Royal Bangsawan 'Beting Beras Basah: Hikayat Mahkota Dewa' Heading To Istana Budaya

By Razif Rosli

IPOH, June 28 (Bernama) -- The Royal Bangsawan production Beting Beras Basah: Hikayat Mahkota Dewa will be staged at Istana Budaya from Oct 30 to Nov 1, bringing the epic history of the Malay world and the heritage of the Perak Sultanate to the nation's premier performing arts venue.

Perak Cultural Council deputy president Azmi Ismail said the production's journey to Istana Budaya followed successful runs in Perak and Melaka, which garnered strong public support and prompted the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to back its staging on a larger platform.

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"It is the dream of every bangsawan and theatre practitioner in Malaysia to perform at Istana Budaya, and this year that dream becomes a reality for us with five performances over three days," he said at the soft launch of the production at the Citra Budaya Darul Ridzuan booth during the Malaysia Cultural Festival at Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah here today.

Azmi said about 5,000 tickets would be made available, with online sales expected to begin in July, including early-bird promotions, adding that ticket prices were being kept affordable to ensure more people could experience the production.

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"We are not pursuing profits alone. We want as many people as possible to watch this bangsawan performance and appreciate this important chapter of Perak's history, including visitors from neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand," he said.

Meanwhile, production manager Wan Hanis Marissa Yusoff Hamdan said the Istana Budaya staging would feature a refined storyline, new choreography and enhanced stage technology, including the extensive use of projection mapping and hologram effects that were only used on a limited scale in previous productions.

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Lead actor Reza Hasbi, who reprises his role as Raja Muda Safi Shah, described the opportunity to perform at Istana Budaya as one of the highlights of his career and said he was undergoing intensive preparations, including physical training, to meet the demands of performing on a stage of international standing.

"I am grateful for the trust placed in me once again to portray Raja Muda Safi Shah, and a performance at Istana Budaya naturally requires a much higher level of commitment and preparation," he said.

-- BERNAMA