TOO SAUCY BY FAR

EXTREMELY nauseating; the play Mambo Horse about Mona, a prostitute having an incestuous relationship with both father and son, made me sick to the stomach. If that's not bad enough, try imagining the son becoming the lover and prospective husband of the prostitute.

Scripted and directed by theatre critic Roslee Mansor, the storyline of Mambo Horse makes one wonder if there's no other theme worth probing, especially when the play was staged to raise money for Persatuan Ibu Tunggal (Malaysian Single Mothers Association), in conjunction with National Women's Day 2000.

Perhaps it was the controversial and provocative theme that made the play so intriguing. All tickets were snapped up just before the show which was staged recently for six consecutive days at the Dewan Tun Syed Nasir, Dewan Bahasa Dan Pustaka.

The lewd manner in which the whole story was weaved, the provocative monologue style of key player Erma Fatima and the all-too real dialogue was enough to excite even uninspired minds. Even the sleepy-eyed who were about to nod off would have perked up seeing the tantalising Erma (I mean Mona). Oh, the venue was so cool the unglamorous, albeit hallowed halls of literary establishment Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka.

Radical and bold in comparison to other plays with tame, mild themes, Mambo Horse depicted an easy style of storytelling, one which could easily be interpreted as Roslee's. The play sizzles, punches and may give a kick to those with a penchant for kinky memoirs.

All through the 90-minute play, Erma (who plays prostitute Mona convincingly), acted, danced, emulated, and interacted with the audience, with nary a breather. She had loads of energy packed into that slim frame of hers.

She displayed much versatility, tackling at least 11 other characters single-handedly. She also mimicked male voices with consummate ease, when required, and tackled all her other characters with fervour, effortlessly switching from one role to another.

But Erma was especially outstanding when she reflected the pain and trauma of being whipped by a guard for failing to comply with a client's fantasy.

The minimal props a bar, the entrance to the two brothel rooms, a table and few chairs allowed Erma to display her versatility to the max.

Set in the 1970s, the play centres on Mona, a highly sought-after prostitute at a nightclub called Mambo Horse which doubled as a prostitute's den.

Mona is an incest victim who, at 15, was raped by her father Alias (played by Dr Samad Salleh). The father later throws her out of the house and the naive Mona was forced to work at Mambo Horse, eventually turning to prostitution to support herself.

Here, she befriends the young and nerdy Karim (Rosyam Nor) who later becomes her lover, not knowing that he is her illegitimate son. Mona's other admirer is Engku, an old bachelor who fancies Mona because she resembles his late fiancee. Then one day, Alias comes looking for her ...

The script is crisp and at times vulgar, but more often than not, it challenged even the most insipid minds.but perhaps not everyone can appreciate the play as one man's meat is another man's poison.

The theme was hot, no doubt about that, but the play made me feel uneasy, so much so that I shifted in my seat many times. To enjoy the candour of the no-holds-barred script, delivered with punch by Mona, was not easy.

Erma's monologue recalling her past was superb. It jolted even the most weary of minds. But the indecent, shameless style of a whore that made me cringe.

Erma got me really confused here. Her acting did not seem so it was unbelievably real. Her Mona character displayed a variety of emotions sadness, elation, sauciness and dejection, all delivered with gusto. Her timing was faultless. At this point, Erma's fine stage-acting came through, with all the naturalness, the ease and the charm.

Her last stage-acting stint was not too long ago in Lantai T. Pinkie and Deja Vu Seorang Perempuan. But in Mambo Horse, Erma really shone. The play provided her the opportunity to display her spontaneous vitality. Her gift for fine, rapid repartee was equally impressive.

Erma's engaging performance was the highlight of the play. Rosyam Nor's commendable acting as Karim (Mona's lover/son) and Zaidi Omar as Engku added that extra zest.

As Alias, Mona's father, Dr Samad did not disappoint. He had the expressive face that's vital for stage-acting.

Still, despite the almost superb acting by all cast, relishing the play is quite difficult. A story about sex would normally excite just about anyone. But Mambo Horse revealed so much about this taboo subject that it was a case of overkill.

How Mambo Horse was able to escape the cuts of censorship was simply amazing! Still, no matter what the creativity licensed to scriptwriter/director Roslee Mansor, the rating of this play ought to have been 5SX (suitable only for selected audiences,).

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED BY 6/9/2000