I conned my unsuspecting husband. It was an honest but convincing con, if I may say so myself.
I needed a kaki to go watch Teater Le Recherche da Miko presented by Bahagian Lakonan & Pengarahan, SOTA USM and PentHeart Production. As the husband is not an avid theatregoer, I knew I had to do more than wave the tickets in his face. Capitalising on his interest in Malay action films, I ajak him to accompany me based on the premise that we were going to watch a Malay action flick, but this time on a stage — how cool is that? Yes, exactly in that tone.
I showed him the show poster with tough-looking, SWAT team-like macho dudes and said the story was about a group of ex-spies looking to redeem a past mistake by searching for someone called Miko. The husband was sold. Or maybe he was just a good, supportive hubby who wanted to teman his theatre-crazy spouse to something she enjoys. Bless him.
So, we found ourselves barefoot and duduk bersila in the dark on the floor of Panggung Sasaran at Universiti Sains Malaysia on a Friday evening. After a few moments of silence to respect the azan Isyak call to prayer, the familiar theatre lights came on and the action commenced.
Only that it was not “action” per se. It was actually a comedy! Mic drop. Oops…
The only thing closest to “action” was the first scene where Ejen Luiz swung from a suspended rope for all of five seconds! I glanced at the husband in the semi-darkness to gauge his reaction — was he surprised by the turn of events, or annoyed at being misrepresented by his well-meaning wife? Luckily, I lived to tell the tale.
The play opened with Ejen Luiz and Ejen Burn celebrating the conclusion of their covert “ops”, only to discover that the “Garbo List” (a list of double agents) they were tasked to secure had been lost together with one of their fellow agents, Miko. Fast forward 10 years, and the disgraced ex-spies reunite upon hearing news that Miko may still be alive. Burn urges his former comrades Luiz and Fattah to join him in the search.
As Miko was the master of disguises, nobody knew what he actually looked like. In the course of their quest, we meet Iko, Oki, Komi 1, Komi 2, and Bambi — and that is where all the lawak ensues through this mishmash of colourful characters. The clue to Miko’s identity lies in the show’s tagline: what you are searching for is right in front of your eyes. The three musketeers of Burn, Luiz, and Fattah were obviously oblivious to that!
The humour leaned heavily into slapstick comedy, the kind popular in Malay theatre and comedy shows like Maharaja Lawak, and judging by the audience’s roaring laughter throughout the night, it clearly landed well. Even the husband was laughing along.
The cast worked well together, with each actor fully committing to the exaggerated humour and larger-than-life personalities demanded by this style of comedy.
In the end, we discover that Burn’s wife, Madam Rai, a fellow spy, had been behind all the drama, and that Oki, her brother, is actually Miko! It was also interesting to see how the actors broke the fourth wall by interacting directly with the audience as part of the comedic effect.
All in all, both of us enjoyed an evening of laughs and light-heartedness, notwithstanding that it was not a genre we were familiar with. We were surrounded by university students and members of the teaching faculty, plus family members and friends of the cast and crew. That energy in the room — full of supportive cheers, laughter, and inside jokes shared among the crowd — made the experience feel warm and communal.
What also worked in the production’s favour was its minimal staging. The set was sparse and uncomplicated, but it never felt limiting. Instead, it allowed the actors and comedic timing to take centre stage, keeping the pacing brisk and the audience engaged throughout the performance.
I was happy to have come in support of playwright-director Puan Siti Fatimah Abdul Manaf and the cast headed by Dr Azrul Azizi, some of whom I had worked with previously at the 2024 Pesta Teater USM.
While slapstick comedy and broad Malay humour may not usually be our go-to genre, the experience reminded me that there is always something rewarding about stepping into unfamiliar creative spaces with an open mind. Sometimes, the shows we least expect to enjoy end up surprising us the most.
I am glad I went, as I am a sucker for new experiences — tak cuba tak tahu; tak kenal, maka tak cinta.
As for the husband, let’s see if he agrees to come with me on my next theatrical jaunt. Watch this space.
About the writer:
Lauren Tan believes in doing things before you’re ready, asking “can meh?” and diving in any way because that’s where the best stories happen. By day, she juggles real-life responsibilities. By night (and on some weekends), she willingly subjects herself to rehearsals, auditions, and public embarrassment, all in the name of ‘growth.’
Seni:Kita (pentaspena.pg@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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