Friends of the Corrupt Kingdom

The Art of Anike

2007-06-22T13:36:00.000+08:00

At last, after almost 2 years since their conception, the costumes of Anike get to be publicly displayed... Presenting "The Art of Anike"!

Normally, costuming is associated with stage and theatre, but it is fast becoming an activity of its own. In some parts of the modern world, costuming events and competitions are held regularly, promoting and showcasing the creative talents of amateur costume designers and fans alike. Costuming is also big business in these countries.

Malaysia

still has lots of catching up to do, but with communities like the MySciFiFan Costumed Contingent and the Malaysia-Brunei Outpost of the 501st Legion: Vader’s Fist, this is fast becoming a reality.

The Actors Studio, with the collaboration of RedGuard Creations, proudly presents The Art of Anike, a showcase of costumes and props designed and made by marine biologist turned visual artist M.Hanif. The artist has been involved in amateur theatre for a number of years and is himself an avid costumer. He champions the cause of costuming simply because it is a great way of expressing oneself, and costuming is a beneficial and worthwhile activity if pursued positively. The stars of this exhibition are the costumes from Wong Phui Nam’s epic,”Anike”, a play which was presented by Cape Poetics in KL and Penang in 2006 and early 2007.

The organizers hope that this exhibition will introduce a new form of artistic experience for locals as well as tourists, and that this will be the start of more costuming-related activities to come, especially in the North.

Details of the events during The Art of Anike @ The Actors Studio Greenhall are as follows:

9th to 13th July 2007 @ 1100 to 2000
Static Display (free entrance)

14th July 2007 @ 2030
Finale - a live costume show - with photo opportunities and refreshments after (Entry by donation, minimum RM5)

15th July 2007 @ 1500
Costuming Talk by the artist, also with some refreshments after (Entry by donation, minimum RM10)

For more information and bookings for the finale/talk, please contact the Theatre Supervisor at:

04 263 5400 - or - 017 420 8084

or e-mail greenhall@theactorsstudio.com.my

Seats are limited for the finale and talk, so please book early!

Anike teaser trailer...

2007-03-12T00:14:00.000+08:00

Here's something from Aliale... I hope that he can come up with more...

I wonder when the Anike DVD is coming out?

Costume profile: Yasmine

2007-02-08T18:03:00.000+08:00

Anike's sister, Yasmine was supposed to be a gentle, submissive young girl, who was torn between the duty to her dead brother and obedience to the King. Yasmine chose to obey the King's edict by not assisting her sister and keeping to herself whatever knowledge she has of Anike's plans. Yasmine was given a pale blue top and a two-toned blue skirt. Her shawl was made from a sheer violet fabric with golden vines embroidered into it. The colours served to give her a "cooler" predicament, not like that of her older sister, who was the embodiment of fire and rage. Her skirt has a similar pattern to Anike's, a slight gesture of their kinship.

As such, her outfit was also designed to be more lady-like, preserving her femininity while giving the character an air of class. This feature is further enhanced by her jewellery and accessories. Yasmine's top is a theatrical modification of the traditional wrap-around top that was popular in the Indochina region. A similar version was worn by women of the Indonesian archipelago, typically on the islands of Jawa and Bali. The skirt is essentially of wrap-around design popular among the peoples of South East Asia. In the olden days, this would have been a piece of loose batik or songket cloth, which was fastened about the waist by a belt and a "jewelled" pending (buckle). The pending is another indicator of class, and was only worn by royalty and the wealthy.

The pectoral is an addition to traditional dress, which did not exist in olden times. A similar article of clothing may be found in that of the Minagkabau women and those worn by the natives of Borneo. However, these were usually made from embroidered fabric or beads. Ancient Egypt was the true inspiration for this piece of attire. Pectorals were often worn by the Pharaoh and royalties as symbols of status. The pectoral was added it to provide the kingdom of Anike with a distinct, identifiable character that was not too alien to the style of dress that was being portrayed. This pectoral is also worn by Anike, and pectorals of different designs were allocated to Maniaka and Nadim. In the case of Maniaka, his pectoral was part of his armour.

More pics of Anike in Penang

2007-02-05T17:41:00.000+08:00

These are some more pics taken by Mr George Cheah (016-4571882), publicity photographer for Anike.

The whole Anike team for the USM show: playwright, cast and crew...
Standing, from left: Jessie (lighting asst), Joel (Bendahara), Kala (Elder Chorus), Himanshu (Tok Seth / director), Wong Phui Nam (playwright), Yao-han (Nadim), M.Hanif (costumes and stage concept & design), Ali (The Guard) and Wong (lighting asst).
Sitting (or rather squatting), from left: Ken (lighting engineer), Ashwin (sound engineer), Kenny (2nd guard), Himanshu's nephew (Tok Seth's boy), Jin-jin (Yasmine), May (Anike), Henry (Hanger-on Chorus / make-up) and Maiza (props & costumes)
Not present in the photo: Fadzrina (asst director) and Fariza (Queen Wanang Seri).

Another take of the Anike team.

Mr Wong having a chat with Mr Jay on kingly matters...

Other pics of characters and scenes will be posted soon in my myspace page.

Another Anike link...

2007-01-31T21:12:00.000+08:00

Here's another link brought to me by another Anikean... Looks like we're getting post-show publisity, people... Cheers!

Backstage and preparatory shots... The untold story!

2007-01-29T19:03:00.000+08:00

In any theater presentation, the audience is often awed and held in utter fascination by the going-ons of the stage. However, not many realise that what has been put on stage was only a small fraction of the effort that has been going on backstage... It is not unlike a thread in a well-woven cloth: people see the cloth, but rarely appreciate the strands of thread that give it substance. Here is a dedication to the untold story of Anike...

The playwright, Wong Phui Nam, talking to our makeup artist, Henry, who also plays the Hanger-on. In the background is Jin-jin (Yasmine) while Sir Jayaram is in the makeup chair. This photo was taken in USM.

Setting up the stage at Soka-Gakkai Malaysia hall in KL. The poles were the foundation for the huge flags that became the backdrop for the show. Fully extended, these were nearly 10 feet tall.

My daughter D-Ha, teasing out the creases of the huge flags that were to become the backdrop for the Corrupt Kingdom...

My wife Maiza with the selection of weapons that were used in Anike. From left to right: Queen Wanang Seri's knife (with a small jar of stage blood near it), the "Sheena Monterio" sword - unused, Anike's dagger (unsheathed and sheathed), the Hanger-on's parang, a backup keris for King Maniaka, the 2nd guard's parang, 2 backup kerises, Nadim's royal keris, the Guard's sundang, the Bendahara's keris and the Messenger's sword (only the scabbard is visible). King Maniaka's actual keris is slightly visible on the chair to Maiza's right, with his helmet.

Me and wife with Jayaram Menon, who plays King Maniaka, the corrupt sovereign in Wong Phui Nam's Anike. Maniaka's costume was the most elaborate, and he became a favourite of audiences for post-show photo shoots!

Maiza with our Assistant Director Fadzrina and her sister Fariza, who plays Queen Wanang Seri. Although her role is minimal, her costume remains one of the most elaborate on the set.

Me with Kenny (2nd Guard) and Ali (1st Guard/Messenger). Even the costumes for lesser characters were thoroughly researched. Any shortcomings would be because of unavoidable circumstances (such as the budget!)

More photos of the production will be posted as I receive them... So send them in, QUICK!

Photos of Anike in Penang

2007-01-29T18:43:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Ali, for bringing me this link. There are photos of Anike in USM's Dewan Budaya, Penang in the gallery here... and more nice ones here... I could have not asked for better photography... My gratitude to all the photographers involved!

Here's something from one of the posts...

Comment on Anike in KL (sent in to me by email)

2007-01-29T18:03:00.000+08:00

I received this in my inbox today from one of the Anikeans, by "Cassandra"...

Good Job Cape Poetics Penang!
Thu, Jan 25 2007 11:46:49

The whole show was great. There are some characters who were a bit corny, maybe you should look into that because it was almost perfect. The sisterly love between Anike and Yasmine, it was just not there. Bendahara was flat, we could see that he's a young chap acting some like an old person. Maniaka was great, really love his acting, i can see the king he is and the huge transition from an arrogant king to a failure king he is...wow! Himanshu aka Tok Seth, congratulation! Overall i've enjoyed it, hope you would bring more of cape poetic's production to KL.

posted by Cassandra

Here's another, more detailed one by "Drowmage"...

The Drowmage decided to watch the play “Anike” last Saturday at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM (Sokka-Gakkai Malaysia), not knowing what to expect, considering the last time the Drowmage had watched a play was about 2 years ago, back in Pearl Isle.
Delayed by about 10 - 15 minutes, the play soon got off to a rocky start. Or, in the Drowmage’s own perspective, a dull start. The two female central characters, Yasmine and Anike, were overdramatic, and Yasmine (played by Saw Jin Jin) was too soft spoken in the beginning. Anike (played by May Kung), on the other hand, had projected her voice enough, but seemed to over-emphasized every single word in a rather monotonous display. Both girls did not seem to deliver their lines with ease, making one wonder if they were reciting a poem instead of acting.
At this point, I begin to remember a joke about William Shatner’s acting in “Star Trek”.

Although the emcee had requested for everyone to switch off their handphones, it surprises me how many completely kiasu people there who don’t pay heed to this request. A handphone had the audacity to ring in the middle of this performance.

The overdramatic pronunciations soon begin to irritate me - and I start comparing this to the movie version of Shakespeare’s “Merchant in Venice” - where Ralph Fiennes spouts the famous “All the world’s a stage” quote, with such flow and finesse.

Yasmine’s voice and performance begins to pick up a bit later, when she tries to talk Anike out of going against the king’s edict. She becomes more confident with her lines, delivering them with better conviction, and the play begins to pick up at this point.
Same handphone rings again - and I recognize the ringtone as “Auld Lang Syne”. The owner of the phone quickly cancelled the call, or switch off the phone. Must have been the latter, because I didn’t hear a peep out of the phone after that.

After Anike has declared her intention to cut down her brother’s body from the tree, and perform a proper burial for it, the two girls hug each other and they soon leave the scene. Enter the Chorus elder, played by Sreekala Nambiar, who tells the audience a little background story to the events which led up to the two girls’ discussion.
Jayaram Menon soon comes onstage as Maniaka, the Raja (King). The minute he delivered his first lines, and cast a searing look at the audience, I swear I nearly cowered in seat there and then. (That’s what I call acting - to be able to draw your audience into the scene - to bring a suspension of disbelief that you no longer feel that you are in the hall watching a play, but that you are in the scene itself.)

The row in front of me had this 2 people, a guy and a girl, in probably their early 20s. They kept snickering through the play. What’s ironic was that they were sitting in the ‘By Invitations only’ seats. Friends of the cast? Perhaps they found their friend’s acting funny? I suppress my irritation here, out of courtesy.

The messenger (Aliakbar Campwala), who is also the guard in charge of keeping watch on Sirat’s body approaches the king in a way which made me wonder (and judging by the weak laughs from the audience) - if he was meant to be the comic relief - and as the dialogue progressed, I came to the conclusion… yes, he was the comic relief. Too bad he didn’t establish his presence as that in the beginning.

(Criticisms aside, I had to remind myself that the play was, after all, being spoken in verse, having been adapted from a poem. Nothing’s perfect in this world.)

The sound effects was not too bad, where it was required, but I kept missing some of the more important lines or words being delivered, as to the microphones which were placed at the bottom of the stage were not picking up the actors’ voices very well. The problem, I conceived, was due to the speech microphones that had been set up, which were normally used for presentations, speeches, etc. Later when I spoke to the director, Himanshu, and the sound engineer, Ashwin, they told me that they had hoped to get what was termed “Shotgun mikes”, which was used to pick up sounds from a further distance, without causing huge amounts of feedback.

The costumes were impressive, and I have to hand it to the designer, Mohammad Hanif. Although I realized in the beginning that the Rajah’s regal costume reminded me of Chow Yun Fatt’s armour in the recent “Curse of the Golden Flower”; when I mentioned this to Hanif after the show, he insisted that he had come up with the designs way before “Curse” started their production. I couldn’t help but joke, “So Zhang Yimou stole the designs from you?” amidst the laughter.

Anike and Yasmine come onstage to face the Raja for their crimes, and he sentences Anike to a dark and dreary cave filled with snakes. Again, their performance give me goosebumps.
Guy in front keeps shaking his legs throughout the play. Parents don’t seem to teach their kids manners anymore, I believe. I resist the urge to kick his chair. Manners, you see.
Intermission is announced after this scene, and I end up talking to Wong Pui Nam’s publisher from Maya Press, who gives me a free copy of the published “Anike”. Cheers to Maya Press!

Intermission ends, and we proceed with Act 2.
Here we finally see Nadim, the Raja’s son, entering the room and confronting his father for the punishment against Anike. Played by Lim Yao-Han, the character sounds instead like an American teenager. Remember Alex Pettyfer in “Stormbreaker”? His mouth hardly moves and he seems rather wooden. His voice did not project AT ALL - and with that, and the rather un-expressive acting, Nadim ends up looking like a defiant teenage brat who wants things his way, instead of a son who stands up for his beliefs and the woman he loves. The Drowmage doubts that this was what Wong Pui Nam was trying to express in the poem.
Himanshu Bhatt, the director, makes a cameo appearance in the play as the prophetic ‘Tok Seth’, a seer. His performance was good as the mad seer, especially when he goes all prophetic and begins telling the cruel king about the pain and suffering he will endure for the punishment he has placed on his subject.

The only other gripe I have were pauses in between the scenes, which took too long. However, at the end of the day, the three actors which held the play up were Himanshu, Jayaram and Sreekala, with very clear and precise pronunciation; and a great performance.
Jayaram had me caught up in a very dramatic scene, when he discovers his son dead after Anike has hung herself. Just as he was howling in anguish, the irritating duo in front of me began snickering and chortling. Until now, the Drowmage is still trying to understand which part of the jungle did the two of them crawl out from.

After the play, I cornered the irritating duo. “Hi there.”
They paused and looked at me, smiling.
“I was just curious, what was funny about the play?” I asked in a nice tone. I am, after all, really curious. And nice.
They giggled, and shot nervous looks at each other as I pressed on. “No, really, I’m curious to know. What was so funny about the play? You seem to be enjoying it and laughing, and I was wondering if I may have missed something there. After all, I didn’t find it funny.”
They giggled again, and the girl spoke up in badly-accented English, “The words are very funny!” and they both started giggling again. That’s starting to chafe at my nerves.
“I see… well, I didn’t find it funny, you see,” I smiled at them. “Thanks anyway, cheers.”
Invited guests?? Or merely freeloaders with no appreciation of the arts? You decide.

A friend did mention that it’s better if a play, especially a dramatic one, has a small turnout of intellectuals or appreciative audience, rather than a full house of . I concur. I recommend that you try to watch the play for its intellectual properties, its hidden message and its excellent performance by the senior actors.

Drowmage speaks : The review above is a critical opinion of the Drowmage, with no intention of harming anyone’s feelings. In terms of the sound quality, the Drowmage was, after all, sitting in the 5th row from the front; imagine the poor fellows who had to pay for their tickets and were sitting 10 rows all the way to the back.

For the original comment, please go here.

Well, there u have it! Let's hope that this will be grounds for improvement!

Anike in Star Hill.... Part Two

2007-01-23T19:44:00.000+08:00

Just got back from Star Hill for the first public performance of Anike... It was a blast, if I may say so! Well, anyway, we've been published in Kakiseni, so please feel free to browse. Next up is the show in Penang... this weekend!

I still have several modifications and functional repairs to be carried out on the set... it appeared that the type of cloth used was not really suitable for the task...

Anyway, Anikeans with photos, please email them to me ASAP so that we can all share in the glory of the Corrupt Kingdom!

Anike in Star Hill...

2007-01-15T23:17:00.000+08:00

Well... Four more days to the BIG day... The Kingdom will be sending forth scouts to Star Hill on the 17th, consisting of the Seth, Ken and myself (hopefully)... We are to survey and try out the stage at SGM, prior to the arrival of the main force of Kingdom warriors, led by Tuanku himself on the 18th... I hope and pray that everything goes well for all of us...

I have been informed that the presentation of Anike will be judged by Kakiseni judges... I am still in a fog for the confusion that you have caused me... Oops! Wrong line! I'm still not clear about this... Anybody care to elaborate?

Anike in Penang

2007-01-12T23:16:00.000+08:00

Anike will be presented in Penang on the 26th and 27th of January 2007. The play will be hosted by Universiti Sains Malaysia and will be presented at the prestigious Dewan Budaya. Both shows will be on at 8.30pm, and tickets are available at RM10 and RM5 (student rate). For further information on the show, please contact 019-5664641 (Himanshu), 016-4953445 (Kala) or 04-6533888 ext 4126 (USM).

Finalised poster... (Hehehe.... U can comment, but as far as I know, it's already being printed!)

2007-01-10T20:38:00.000+08:00

Here's the finalised poster design... I hope that this satisfies the majority of us in the Kingdom....

And here's my suggestion for da t-shirt design...

Cheers, people!

Comments from The Seth...

2007-01-03T19:00:00.000+08:00

Here is what The Seth had to say about it... :P

Looks superb.

1. Let the exact wording be like this : The Gandhi Memorial Trust and the Soka Gakkai Malaysia present

"A PERFORMANCE BY CAPE POETICS" (okay)

2. Can you put "SUPPORTED BY MAYA PRESS"... ANYWHERE after the Title.

3. Can the outline of the hanging Sirat be more bold - can't see thru the black print.

Okay thanks. Great.

- Himanshu

Another idea for the 2007 Poster

2007-01-01T17:23:00.000+08:00

Here's the new title font Anike 2007... It appears that Tok preferred the original to be changed... Too "Romeo & Juliet", he said... Let me know what you guys think of this and the accompanying poster below... Mmm... perhaps a t-shirt with "Anike" printed on it would be nice... Anyone?

Note: the hanging man is hardly visible in the background, suspended between the "A" and the "k"...

Anike 2007 poster

2006-12-28T17:55:00.000+08:00

Here's a mock up of this year's poster. It's still in the design process, but it's pretty much done... Any opinions, people of the Kingdom?

I've decided to use the image of the enraged Maniaka against that of the serene Anike to give a visual contrast. The colours should set the mood for the play...

Anyway, the original idea was to have a dead man hanging from a tree between the two faces... I sort of dropped the idea when it seemed too crowded... Nonetheless, I'm working on a newer version with the proper title font and the dead man...

First Week of Practice...

2006-11-20T16:58:00.000+08:00

TheCorrupt Kingdom is flexing her muscles again... We're preparing for a show this January, both in KL and Penang... Here are some of the various opinions that I have had on the topic of practice thus far... (Sorry, guys and gals! Just can't resist!- Da MC)

Ganesha Henry: "How is everyone doing?? I'm currently, busy doing my budget for 2007.

May, I really think that the new way of approaching our lines is great. I could feel it...as if got spirit... wonderful that the play has got a re-newed spirit..I hope all of us got it too...

Kala, what la you... always ask us to check on TOK's hair... I think it is a good effect on stage....hehehehehe... no need to make up so much... Thanks for your kind offer to help pack my u****wear... U can help me pack and I'll make Maggi Mee for u."

The Bendahare: "Wow bro u are fast man…. Budget 2007 n it's not even December! I should learn a thing or two from u lah!"

Kala: "2007 budget huh .... Hmm ... wadya expect from the guy who was busy packing his seluar d****s when the rest were partying after the play ! Don't worry Henry ... this time in KL after the play ... we'll all come help u pack

P/S : Since practice has started .......anyone keeping count of Himanshu's crowning glory (or wats left of it) ?"

May: "hahahahahha... the crowning glory is still there. will keep close watch. ;P

well, first practice tonight, and man, i'm so not used to it! but it will, as usual, grow on all of us until we come to miss it when it's not around.

miss all of you quite a bit too. but not to worry, we'll meet up again! let's have a show that'll rock penang!"

Jinjin: "kala!!! you are terrible!! couldn't resist replying your mail... henry and himanshu, ignore her!! "

It appears that the Kingdom will once again be rocked by the colourful antics of her denizens...

The Deawarrin Archives

2006-11-05T17:22:00.000+08:00

Good day, Friends of the Corrupt Kingdom! It looks like the chantings of Tok Seth over smog and city smoke has finally provided us with a revelation: we will once again revell in getting lost in the stone jungles of KL, and a week later, loose our way once again in Penang! Good tidings, indeed! It looks like a gruelling task lies ahead...

By the by, I am pleased to announce the very limited editions of "The Deawarrin Archives: The Plight of Artiera Narazura"... a novel by yours truly. Should anyone be interested in knowing the origins of the costume concepts in Anike, then this is the read for you! Priced at RM21.80, but Anikeans who are interested get a special discount... Interested? Let me know!

A slight detour

2006-09-10T17:50:00.000+08:00

Fellow members of the Corrupt Kingdom... Due to unforseen circumstances, our little Kingdom will be inactive for awhile. However, comments are welcomed as always and will be moderated accordingly.

I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my condolences to Tok Seth and Sir Kenny, our sound technician, for the recent unfortunate occurances they have suffered.

Take care all, hope to see you again soon! >>-----> Da MC

Men Without Shadows

2006-08-14T15:26:00.000+08:00

News from the meditations of Tok Seth, amidst the kemenyan and haze... :)

Cape Poetics presents MEN WITHOUT SHADOWS a play by Jean-Paul Sartre at the Johor Arts Festival 2006
--------------------------------------
TIME: Sat 19 Aug at (8.30pm)
VENUE: Royal Johor Country Club, JB
TICKETS: RM10 (students) & RM38 (available at the The Putri Pacific Hotel, JB).
For details call 07-2233333, 019-7166397 or 019-7789105, or visit www.jspa.org.my.
--------------------------------------
Following its acclaimed staging at the French Arts Festival in KL and Penang this year, 'Men Without Shadows', the existential thriller by Jean-Paul Sartre, plays at the Johor Arts Festival. Considered one of the more provocative works of Sartre, the play is set during the last days of Nazi occupation in France. Described by The New York Times as "a searing examination of the limits to which one's free will may be tested", the work conveys Sartre's deep philosophical outlook through an eventful period in modern world history. 'Men Without Shadows' is performed for the Johor Arts Festival, organised by the Johor Society for the Performing Arts under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Arts & Heritage. The project is supported by the Alliance Francaise de Penang. For photos of Men Without Shadows: http://www.box.net/public/uko75unjf8#main
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"Two sizeable audiences sat in generally stunned silence... I can hardly remember seeing better teamwork on a stage" - Edward Dorall, New SundayTimes.
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Costumes: King Maniaka

2006-08-12T23:19:00.000+08:00

The menacing image of the evil and corrupt King Maniaka. His outfit was designed to give him more stature and a powerful presence. His is the epitome of power and majesty, manifested in the form of a man. Typically in SE Asian custom, yellow is a colour reserved for royalty. Maniaka's outfit is a flowing blaze of yellow and gold, a vibrant display of his wealth. A unique feature of his costume is the presence of shoulder armour and a helmet, two items which represent his insecurity, yet enhances his image of grandeur and instills fear in his subjects.

The helmet has a conical design reminiscent of the kecubung, a traditional headgear for use in makyong plays of the east coast of Malaysia and southern Thailand. A neck guard and cheek pieces were added to give Maniaka extra protection while enhancing his appearence. The shoulder pieces (pauldron) consisted of 2 plates rivetted together and an overlapping series of scales protected the upper arm. The entire ensamble is held together by a pectoral. Other than these, Maniaka has a large pending which also acted as a partial armour on his abdomen. His bracers (arm guards) complete his garniture.

His sabuk is adapted from the Javanese design, and so are his double-layered skirts. I was aiming for an overall silhouette of a wayang kulit Laksamana puppet, and I feel that I was almost on target! Maniaka's costume conveyed the illusion of grandeur, might and fear: all the elements essential for a maniacal king!

Maniaka's keris also deserves mention, as it is of a hybrid design. One might observe that the keris is a keris pekaka fitted with a Javanese ladrang sheath. However, in reality, the hilt was fashioned from the Thai hong, a mythical beast resembling the goose. In accordance with tradition, the keris is wrapped in "gold" and the sampir is made from "ivory". It was indeed, made for a King. Mr Jay suggested another weapon - perhaps a sword - to be tucked into his sabuk on his back. However, we had to drop the idea because it seemed impractical and it was also cumbersome for the actor.

Unlike Anike, I had a clear picture of what Maniaka was supposed to look like in my head. His costume was among the earliest to be finalised, but his armour and helmet took a lot of research and contemplation. I had to spend hours online, looking for the most probable look of a "generic" SE Asian armour. I decided on the scale armour because similar armour had been used in China and the Malay Bugis armour had scales made from bamboo and buffalo horn laced together with chainmail. In the end, the scale aventail (neck guard) and shoulder pieces gave Maniaka the appearence of a large and fearsome predatory bird, which seemed to fit his image.

The Temple of Fine Arts

2006-08-12T23:14:00.000+08:00

At last... The Gathering is here! The Anikeans have been brought together at the Temple of Fine Arts (a.k.a. Annalakshmi), after some time spent in solitary meditation. The gathering was a joyful one, with Tok Seth recounting his adventures in the Land of the Maiden of Lorraine. The Sharers of the Common Dream were also delighted (on the most part) to hear praise and commendation on the parts that everybody had played so well... We were also informed that hard labour lays ahead, for the machinery of the Kingdom will soon have to flex its muscles yet again.

I hope to obtain pics of the gathering at the Temple of Fine Arts, Penang soon... The Gathering was held on Friday, August 11th 2006.

The Sharers of the Common Dream

2006-08-12T19:15:00.000+08:00

The Friends of the Corrupt Kingdom, the entire Anike family (including Nadim II, the guy in the white shroud...).

Above is an image recorded from the first performance of Anike, held in the Indian High Commission. It seems that Queen Wanang Seri is missing... The gentleman in blue batik shirt is Dato' Mahadev Shankar, our benefactor, while the playwright, Mr Wong Phui Nam is in black batik.

Note from the Admin: Although this blog sounds political (Friends of the Corrupt Kingdom), we are by no means a political entity!!! Any political views are regarded as purely individual interpretations and should not be linked to this site (or the play, for that matter!) TQ!

Intermission

2006-08-02T21:12:00.000+08:00

I'd like to take this chance to wish the cast and crew of "Man Without Shadows" all the best in your upcoming show in Johor. May you depart and return in safety, and may your quest be abound with treasures invaluable...

Costumes: Anike

2006-07-28T16:38:00.000+08:00

Anike, the main character of the play, had two distinct costumes. The first, worn during the initial scene, comrises of a wrap-around top, belt and long skirt. For the following scenes, Anike retained the wrap-around top but the skirt was replaced with calf-length pants and sampin.

Initially, Anike was conceived as a rather timid woman, who became a vengeful soul upon the murder of her brother and the defiling of her brother's corpse. However, as the character and actor developed, I felt that it was more appropriate for Anike to take on a more aggressive stance. And thus, this design for her costume was finalised.

Dark red shades were chosen as the primary colours for Anike's clothing. Red was often a symbol of courage and bloodshed, and was a favoured colour among the ancient Malays. It was chosen to represent Anike's anger and defiance towards King Maniaka.

In contrast to Yasmine's bluish outfit, Anike's represented fire and passion. The gold accessories accentuate the basic elements of the costume to give it some elements of contrast. Gold has also been used to represent wealth, as only the rich could afford such a splendour. This was a statement saying that Anike came from a noble and wealthy family, for only the nobles could wear ornaments of gold. Indicators of wealth were also present in the design of Anike's weapon, a small knife (badik).

The weapon was also a clue to Anike's martial prowess. I felt that it was proper for Anike, being the sister of the great warlord-turned-traitor Sirat, to have some measure of skill in martial arts. Besides, it would be foolish to take on the King's Royal Guards unless one was truly prepared! Another indication of her anticipation of combat were her bracers (arm guards). She wore the arm guards from the first scene, as if she was bracing herself for an unavoidable encounter with the Royal Guards.

In the following scenes, Anike was dressed in pants and sampin, the standard garb of the warrior. The practical reason behind this shift of costume was that Anike needed to be more mobile and flexible for the rest of the play. Symbolically, it represented a shift in Anike's character, from a well-bred lady to that of a seasoned warrior. (Between the lines,) it was also more practical for Anike to be dressed as such in order for her to provide a proper funeral for Sirat's body.

Tok Seth returns!

2006-07-28T00:20:00.000+08:00

I have been informed by Mr J on Thursday that our reverred "blind seer" has returned from his quest in France! Bonjour!

Initial Ideas on Costumes

2006-07-27T22:42:00.000+08:00

Well, it looks like our friends from the Corrupt Kingdom have been paying visits here :D I bid you all a very warm thank you and hope that you will -- from time to time -- visit again. Please share your thoughts with us the next time you drop by!

Now, on with today's matters. On this fine day I wish to relate on the initial ideas for the costumes that were worn in Anike. The designs owe a lot to Nusantaran (i.e. South East Asian) cultures, namely Malay, Javanese, Balinese, and Thai. Not to mention some Indian and European influence as well. When Himanshu told me that he needed a "generic" South East Asian culture, I had no choice but to invent one...

But how to invent an entire culture in just a couple of days? Himanshu was lucky because I was already working on a fantasy culture loosely based on the Malay and other South East Asian cultures for my Rian and Artiera fantasy art projects. I had already conducted a somewhat thorough research on the subject and was familiar with the various designs. This gave me a tremendous edge on the time it required to complete the costume design. It helped that Maiza was also familiar with the world of Rian and Artiera, making it easier for her to help me fabricate the required parts for the costumes. She even had some ideas of her own on how the parts were to look like and how they were to be made!

Shown above and below are artworks from whence the ideas for Anike's costumes came. The first (top) is a depiction of Artiera Narazura (Tiera), from my latest art project. Please note her headband, gauntlets/bracers, belt, pending (buckle), sampin (waistcloth), pants and the ivory dagger (badik). These are the very same designs that I based Anike's costume on. I only needed to change the design for her top and the colour of the outfit.

This one is a scene from "The Maritulu Chronicles", an ongoing fantasy adventure project available at my Elfwood page. It shows the duel between Daena (standing, with twin swords on hand) and the main character Rian (holding the same ivory dagger that Tiera had -- Tiera was her ancestor and the dagger is an heirloom!). It was from images such as these -- and more in my mind and skecthbooks -- that the costume ideas for the play came forth.

As a general rule, the colour yellow (and gold for that matter) was reserved for members of the royal house. Being bethrothed to Prince Nadim, I had taken liberties to allow some gold -- but not yellow -- on Anike's costume. From the onset, Anike was viewed as "fire" while Yasmine, the younger sister, was "water". I did not mean to take the literal approach, but I felt that the colours red and blue were suited to the actors who played these characters -- May (Anike) and Jin-jin (Yasmine).

The king, Maniaka (played by the awe-inspiring Mr Jayaram) had an all-yellow outfit and some armour. The armour is a European influence - ancient SE Asian kingdoms seldom had any form of metal body armour. I've decided on a minimalist approach for the armour, taking the ideas from Makyong and Menora costumes. The armour gave the character a fearsome aura, a sense of majesty and fear (while at the same time providing an "insecure little man" with some measure of protection).

As I were to find out later, drawing and painting an alternate world was not as easy as creating one in the flesh! We spent hundreds of man hours in our little "studio" at our house (the temperature in the studio could have given global warming a shame!). There were times that we not only burned the midnight oil, but it was well into the morning oil as well! All the while, we had to coordinate things with the tailor whom we've engaged to sew the clothes. But that's another post! Hehehe...

I shall narrate more on the other characters and the concepts behind their costumes in later posts... Until then...

Wanang Seri

2006-07-27T01:41:00.000+08:00

Here is a profile of Wanang Seri, the wife of King Maniaka. This will be the first of a series of pics that I'll be posting soon. This pic was taken during the actual performance, while Fariza was waiting her turn to go on stage! The pic is quite dark, but that's just the effect that I was hoping for...

The Beginning

2006-07-26T01:49:00.000+08:00

It all began during the middle of last month (June). I receiced a call from Himanshu offering me a job with costumes design for an apparently "controversial" play. He had previously informed me of his next project late last year. He had described it as being a "Burmese" play. I was gingerly waiting for his call, and weeks became months before I receive word of "Anike".

We met (Himanshu, Maiza and myself) at a Liverpool supporter's teh tarik joint near Green Lane, Penang. It was then that Himanshu produced a script and we discussed the general plot (or rather flow) of the play. It was determined that the play needed a generic South-East Asian cultural theme. I immediately saw in my mind's eye the designs that I had been doing for Rian and Artiera. I feel that the designs would fit just nicely into the play.

Later in the evening, we met again at Himanshu's place, this time with some of the actors present. It was there I met Kala and Jin-jin for the first time, together with May and Yao-han, whom I've met during the staging of Death of a Warrior.

I showed them what little examples I had of the designs from my sketchbook. I received encouraging comments on the artwork, but nobody was really sure of how the actual costumes were going to look like. At this stage, the designs were merely in my head. I had initially thought that Jin-jin was playing Anike, as I had envisioned the lead to have short hair!

After staying for their practice session, we (my wife and I) made our way back to Kulim and I began the initial stages of the costume designs. Within 2 days, I came up with line-drawings of the designs and these were shown to Himanshu and the other players, which this time included the director of Death of A Warrior, Mr Jayaram Menon. I saw his eyes lit up upon seeing the design for Maniaka, the character he was playing.

Everything went well and Himanshu consented to the designs. Next, it was hitting Kamdar, Popular, Duriemas and City Book Store for the raw materials and tools. Our director had a rather tight budget -- but it was very much reasonable to me... This was, after all, a work in progress!

A sincere and humble welcome

2006-07-24T16:34:00.000+08:00

Welcome, Friends of the Corrupt Kingdom! It is my sincere hope and wish that you will be pleased at the creation of this small platform on the infinite space of the world wide web. It is also my wish --- as to the creation of this journal --- to chronicle the events that took place during our times together, and the thoughts and feelings that we would like to share with each other. May this fellowship bloom as a beautiful flower in the barren desert of Malaysian Classical Theater...

Undoubtedly, the experience - and friendship - gained during the process of the premier presentation of Anike is of unfathomable value. For (in my mind's eye) we are no mere actors on a small stage, but warriors in the blood-soaked field that is Asian English literature scene. I can see that - if properly executed - we will, each and every one of us, achieve our Common Dream.

The private presentation of Anike was akin to a lit fuse... A fuse that leads to an explosion of fame and fortune. Our greatest thanks to the Mr Wong Phui Nam - the Wizard of Words - and Himanshu Bhatt, the Seer who saw the Future and took the reigns of Cape Poetics into the Unknown. Not forgetting the critical mind, guiding hand and acting talents of Jayaram Menon, without whom the play would have been handicapped. And of course, the Players - May, Jin-jin, Kala, Joel, Yao-Han, Henry, Khaz & Aakash - without whom Anike could not have been brought to life.

Last but not least, may Anike take us further than we could ever imagine!