HAMLET FANSURI is a new translation and re-adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark in Malay by Ridhwan Saidi, with the poetry of Hamzah Fansuri, a 16th century Sumatran Sufi poet, as its interscene mechanism. Hamlet Fansuri begins with a Malay translation and re-fragmentation of Heiner Müller’s Hamletmachine and Comte de Lautréamont’s Maldoror in a piece called OPHELIA MALDOROR as its ‘buka panggung’. This play also features an experiential soundscape performed by Kicau Bilau. Anticipate a dark nusantara, ambient site-specific recital.
Translation & Direction: Ridhwan Saidi
Performers: Roshafiq Roslee (Hamlet), Mira Romanli (Ophelia), Shon Anwar (Claudius), Nyna Roslan (Gertrude), Rashid Akhmal (Laertes), Lew Shu Ni (Ophelia 2/Actor-Hamlet/Spirit), Tasha K. (Ophelia 3/Actor-Claudius/Spirit), Shamnirul (Hamlet’s Ghost/Actor-Gertrude/Spirit) & Nurul Aizam (Voices).
Scenography: Ilham Sani
Live Soundscape: Kicau Bilau
Music (ending scenes): Joni Atari
Documentation: Amirul Rahman
Management & Crew: Port25 (via Lydia Amalina)
Venue: PORT commune
OPHELIA
Aku ke jalanan menutup auratku bersalut darah sendiri.
“It was a very engaging and rare experience to watch Hamlet alive in Malay. It was surprisingly palatable for me, I understood the immense struggle of each character and could emphatise better when they were enveloped with a local flavour.” – Cikgu Huda via instagram
“Sebuah pengalaman yang disturbing sekaligus menyamankan. Ia menghantui dalam keasyikan.” – Fazleena Hishamuddin
“Its hard to describe the experience I had with Hamlet Fansuri. Rare. Beautiful. Sorrow.” – Aqilah Tahir via twitter
“Aku nikmati pergerakan, bunyi dan komposisi dan ruang yang disusun. Paling melekat adalah bunyi suara yang bergema pada stage pertama dan hentakan kaki hantu pada stage kedua beriringan dengan musik dari Kicau Bilau.” – Norsuhada via instagram
“Hamlet memang perlu ditonton berdiri. Baru meresap semangat Hamlet. Dan juga di depan muka.” – Saat Omar
“It was very heavy: Hamlet’s heavy as you know, and in Malay poetry even more heavy, and dark. It was entertaining.” – Rania Diana via instagram
“Teater Hamlet Fansuri arahan Ridhwan Saidi sebuah fusion dan pulp yang berkesan. Ada hubungan silanglintang antara barat dan nusantara, nuansa tradisional dan moden, serta sesekali mengingatkan saya imej dari filem Onibaba (1964) dan Romeo + Juliet (1996).” – Ani Aziz
“The horrors of silence induced by the juxtaposition of congenital images permeate Ophelia and her handmaidens leading to Hamlets dialogue and schizophrenic indulgence. Spectators crowding about the seance of the play, reminiscent from sights of bystander courts.” – Lim Paik Yin
“Penonton ialah hantu dari masa depan yang menjadi saksi sebuah tragedi purba–moden Nusantara–Eropah.” – Ali Aiman
“Rasa macam transcend, sekejap melayang ke bintang utara, sekejap kaki terpijak rumput di Padang Merbok. Kerana ia tidak memberikan klimaks kepada penonton, tetapi katharsis.” – Yusof Bakar via Ketagih Teater (klik untuk reviu penuh)
CLAUDIUS
Doaku ke langit tinggi, akalku kekal di bawah.
Kata-kata tanpa akal tak akan menggapai syurga.
HAMLET
Mimpinya terlalu dalam
Ombaknya menjadi alam
Asalnya tiada bersiang malam
Di laut itu alam ini karam
Moka Mocha Ink 