PLAYING THE PART
MUD, The Musical takes centre stage as Kathlyn D’souza speaks to the cast of Malaysia’s longest-running show
Though an artificial setting and form, those who enter a theatre for a performance get inducted into an enchanted space that surpasses time and place. MUD, The Musical offers just that opportunity, twice daily, to relive history. By way of a heartwarming, cultural musical, audiences are invited to watch, experience and participate in the colourful history of how the city of KL came to be (through both flood and fire) as it plays out on stage, and maybe learn a thing or two about unity, patriotism and fortitude. Since its first show in June 2014, thousands of visitors from and outside of KL have come to watch history replay in an interactive and absorbing way, telling the story of how an unknown city, rich with tin, eventually came to be Kuala Lumpur. The main cast of this award-winning production—prem Sagar (who plays Muthiah), Muhammad Hanis Samarudin (Mamat), Xavier Fong (Meng), Nazurah Hanoom Hanafie (Teja) and Dana Lee (Xiao Yen)—share experiences and opinions on the play, and how they prepare beforehand.
What do you think is going to surprise people about the show? Prem:
That Malaysian theatre is not low-class! [laughs] Yes, that’s because the general public always has a certain mindset about local productions. A lot of people come in with such low expectations, that when they come here they are blown away, which actually works out in our favour though.
Xavier: Prem: Do you have any pre-show rituals? Prem:
We gather around in a circle, get focused and play theatre games before shows. Apart from that, we do vocal warmups and pray together. I personally also give everyone a fist bump before every show. That accounts for over 2,000 fists bumps already!
With such a hectic schedule, what happens if someone falls sick? Xavier:
In case of emergencies, or if some actors are unable to make it, we could just jump in and do the part. When you’re doing a show twice a day, for about three years now, I would think that every one of us here could play any role [laughs]. We subconsciously remember other characters’ lines.
What are some other challenges that come with the job? Nazurah:
The fact that the show must go on, since this is shown every day. If you’ve got problems or things to do, once you’re on stage, the audience expects to see the full show. So, if you’re not feeling well— physically or mentally— the audience must not be able to see that. For me it’s stamina. When I first joined, I was stunned by how the other performers could do two shows every day and still go out for movies and drinks after. It was crazy. You do get used to it over time, but it can get overwhelming since you have to sing, act and dance at the same time.
Xavier: How do you like your characters? Dana:
Xiao Yen is a young, innocent, naive and bubbly girl. Her outlook on life is always