Malay theatre adaptation of 'Macbeth' now gets a zapin twist

Surnia Fizul (left) and Ilyahida play Dato' DiKajang and Datin Seri respectively in this zapin-inspired adaptation of 'Dato' Seri', which itself is a Malay language adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'. Photo: Muiz Evans

Theatre director Omar Ali and the late Tan Sri Mohammad Ali Hashim's work Dato' Seri, a Malay language adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, is getting a zapin makeover in a brand new staging at Aswara's Experimental Theatre in Kuala Lumpur.

Muzikal Zapin Dato' Seri, adapted and directed by Anwar Rusdini, opens on Oct 25 and is set to transport audiences to a reimagined Malaya in 1960s using the magic of zapin, a traditional Malay dance.