Datuk Lat Grants Freedom To Creative Industry Players Adapting 'Kampung Boy' For The Stage

IPOH, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Seniman Negara (National Artist) Datuk Mohammad Nor Mohammad Khalid, better known as Datuk Lat, said he has given creative industry players complete freedom to interpret the iconic story The Kampung Boy.

Mohammad Nor said the theatre production Seniman Negara Datuk Lat – Kampung Boy blends elements of reality and fiction, noting that it stands in stark contrast to his original “silent” creation, with the stage adaptation enriched by witty and meaningful dialogue.

“So, if anyone wants to tell Lat’s story, go ahead and make it your own. I don’t interfere, just as I didn’t with Hans Isaac or Harith Iskander in their previous Kampung Boy production at Istana Budaya.

“Artistic work like this requires freedom, and the freedom I’ve given to everyone involved, the production team and cast, is complete and unconditional. That’s why we say the story contains both fictional and real elements,” he said after attending the theatre performance here last night.

Citing the tin-mining scene in his work, Mohammad Nor revealed that he had never actually held a mining pan. Instead, he recounted his friends’ experiences as though they were his own, adopting the perspective of a first-person narrator.

Despite the differences, the Seniman Diraja (Royal Artist) expressed his satisfaction with the production, describing it as lively and enriched with a broader range of stories than his original comic.

Mohammad Nor also commended the actors’ impressive ability to memorise lengthy dialogues, admitting it was a feat he could never achieve himself, and recalling his own failure as a supporting actor during the era of the late Datuk Syed Alwi Syed Hassan.

He also felt that the production successfully conveyed the essence and origins of ‘Lat’ to the audience, and expressed hope that the performance would be warmly received by all who attended.

“…I can see how my story has expanded in many directions. With so many characters involved, it feels far livelier than my books, where it is the illustrations that carry the narrative,” he said.

Meanwhile, Perak National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) director Hisham Mat Husein dubbed the theatre production as a tribute to a figure celebrated on both the national and international stage.

 Hisham also announced that Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak and Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Zara Salim have graciously agreed to attend the theatre performance on its second night (Nov 15).

He noted that all tickets for the three-day theatre run starting Nov 14 have been sold out, attracting audiences from across the Peninsula.

The prestigious production is presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) through Perak JKKN, in collaboration with the Pertubuhan Seni Kayangan Perak (PESKAP) and the state government, at the Perak JKKN Complex Auditorium.

The theatre production, directed by Ridhwan Saidi from a script by Saad Omar and starring Taiyuddin Bakar, Safura Ya’cob, Ilya Senario, as well as Hadi Mikail, tells the story of an adult Lat meeting his younger self and reminiscing about life in Kampung Lalang Kota Bharu near Kampar, before moving to Ipoh.

In addition to the main performance, side programmes such as the Cultural Arts Clinic, Children’s Theatre Clinic, and the Ate Moh Nyembang talk session will also take place.

-- BERNAMA