Video 1 VS Video 2

(6) Maal Fikri Jelani

Well, I have to agree, both video were a big challenge for me. Both productions require me to speak using unfamiliar language. The first production required everyone to speak using the original Shakespearean language whereas the second one was in the local dialect. Seriously I may live in the north but I can’t speak like one. Funny as it seems, I could only understand them. Nevertheless, there was a really good feeling about the second production.

I admit having more fun and pleasure in the second production. This time, we at least get to speak the lines in Malay and the meaning of the play has a different angle. We are all more familiar using the first language therefore making it much easier to get along with the production. We practically had the flow of the play in our heads and only needed it to be transfer in the local dialect.

We tried to inculcate local features into this production such as the “baju melayu” and the sarongs. We even put in the “nenek kebayan” which is a local understanding of witches. I find the second production is much friendlier compared to the first one. But I would also have to admit that without knowing the whole play first, it would be a difficult task for people outside the text of Macbeth to understand with what is going on.

A t the end, I would still value the fact that having to learn Macbeth and exploiting it using different language has been a great experience. All and all, I hope the this knowledge gained would be put into good use in the future.