As the curtains closed on the previous year’s tale of science fiction, the gears behind the scenes were set in motion once more to prepare for the telling of yet another story come March of 2023. There was a consensus, this time around, that MNight was long overdue for a return to its roots—more precisely, our roots.
And so the scriptwriters extracted from old wives’ tales and generational whispers, transcending across race and the selfish yet binding factor that is time, coming up with a three-part story pivoting around folklore. The first act was none other than the legendary Puteri Gunung Ledang, the second taking a twist on Betaal and Vikram, and the third of the star-crossed lovers that is Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, better yet known as the butterfly lovers.
But what good was a retelling of stories that fellow Malaysians had grown up with? The challenge came in modernising each character and act, and weaving within social issues that our country has grappled and is currently grappling with. In keeping with tradition, five dances were also incorporated to bring the stories to life, to throw in colours and actions on an otherwise dark stage.
Six months of restless preparation is easier heard than understood, but our cast and crew have spent countless hours behind the curtains to perfect what was three hours of stage time. From light cues to costume tailoring, sound effects to body language, no detail was left to fate. Though there were times when doubt seeped through rehearsals as to whether we could pull this unprecedented production off, our producers and directors remained steadfast in assuring that the wind was forever behind our sails. Alas, the production speaks for itself.
As the audience is transported through defiance of norms, games of wits, and fights for what is true, the aim of MNight 2023 was concluded: to serve as a reminder that we are all made up of stories, and that endings are something we can take control of writing.
19th March 2023
mssmanchester.co.uk 