Theatre show 'Anak-Anak Malik' boldly reimagines Lorca's timeless themes
A classic tale of control and confinement finds new life in Anak-Anak Malik, a local adaptation of Spanish poet-playwright Federico García Lorca's The House Of Bernarda Alba, which reimagines grief as the backdrop for a clash between tradition, isolation, and rebellion.
Set not in Andalusia but in an isolated 1970s fishing village off Penang called Pulau Aman, this 90-minute theatre production (with no intermission) runs for five shows at Pentas 2, KLPac from July 24–27.
Anak-Anak Malik, adapted by playwright Yusof Bakar, is presented as part of The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat series, with support from The Actors Studio Foundation and KLPac.
Performed in Bahasa Malaysia with English subtitles, it features an all-male ensemble: Aidil Rosli, Ammar Aqsya, Aniq Syahmi, Asraf Zulk, Danish Zakwan, Mark Beau De Silva, SaifulWazien, Sudhan Nair, Sunio Rushairi and Ubai Talib.
'I have always been captivated by the play, its themes of power, control and familial love hauntingly relevant,' says Chin. Photo: Tat Chin
Anak-Anak Malik also arrives in what is arguably one of the busiest months for the local theatre scene, with acclaimed productions such as Persiapan Seorang Aktor, the hard-hitting Burden Of Proof and the revival of Jit Murad's Visits already drawing significant attention in the past few weeks.
Nonetheless, the addition of more quality theatre to the calendar is always to be welcomed.
Emotional turmoil
The story follows Malik, a grieving father who imposes a strict 100-day mourning period on his five sons after the death of their mother.
As the sons resist, tensions build behind the family's walls until tragedy unfolds.
Director Christopher Ling, who previously staged a musical version of The House Of Bernarda Alba in 2010, returns with a fresh perspective.
'I have always been captivated by the play, its themes of power, control and familial love hauntingly relevant. I was intrigued to see how an all-male community would react if placed in the same situation as Bernarda Alba's household. The all-male cast brings in a new lens of masculinity mixed with the fractured father and son relationship that we are, unfortunately, familiar with,' says Ling, who is also associate artistic director of The Actors Studio.
At Pentas 2, KPac, the choice of setting was intentional, seating audiences as if floating at sea and peering into a lone house at the heart of the theatre. This distinctly Malaysian reinterpretation blends universal themes with local nuance.
'Pulau Aman in the 1970s affords us a strange sense of isolation. Heightened by the lack of Internet and other forms of telecommunication, Malik's family is literally disconnected from the world around them," says Ling.
"This makes it easier for Malik to be able to control the movements of his family. Many of the issues addressed within the play exist only in this adaptation of the play, making it truly local in context,' he adds.
With the father managing the emotional turmoil of five sons, character work lies at the heart of the production. Each son carries a distinct personality, shaped through collaborative rehearsals.
'The range of characters run the full gamut from the excluded eldest son to the fiery rebellious middle son and the manja youngest.
"Character development took centre stage early on in our rehearsal process. We shared from personal experience and charted the ups and downs of the Malik household as intricately as we could,' concludes Ling.
Advisory: the show features mature content and haze effects.
More info here.
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