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KUCHING, Aug 19: The legendary Iban war chief Rentap was brought back to life on stage in the musical drama ‘Rentap: The Battle of Bukit Sadok’ staged in the indoor theatre of the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) last night.
Among the audience were the Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, his deputy, Datuk Snowdan Lawan, and his wife.
The musical drama is one of the highlights of the Sarawak Harvest and Folklore Festival (SHFF) 2023, taking place at SCV from Aug 18 to 19 and Nov 3 to 4.
The historical play tells the story of the Iban war chief Rentap, a feared leader in the 19th century, who led his men gallantly in many battles against the first white Rajah of Sarawak, Sir James Brooke, who governed the State from 1841 to 1868.
The one-and-a-half-hour musical drama features Anding Indrawani as Rentap, Mellissa Francis as Sawai, Nick Jansen as James Brooke, Jay Iswazir as Razlan, Arwan Umar as Orang Kaya Nanang, Shakira Stephen as Suntey, and Abdul Wahap as Dana.
The essence of the musical drama is a tale of fierce loyalty and sacrifice, depicting a battle between the forces of good and evil, jealousy and revenge. It is also interlaced with the romance between Rentap and his wife, Sawai.
Approximately 80 dancers and children from Sarawak Cultural Village, along with apprentices from Sistem Latihan Dual Nasional and students from Sekolah Seni Malaysia Sarawak, were also involved in the musical drama.
The majority of the performance was delivered in the Iban language, with the remainder in Bahasa Melayu and English.
All the music for the drama was performed by Depha of Masterpiece, who also sang the original soundtrack for this musical drama. The songs are composed by Jerry Kamit and Harzel Markson.
This musical drama is also available for livestreaming through the event website www.sarawakharvestfestival.com.my at RM30 per viewing. — DayakDaily
