Dira Abu Zahar’s Mencari Sumaiyah is a celebration of sisterhood for all seasons.
IT’S all about girl power. Mencari Sumaiyah, the stage directorial debut of Dira Abu Zahar, is about best friends with dreams to start a fashion business in the city.
A light-hearted, two-hour play with lots of laughs, minimal tears and one major male character who is a “big, bad wolf” literally, it tells women that they can achieve great things by standing on their own feet and being honest about their craft.
It carries the message that success should never get into one’s head, one should be mindful of her friends’ needs, and friends should stick together through thick and thin.
Co-produced by Hyper Pictures and Tall Order Productions, the musical is supported by the Puteri Umno Creative Development Bureau and centres on best friends Zaitun (Sherry Al-Hadad), Faridah (Nadia Aqilah Bajuri), Mariam (Ruzana Ibrahim) and Salmi (Aisyah Hasnaa).
They live in Kampung Rukun, a fictitious village near Ipoh (as the limestone-dominated backdrop photo suggests). Business-savvy Zaitun, argumentative Faridah and child-like Mariam plan to open a boutique in the big city.
The trio also want to become the choice fashion designers of actress Maya Sue (Erra Fazira).
While Salmi blesses her friends’ decision, she stays behind in Kampung Rukun and manages their village boutique. She cannot meet Maya Sue, because of an “unfortunate encounter” years ago.
DREAM CLIENT
Zaitun, Faridah and Mariam finally meet their dream client and begin a close friendship with Maya Sue who is instantly attracted to their diligence, honesty and dedication.
This arouses the jealousy of Maya’s manager Rozalman (Afdlin Shauki) who is also a fashion designer. He and his assistant Sally (Nazurah Hanafie) come up with a plan to wreck the trio’s business.
One day, when Zaitun is out of town, Rozalman and Sally approach Faridah and Mariam, advising the duo to sell a sea blue dress that they have created for Maya, promising to pay them handsomely.
While Mariam smells a rat, Faridah is agreeable because her family is heavily in debt to their greedy landlord.
The trio has promised to contact Salmi every weekend, so when the calls stop coming, a worried Salmi pays them a surprise visit.
When she arrives, she meets an upset Zaitun, who feels “betrayed” by Faridah’s decision to sell the blue dress. Salmi questions Faridah and they all learn the truth about the latter’s family debts. Salmi also bumps into Maya Sue but they iron out all “issues” between them.
Sherry, Nadia and Ruzana tickle with their spontaneous humour. Sherry’s Zaitun is wisecracking and loud, while Nadia’s Faridah provides the perfect foil for her constant disagreements with Zaitun.
Ruzana’s Mariam is a leggy beauty, and most of the laughs are from her naivete.
Erra is believable as Maya Sue, an honest-to-goodness film star like her real self, and likewise Aisyah as the girl-next-door Salmi.
The show-stealer is Afdlin’s Rozalman. A “fat cat” in every sense of the word, his long-haired, smooth-talking villain is excellent when he persuades Faridah and Mariam to “stand on their own feet”, and make their own decision about selling the blue dress.
He has a fantastic way with words, parodying government campaign slogans as well as inserting the real-world topic of “boycotting” the girls’ business, in his bid to pressure Faridah and Mariam.
Nazurah is a bankable supporting actress who has played various roles in the last decade; her best known is as Datuk Lat’s mother in Tall Order’s Lat Kampung Boy The Musical.
SMOOTH TALKER
Veteran actress Fauziah Nawi, whom Dira admires, makes a cameo as a government official who officiates the four friends’ new business at the end of the story. It is great to see her play a Datuk, as she is often cast as a long-suffering matriarch.
The most enjoyable scenes are those where Maya Sue speaks with Rozalman, and the duo display contrasting but equally funny personal traits. He is a smooth talker who pretends to know everything, while she uses common sense and logic to question him.
A scene where the girls’ success is splashed over the front pages of fictitious newspapers and magazines is a treat. One of the magazines is named Batu Giling, a parody of Rolling Stone magazine.
The music is upbeat and reflects the moods in every scene. However, none of the songs are memorable enough for an official soundtrack since they are not as catchy as movie songs. Nevertheless, all of the main actors can sing well, and deserve a big hand for it.
Kudos to Dira for a job well done. Mencari Sumaiyah wears its heart on its sleeve, and portrays women in a strong, independent manner that is realistic and entertaining.
Mencari Sumaiyah
WHEN: Today and tomorrow, 8.30pm
WHERE: Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur
ADMISSION: RM48.75 to RM165.35
CALL 03-4026 5558 or visit www.redtix.airasia.com