Main Wayang: Hikayat Sang Kancil will be the first of a trio of the Yayasan Sime Dary Arts Festival Satellite Shows. Mashing up traditional shadow puppetry with digital animation, live acting and AV effects, it is the brainchild of DAM Interactive under the direction of Fairuz Sulaiman.

For Main Wayang: Hikayat Sang Kancil, DAM Interactive will join forces with the children of Yayasan Chow Kit (YCK) – an NGO working with at-risk children and youth in Malaysia, starting with the area of Chow Kit. “After a successful showing at DPac, we have organised three workshops at secondary schools across the country under the Rakan Muda Mentorship programme. The opportunity to work with the children of YCK and to perform as part of the Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival satellite show is a truly fantastic continuation of the journey we have had so far with this piece,” says Fairuz.

This year, Fairuz with his team have created a totally new set up, design and music for Hikayat Sang Kancil, complete with content created by the kids and teenagers of YCK. According to Fairuz, “YCK was chosen because we are curious with the urban environment that these kids are accustomed to, and it would be interesting to see how this can be translated creatively into a multimedia performance. Having said that, it will definitely be a fluid, carefree and interactive performance – one we hope could be enjoyed by everyone, from children to adults”.

Performed entirely by the children of YCK, it will involve at least 18 kids and teenagers between the ages of 14 to 17 years old. “In our workshops, the kids are taught how to make shadow masks and puppets, modify and hack musical toys, the techniques of acting and performing as well as the preparation that goes into organising a show such as creating the storyboard, conducting rehearsals and technical set-up, all under the supervision of our facilitators comprising of Ayam Fared, Sudarshan Kumar and myself. It is a fun yet educational process not just for the kids but also for all of us in the team,” enthused Fairuz further.

Set at Laman Standard Chartered Kuala Lupur, ‘Main Wayang: Hikayat Sang Kancil’ will show on 22 August (Saturday), 8.30pm. The show is open to the public and is free of charge. For those who have always been curious about this art form and local heritage, be sure to catch Hikayat Sang Kancil and get ready to be charmed all over again.