Seniman Negara (National Artist) Datuk Mohammad Nor Mohammad Khalid, better known as Datuk Lat, said he has granted creative industry players full freedom to interpret his iconic 1979 graphic novel The Kampung Boy.
The 74-year-old added the theatre production Seniman Negara Datuk Lat – Kampung Boy, which will run at Auditorium JKKN Perak in Ipoh from Nov 14-16, blends elements of reality and fiction (all tickets for the three-day run have been sold out).
Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak and Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Zara Salim will attend the theatre performance on its second night (Nov 15).
Directed by Ridhwan Saidi from a script by Saad Omar and starring Taiyuddin Bakar, Safura Ya’cob, Ilya Senario, and Hadi Mikail, Seniman Negara Datuk Lat – Kampung Boy follows an adult Lat as he meets his younger self and recalls life in Kampung Lalang, Kota Bharu near Kampar, before moving to Ipoh.
Lat noted that it stands in stark contrast to his original “silent” creation, with the stage adaptation brought to life through witty and meaningful dialogue.
"So, if anyone wants to tell Lat’s story, go ahead and make it your own. I don’t interfere, just as I didn’t with Hans Isaac or Harith Iskander in their previous Kampung Boy production at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur (in 2011).
"Artistic work like this requires freedom, and the freedom I’ve given to everyone involved, the production team and cast, is complete and unconditional. That’s why we say the story contains both fictional and real elements,” said Lat, after attending a preview performance in Ipoh last night.
Citing the tin-mining scene in his work, Lat revealed that he had never actually held a mining pan. Instead, he recounted his friends’ experiences as though they were his own, adopting the perspective of a first-person narrator.
Despite the differences, Lat was pleased with the production, calling it lively and richer in stories than his original comic.
The legendary cartoonist praised the actors for their impressive ability to memorise lengthy dialogues, admitting it was a feat he could never manage himself, and reflecting on his own limitations as a supporting actor during the era of the late playwright Datuk Syed Alwi Syed Hassan.
He also felt the production captured the essence and origins of 'Kampung Boy'.
"I can see how my story has expanded in many directions. With so many characters involved, it feels far livelier than my books, where it is the illustrations that carry the narrative,” he said.
The production is presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) through Perak JKKN, in collaboration with the Pertubuhan Seni Kayangan Perak (PESKAP) and the Perak state government. - Bernama
