KUCHING: The revival of ‘bangsawan’ in Sarawak is gaining momentum through the efforts of Sekolah Seni Malaysia Sarawak, which has been creatively reintroducing the classic Malay opera theatre using local ethnic folklore as its foundation.
According to educator and theatre practitioner, Abdullah Untong, the school has produced several ‘bangsawan’ performances inspired by stories from Sarawak’s diverse ethnic communities, including the Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau and Orang Ulu.
“These productions retain the traditional structure of ‘bangsawan’ complete with royal characters, court settings and moral lessons, but are adapted using Sarawakian cultural narratives,” he said during a forum on the latest development of the theatre industry in Sarawak held at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Sarawak Branch on Wednesday.
He added that the school’s approach not only keeps the ‘bangsawan’ format alive but also helps young performers understand and appreciate their own heritage while giving the art form a local identity.
Meanwhile, panellists at the forum, including Dr Nur Afifah Vanitha Abdullah, Abdullah Untong, and moderator, Dr Suffian Jalet, agreed that such education-based initiatives are key to reviving Sarawak’s theatre scene, which has seen a decline in recent years.
They noted that many once-active theatre groups have either disbanded or gone dormant due to limited funding, waning public interest, and the lack of new platforms for creative performance.
To address this, the speakers proposed stronger collaboration between schools, DBP and local theatre collectives such as Suju Mimpi to bring ‘bangsawan’ back to public stages.
Dr Nur Afifah emphasised that revitalising ‘bangsawan’ requires more than documentation.
“We must allow the community to experience it again, to see it, to hear it, and to feel the values it carries,” she said.
Also present during the forum were DBP Sarawak’s Director, Dr Hazami Jahari, and other distinguished guests.
