Perfilems boosts city’s theatre scene experience revival

KUCHING: The revival of the theatre scene here signifies higher level of appreciation and understanding among the locals as far as this genre of stage play is concerned.

According to Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang, it is not too far-fetched to see this city become a centre of theatrical arts in the country, much like the Broadway in New York, or the West End in London.

On this, he praised the Sarawak Filmmakers Association (Perfilems) for its role in reviving the local theatre scene.

“I am a theatre lover myself, and I think it is time for those not only in Kuching but also in Samarahan to be able to enjoy this form of art.

“We are getting there – becoming the performing arts centres like those on Broadway and West End. Our society has become more discerning in their taste for quality stage performances. On this note, I would like to thank and applaud Perfilems president Jalot Jeman for his excellent work in bringing back the excitement to the local theatre scene,” he said in his opening remarks at the presentation of certificates to Perfilems students for the 2016 session at the state Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) auditorium here recently.

The ceremony was held prior to the staging of a mini-musical ‘Kamek Sayang Kitak’, which was written and directed by Jalot.

Idris, who attended the event with his wife Datin Zulaiqha Hamid, said he was impressed by the commitment and dedication shown by Jalot not only in making the theatre scene more vibrant than it was before, but also in grooming the young talents.

“I’ve known him (Jalot) for about three years but I can see his seriousness in the business. His versatility reminds me of the Malay film and music legend, the late Tan Sri P Ramlee. He can act, direct, write scripts, do comedy, compose songs, handle production and even host a show. We need more people like this in Sarawak.

“I assure Jalot and all those with the same passion that I would render my support to your undertakings, to the best of my ability,” said Idris, who is also Perfilems patron.

Meanwhile, Jalot said the ‘Kamek Sayang Kitak’ mini-musical wrapped up Perfilems’ activities for the whole of this year.

“I am looking forward to the 2017 session, where I would have the seniors helping me to guide the new students. There will be a lot more programmes in store – all made possible through the solid support that we have been receiving from Datuk Idris, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, DBKU (Kuching North City Commission), DBP, Kuching Civic Centre, Kuching Waterfront management and a lot more individuals and bodies,” he said.

On the mini-musical, Jalot said his troupe spent two months on rehearsals before opening night.

“However, these series of rehearsals were a bit different from the previous ones in that I wanted my troupe members to gain more confidence in performing before a live audience by having the session be conducted in the open.

“We held some of the rehearsals on the amphitheatre at Kuching Waterfront, which caught the attention of many passers-by including foreign tourists. Eventually, that rehearsal session gathered more and more spectators up to the final week before curtain-up. Many of those who had been watching us throughout the two months, asked: ‘When will you guys perform again?’

“Seeing such great feedback, Perfilems will run short plays, ‘bangsawan’ (classical Malay stage play) and mini-musicals at Kuching Waterfront more regularly next year, as part of our year-long activities,” he said.

At the end of the mini-musical, leading cast members Raziv Ramzon and Nur Hafizah Hajira were named the respective ‘Best Actor’ and ‘Best Actress’ that night.