as a “switch from silat master to soccer master”.
“Both Hang Tuah and Harry Mountain are mahaguru in their respective disciplines. It’s great to step into the shoes of an inspiring coach, and it’s based on a real legend too,” says Stephen, who played a footballer in the British television series Dream Team a decade ago.
To play the no-nonsense Harry, Liverpool fan Stephen not only watched Ola Bola The Movie but also its accompanying Astro documentary Harimau Malaya where the late German-born national coach Karl-Heinz Weigang was interviewed about his days with the national team.
“I watched a video of Supermokh The Musical, which was produced by an old friend, Datuk Hans Isaac. It was fantastic, and Ola Bola will be an expansion of its theme — dedication to the sport and triumph despite the odds.”
Stephen, who played football with the London Boys, was roped in by Tiara to supervise the musical’s choreography. He was also cast as Harry, being the “only British actor in town” during the first two months of rehearsals last November.
“Harry is the real hero. While he is a no-nonsense coach, he earns the respect of the players, especially Towkay, because of his dedication and passion. His fresh ideas work wonders and he knows what he wants.”
When asked about the ensemble, Stephen said they were fast-learners who did their homework researching their roles thoroughly.
“I admire their dedication and willingness to work long hours and learn new skills.”
RAHMAN, NEW BUT EQUALLY COLOURFUL
Interchange actor Iedil Putra Alauddin got the role of sports commentator Rahman last June.
He describes it as “coming full circle” because he appeared in the first play of the national theatre, Siti Di Alam Fantasi, back in 2000.
“It’s an honour to be part of two Istana Budaya milestones — its first play and now, its first play following renovation and upgrading,” he says.
The 34-year-old actor with two decades’ experience has been in two other Enfiniti plays, P. Ramlee The Musical and The Secret Life Of Nora.
“Rahman has been a hit with Ola Bola fans since Bront Palarae played him.
“My Rahman looks and sounds different from Bront’s but he’s equally passionate about becoming a successful sports commentator.
While the musical largely focuses on the footballers, Rahman’s story is also inspiring.
“He tries very hard to please his superiors in RTM but they don’t accept his in-your-face, colourful sports commentaries. Nevertheless, he has a superior, Rahim, who gives him quiet encouragement and eventually, an opportunity to shine.”
While Iedil admits he is not a good singer, he gets to perform some hip-hop lines in the song Pasti, and utters his sports commentaries hip-hop style.
“That is the key difference between my Rahim and Bront’s. Mine dances, while his does a lot of posturing.”
INSPIRING MALAYSIANS TO BE GREAT
Tiara watched Ola Bola The Movie many times while conceptualising the musical.
She says: “It moved me to tears and that was a sign that it was worthy of a musical.”
It is her directorial debut, and Tiara is determined to tell a story compelling enough for Malaysians to achieve greatness and believe in themselves.
“It is an ambitious show in terms of scale and technology, involving 300 people, and transforming Istana Budaya into Stadium Merdeka 1980, with a 3D scan of the interior for projection mapping on the walls and floor,” says Tiara.
The newly-renovated main stage of Istana Budaya will be equipped with five large screens on which computer-generated scenes of Stadium Merdeka will be projected. Two of these screens extend to the side walls of the concert hall.
“We aim to give audiences the feel of being right in the middle of a football match, and the players almost come face to face with audiences in the front rows,” says Tiara, who received the green light from the movie’s director Chiu Keng Guan almost immediately.
“We’re confident theatre-goers will have a great time with this inspiring, feel-good musical.”
MOUNTAIN OF CHALLENGES
Based on the 2016 movie Ola Bola directed by Chiu Keng Guan, Ola Bola The Musical tells the story of the Malaysian football team’s challenge to qualify for the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia.
The national team gets a new coach, Harry Mountain from the UK, whose tough, unorthodox methods are resented by the captain, Chow Kok Keong.
Struggling sports commentator Rahman is one of the team’s closest friends, and while his advice is valued by Kok Keong, his superiors in RTM are not supportive of his colourful and spontaneous commentaries.
Ola Bola is produced by Enfiniti Productions, directed by Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina and scripted by Shamaine Othman.
Hip-hop singer Altimet composed 20 songs for its soundtrack.