IPOH: Seniman Negara (National Artiste) Datuk Mohammad Nor Mohammad Khalid, better known as Lat, has given the creative industry complete freedom to interpret his iconic graphic novel The Kampung Boy.
Lat said the theatre production, Seniman Negara Datuk Lat — Kampung Boy, blended elements of reality and fiction.
Staged at the Perak National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) Auditorium here, he added that in contrast to his original “silent” creation, the stage adaptation was filled with 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.
“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,” he said after attending the preview here on Tuesday night.
Citing a tin-mining scene in the comic, Lat revealed that he had never actually held a mining pan. Instead, he recounted his friends’ experiences as his own, adopting a first-person perspective.
Lat expressed his satisfaction with the sold-out production, describing it as lively and enriched with a broader range of stories than his original comic.
He also commended the cast’s ability to memorise lengthy lines, and recalled his own failure to do so as a supporting actor during the era of the late theatre pioneer, Datuk Syed Alwi Syed Hassan.
He said the production successfully conveyed the essence and origins of “Lat” to the audience, and expressed hope that the performance would be warmly received by all who attended.
“…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 added.
The three-day production, starting tomorrow, is presented by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry through the Perak JKKN, in collaboration with Pertubuhan Seni Kayangan Perak and the state government.
Seniman Negara Datuk Lat — Kampung Boy, directed by Ridhwan Saidi from a script by Saad Omar, stars Taiyuddin Bakar, Safura Ya’cob, Ilya Senario and Hadi Mikail.
It tells the story of an adult Lat meeting his younger self and reminiscing about life in Kampung Lalang, Kota Bharu near Kampar, before moving to Ipoh. — BERNAMA
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