C. Khor
The Penang play Sepanjang Hayat tackled race, faith and family inside one Malay kampung home. The Malay-language production ran at Jetty 35 in George Town from 9 to 11 October. The Sun reviewed it this week. It adds to a busy season for Penang’s arts scene.
Playwright and director Fa Abdul wrote it as her debut in Malay-language theatre. The title means “a lifetime”. It follows a family that has carried unspoken words for years.
Overall, here is what the play is about, how it uses humour and who made it. The run has ended, and the reports we read give no new dates.
What Sepanjang Hayat is about
Karim and his wife Bedah have three grown children. Their eldest son married a Chinese woman, and Karim could not accept it. As a result, the son is estranged from the family.
Their daughter Aini secretly sees Krishnan, her Indian childhood friend. Meanwhile, their youngest son Amran is due to marry the mosque chairman’s daughter. However, Karim prefers a different match for Aini.
Krishnan finally tells Aini’s parents that he is willing to convert so that he can marry her. He admits he is still learning about Islam. In addition, Aini’s mother defends her daughter’s right to go out, since she trusts her.
Bedah has stayed silent for most of her marriage. In the play, however, she finds her voice and tries to bring Karim and their son together. Towards the end, Karim asks her to call the estranged son. The reconciliation happens offstage, so the audience must imagine the rest.
Humour and a village setting in Sepanjang Hayat
The set was a simple serambi, or porch, with laundry hung out to dry. In addition, the audience sat on mengkuang mats. Sounds of birds, cows, motorcycles and the azan filled the hall, along with the classic RTM jingle.
The village gossip Rokiah gave the play some of its funniest moments. Her jokes poked fun at kampung talk, where the government gets blamed for everything. Moreover, her scenes kept the mood light during heavy topics.
The script also raised questions about special rights and privilege. A character asked whether losing special rights might push people to move forward. However, the play offered no neat answer, and it left the audience to decide.
Overall, the family scenes dealt with gender and control. Amran policed his sister’s movements, while Bedah and Aini stayed composed. Furthermore, Bedah’s lines on raising children showed that parents cannot shape them exactly as they want.
Who made Sepanjang Hayat and what comes next
Fa wrote and directed the play, with Izatul Akmal as assistant director. Izatul also played the village gossip. In total, eight roles appeared on stage, and the estranged son and his partner never appeared.
Meanwhile, Big Nose Productions produced it with the Penang Bay Art Society and Still Thinking Productions. Furthermore, the Penang Arts Council and the Penang state government supported it. Big Nose describes itself as a community theatre company in Bukit Mertajam.
Overall, the show ran for about 75 minutes. The Malay dialogue had subtitles above the set. Likewise, the venue, Jetty 35, is on Weld Quay in George Town.
In short, Sepanjang Hayat ran from 9 to 11 October at Jetty 35. No new dates have been announced, so watch Big Nose Productions’ channels.
Yalinie Mathan
Sashidaran Gunathevan
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