Portsmouth Gets ‘Borneo’ Awakening

From Razlan Rashid LONDON, Feb 6 (Bernama) -– The naval and maritime heritage city of Portsmouth received a ‘Borneo’ awakening when 'Tamparuli: The Musical' was staged at Kings Theatre, a primary theatre in the south coast of England last night. The musical was organised by the University of Portsmouth Malaysian Society, in conjunction with Portsmouth Malaysian Night 2015, a yearly event organised by Malaysian students studying at the United Kingdom’s only island city. “Our main aim was to let the locals know more about Malaysia and our culture, and that’s why 50 per cent of our audience were locals,” University of Portsmouth Malaysian Society President Mohammed Fauzi Bostanudin, who is also the producer of the musical, said when interviewed by Bernama. Mohammed Fauzi, a pharmacy postgraduate research student described the event as a huge success and thanked the university’s international office, student union and over 100 Malaysian students studying in Portsmouth for playing an instrumental role in organising the musical, with over 400 tickets sold at £7 each. The society has organised three other Malaysian Nights in 2012,2013 and last year. Meanwhile, musical director Lidiya Fatiny Zamzuri, a digital media student at the university said a 40-member production crew took part in the musical and the event's promotion was held over the past few months. “Apart from having a trailer on YouTube, we had flashmobs and other promotional activities in the city centre wearing traditional costumes, and music...and the locals were exhilarated. Our aim was to reach out to the locals and that’s why the musical was in English,” she said. Lidiya added the musical was inspired by the historic landmark of Tamparuli Bridge in the east Malaysian state of Sabah, known among the Kadazandusun folklore...the classic theatre was installed with Borneo and cultural decorations, music and feeling for a family. The two-hour musical involves a fictionalised young Sabah woman, Marya Jumat, the daughter of Tambalugu’s village head and Harris, an engineer from Kuala Lumpur appointed as project manager of a construction project in the village. The two meet and develop a relationship from that day on. Mayang's behaviour and stories about her culture enlighten Harris, making him realise how much the village and nature means to her, with Harris eventually learning the greedy intention of his boss, Ruzana to demolish the Tamparuli Bridge. Also present at the musical was Education Malaysia (United Kingdom and Ireland) director, Assoc Prof Dr Mohad Anizu Mohd Nor, representatives from University of Portsmouth International Office and the student union. -- BERNAMA