Events

PRESS RELEASE

• LAT Kampung Boy Sebuah Muzikal is a production by the Malaysian National Institute of Translation (ITNM) and Tall Order Production (TOP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture (KPKK).

• This production is based on the Kampung Boy graphic novel by Datuk Mohd Nor Khalid (Lat) and narrates tales from his life, beginning in his childhood, from 1958 to 1988 – the peak of his career as a cartoonist (please refer to Synopsis).

• The patron of this theatrical production is the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Y.A.B Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak who views Datuk Lat’s Kampung Boy graphic novel as an ideal creative endeavor that truly grasps the aspirations of the “1Malaysia Concept” through its storytelling and characters, irrespective of language, nationality and religion.

• The following is the chronology of events that culminated in the production of LAT Kampung Boy Sebuah Muzikal:

August 2009
The original idea for the production is put forward by the Malaysian National Institute of Translation’s (ITNM) management in December 2008. The idea came about after taking into consideration the success of Datuk Lat’s Kampung Boy graphic novel, which has been translated into 13 major languages (including Arabic, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish) and sold in more than 10 countries, thereby confirming its status as a pacemaker for national translation.

November 2009
Representatives from ITNM’s management meet with Datuk Lat in Ipoh to convey their intention and gauge his opinion on the proposal. Datuk Lat is open to the idea, yet cautious, and also sets the condition that the production would have to include the 1Malaysia concept of goodwill in the same way that he congregates characters of various races in his stories. This condition would not only be restricted to the actors, but should also include the entire production crew.

January 2010
Istana Budaya announces Lat Kampung Boy Sebuah Muzikal as one of the events in its calendar for 2011 and proposes to ITNM to work together with Tall Order Production (TOP) following its dazzling reputation after having staged Cuci The Musical for two consecutive seasons.

July 2010
ITNM and TOP set up an agreement to act as co-producers for Lat Kampung Boy Sebuah Muzikal before striking an additional agreement with the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture (KPKK) through Istana Budaya. Following this, the foundational work and preliminary research begins including several meetings with Datuk Lat to research material for the script.

December 2010
The production is initially scheduled to begin its run in mid-December 2010, but this is later postponed to March 2011. Aside from providing additional time for more detailed preparations, this change also adds special meaning to the show as its production run will coincide with Datuk Lat’s 60th birthday.

• Besides the book’s status as a national translation pacemaker, the production is also an effort to give greater appreciation of the life of the book. The adaptation and transformation of The Kampung Boy from graphic novel to theatre is one way of ensuring continuous book sales among Malaysian readers. It is a common concept in the West and has helped particular works to survive longer in the market. For example, the works of Shakespeare have been adapted to many different mediums – comics, drama, theatre and film. Similarly, Harry Potter has enjoyed tremendous global success in both the literary and film medium. Through this manner, storytelling lives on and helps the market through all mediums of adaptation.

• Additionally, the transfer of visuals from the book to the live-action reality of the stage indirectly revives many elements that have almost disappeared due to the evolution of modern life. Traditional village games such as menarik upih pinang will certainly be unknown to future generations if no attempts are made to introduce such pastimes to them through other mediums, and theatre is one of the ideal ways of achieving this goal. Theatre does not only entertain but also subconsciously educates the audience.

• The production will be staged at Istana Budaya from 16th March to 5th April 2011.

• The script for LAT Kampung Boy Sebuah Muzikal was written by Harith Iskander, who also serves as Co-Director along with Hans Isaac. The following is a list of the main production crew:
  • Executive Producers : Mohd Khair Ngadiron & Hans Isaac
  • Producer : Hans Isaac
  • Directors : Hans Isaac & Harith Iskander
  • Scriptwriter : Harith Iskander & Kuah Jenhan (Co-Writer)
  • Stage Consultant : Mamat Khalid
  • Music Director : Michael Veerapen
  • Choreographer : Taufik Ibrahim (Pat)
  • Costume Designer : Devorsine Dominique

• The musical, will star Awie as Lat, Sandra Sodhy as Mrs Hew, Omar Abdullah as Pak Samad, Jalil Hamid as Lat’s father, Atilia as Lat’s wife, Faezah, Douglas Lim as Lat’s friend, Frankie, and Pushpa Narayan as Ms. Thambi.

• Tickets for the production are priced from RM40 to RM300. For all enquiries and reservations, please contact Ticket2u.biz at 03-4147 8600.