A STIRRING TRAGEDY

A FEW adulterous affairs among family members would inevitably cause a stir as the title of the play suggests, Ribut - Bila Takdir Berbicara (Thunderstorm - When Destiny Speaks).

Try imagining a baby conceived between two siblings or when forbidden love occurs between a stepmother and her stepson. What will eventually happen to the family institution?

Answering this question alone could be mind boggling, what more trying to present it in a play. But aspiring director Bob Hazli Hassan executed it quite impressively in Ribut which was staged last week by The Actors Studio at the Plaza Putra, Dataran Merdeka, in Kuala Lumpur.

However, the first scene was quite long-winded. There wasn't any need for minor details or meandering gossip and Bob should have started the play with more verve.

Nevertheless, the whole play which centred on incestuous relationships was well presented. One of the highlights of the play was Fan Yi, the central figure played convincingly by Juhara Ayob.

Juhara portrayed well the painful state of a woman unloved, rejected both by husband Chou Pu Yuan and stepson Chou Ping. She emoted these feelings sensitively and made it looked like she was the central part of the play.

As the story unfolded, we were told that Fan Yi had plunged herself into a marriage of convenience to her aristocratic husband, Pu Yuan. After giving birth to Chou Chung (played by Que Haidar), Fan Yi found that she had feelings for her stepson, Chou Ping (Zul Huzaimy Marzuki).

Juhara packed much emotion into her character. As Fan Yi, she depicted a loving, protective mother who viewed no woman as being good enough for her gullible son, Chou Chung.

At times she was the stony, unemotional wife of Pu Yuan. Here, she looked every bit the detached woman and cut a cheerless figure who seemed happiest when she was not with her husband. And yet, when she was the lover of Chou Ping, Juhara indicated the troubled feelings of one so confused yet so much in love with a man whom destiny had willed to be her stepson.

Juhara's promising competence only confirmed that she has finally arrived, joining the likes of other established theatre actors such as Joanna Bessey, Tiara Jacquelina and Jit Murad.

Unfortunately, the inhibited, restrained performance of Zul Huzaimy Marzuki as Chou Ping did not complement Juhara's. In fact, Zul's portrayal was rather disappointing. He appeared to be unsure and wavering. He wasn't convincing in both roles - as the lover of both Fan Yi and Ssu Feng (Fiona Lee).

Equally lacklustre was Fiona Lee as Ssu Feng, the maid who became the object of lust of the two brothers. There was something about the way she played her part and voiced her lines with minimal emotions and controlled convictions that made it difficult to believe that she could attract two men at the same time.

What we saw was a confused, helpless, weak lass who wasn't sure of her goal in life. Ironically, the same factor that made her end her life after she conceived a child with brother/lover Chou Ping. Whichever way one looks at it, Ssu Feng's character was not a strong one. Whether it was meant to be that way or it was only Lee's interpretation, the effect wasn't lingering.

The highly-strung Lu Ta Hai (played with much gusto by Sofia Deli) was too overwhelming. Que Haidar as Chou Chung was natural. The jester in Ribut was Adlin Aman Ramlie who provided the few smiles and laughs throughout, breezing through with his Lu Kuei character, the compulsive gambler, reminding one so much of his late father, the great comedy actor A.R. Tompel.

Two actors that really gave polished performances that evening were Khir Rahman as Chou Pu Yuan and Faridah Merican in her dual roles as Sheng Peng and Lu Ma. Khir Rahman, who has proven time and again that he is indeed a character actor, was convincing. His intonation, gestures and mannerism depicting the spiteful, powerful and dominant mining proprietor were rather compelling.

Khir showed the different facets of Chou Pu Yuan quite profoundly - first as the no-nonsense, tyrannical father; the uncaring, thoughtless husband, and the cold, alienated lover still pining for his long-lost lover Lu Ma.

But no actor that evening could quite match the seasoned actress Faridah Merican who stole the show. Her disposition as the strong-willed Lu Ma, a dejected yet spirited figure, was brilliantly portrayed. The anguish and suffering of a tormented woman were felt. She managed to bring out these emotions in a poignant way, placing emphasis on facial expressions and body language.

What's more interesting is that the original Thunderstorm, written by T'sao Yu in 1934, is still relevant even in today's society and the fact that Bob has managed to transfer the spirit of the play in his interpretation called Ribut to the stage quite splendidly.

The hauntingly beautiful strains of the Chinese drums, chimes, keyboards, geduk and kesi by musicians Isyam Swardy Daud, Shahril Salleh, Rozario and Mohd Razif Nizam were simply superb and captured the right mood and setting for the play.

The script which was written by Bob is quite good. At times, the words are funny, candid and witty but most of the time, it is thought-provoking. A few parts of the play need tightening up though. The few draggy moments which made many yawn should be reworked.

The minimal props, the two antique Ming chairs and the altar, lent a certain charm and authenticity to the play. Overall, the cast put in commendable effort.

As expected, Ribut ended in a storm of trouble which included tragedy. The effect of the play with its disturbing storyline was quite profound.

A few characters lingered in the mind long after the play had ended. But then again, having to sit through a three-hour performance was a wee bit too much, really.

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 17/3/2001