Theatre
Megat Terawis
Not translated into English
Teh Fatimah Abdul Wahab · 1951
Synopsis
Coming from Pagar Ruyung, in the Minangkabau country, Megat Terawis is summoned by Sultan Mansur Shah of Perak, whose daughter, Princess Limau Purut, has been abducted and taken to Aceh. The hero sets out for Aceh to return her to her father. Inspired by the past of Perak, the play extols the valour of this Malay chief in the service of a sovereign who has called him from afar.
Context
The play was first staged in 1950 at the Dewan Bandaran, the town hall of Ipoh. It is regarded as the first Malay performance given from a written text, and a history of Malay theatre gives it as the first Malay dramatic text published, in 1951. Its hero is a figure from the history of Perak: son of a ruler of Pagar Ruyung, Megat Terawis founded a line that held the office of bendahara of the sultanate. A study by Universiti Putra Malaysia analyses its dialogues in the light of Malay moral values.
Who it is for
A historical play in Malay, written for an amateur stage, which exists neither in French nor in English.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as the starting point of written Malay drama; its dialogues are still studied at universities in Malaysia.
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