Menora

Menora is seen only in Kelantan.

This dance drama is believed to have developed in Thailand about

2,000 years ago, was introduced to Kelantan during the second half of
the nineteenth century.

It is a dance drama portraying Buddhist Jaataka stories, is

characteristically Thai but has been accultured into the Malaysian
milieu.

It is performed by an all-male cast who also assume female roles.

Adventures dating from ancient folklore are enacted by slow rhythmic

movements of legs, arms and fingers.

An orchestra of drums, gongs, scrape instruments and the serunai, a

Malay oboe, provides the music.
 Mak Yong

The Mak Yong is a dance drama, a

comprehensive theatre performance
combining dance, opera, drama and
comedy.

The theatre is believed to have

originated from Kelantan several
centuries ago as a popular court
entertainment. It is a unique theater form
that perhaps can be likened to the
modern musical theatre genre found in
western theatre.

The most important dance in Mak Yong

performance is Mengadap Rebab dance sequence
which now lasts anywhere between 10 to 15
minutes and is performed at the beginning of every
performance. It is divided into four sections:
namely, sitting, kneeling, squatting, standing and
walking. The lead dancer and the supporting
dancers must be able to sing the haunting melody.
Except for three men, all the characters in a Mak Yong
are played by women. It is the main dancer, called Mak
Yong who develops the story which usually about
legendary princes and princesses from tales of Old
handed down by word of mouth.

The Mak Yong is supported by a cast of 16 performers

and backed by a traditional music ensemble consisting of
gongs, drums and rebab. Music and melody add colour
to the dance. There are always at least 2 ‘clowns’ – the
peran who are continuously beaten with a short bamboo
cane by the lead actor. Their make-up is very distinct
especially around the eyes.
 Bangsawan
This is what is generally known as Malay Opera and is a form of theatre that became
very popular in the 1950’s.

Telling tales of love, bravery and heroism of princes and folk heroes.

With singing, dancing and acting it is one of the total theatre experiences.

One of the unique features of this theatre form is called the ‘extra turn’ when the
curtain is lowered to change sets and dancing girls come out in front of the curtain to
perform dance-hall type numbers like the rumba, cha-cha and so on.

Often famous entertainers and comedians also make guest appearances to entertain
the audience.
 Jikey

Jikey is a form of traditional theatre still popular in Kedah and Perlis.

It was said that Jikey began when a group of merchants were caught for
evading taxes.

To free themselves, the king ordered the merchants to sing and dance
in order to earn enough money to pay their dues.

Musical instruments used include 3 drums, a serunai, a bell and a

tamborine. Stories told in Jikey are folk tales.
 Mek Mulung

The dance drama Mek Mulung exclusively found in Kedah, incorporates

the elements of Mak Yong, Menora and Hadrah. It probably appeared in
the late 18 th century. Unlike Mak Yong, it began as a folk theatre.

The basic dance movements of Mek Mulung are limited, abbreviated

and crude compared to those of Mak Yong Kelantan. In their execution,
no effort is made to coordinate the movements of individual dancer.

Apart from Mek Mulung the King, characters include other players, a
fortune teller and dancers. They are all male performers and are
normally related to each other.

The musical instruments played are the semborong, gong, serunai and
cerek.

Unlike Mak Yong Kelantan which incorporates movements of the torso,

head, hands and fingers, Mek Mulung movements mainly focus on the
arms, especially the to and fro, and up and down swinging movements.
However, it employs similar circular floor pattern, as in Mak Yong.
 RANDAI PUTI NILAM SARI

RANDAI is traditional theatre form that originates from Western Sumatera, Indonesia
that has a unique structure and presentation style. A ‘theatre-in-the-round’ that
incorporates singing, dance movements based on silat that takes place along a circle,
and text, that makes for an interesting performance. The characters move in and out of
the circumference of the circle and consequently move in and out of character.

The story of Puti Nilam Sari has been penned by Bapak Wisran Hadi, the SEA Write
Award Winner 2000 and is directed by Associate Professor Zainal Latif with Bapak
Afrizal from Padang ,Indonesia as Vocal, Acting and Dance coach. The simple tale tells
of the love between two people of different social status (or are they?) and needless to
say they will be united in the end - in the true form of traditional theatre! The cast
features Mohd. Kamarulzaman Taib as the Sultan, Balqis Omar as his consort, with
students and graduates of ASK playing the other roles with a special appearance by
Joseph Gonzales in the ‘ber-Randai’!

This will be a treat for those with an interest in alternative or ‘lesser known’ traditional
Asian/Southeast Asian forms. The duration of the play is approximately 1 hour and is
without an interval. For the purposes of reaching a wider audience, and taking into
account the ability of the cast - the play is performed in Malay as opposed to its original
tongue of Minang.