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Page 11
 
 
 
 

Princess Nilam and Others

BANGSAWAN HAD ALREADY BECOME popular in Malaya and Indonesia by the 1890s and early 1900s but it reached its peak in the 1920s and 1930s. Its popularity was indicated in many newspaper reports. When a new troupe, the Sree Penang Theatrical Co., was formed in 1895, 'hundreds of people went to see it and there was not even one empty seat' (Bintang Timor, 24 January 1895). When Comedy Pusi Indra Bangsawan performed in Palembang, the 'wayang hall was so full some had to stand for lack of places' {Bintang Timor, 13 February 1895). And when the Palembang correspondent questioned a Muslim why he attended every night, he replied. If I don't see the show for even one night, I cannot sleep because I am not satisfied... My heart feels like it is being sucked and yearns to see it.' (Bintang Timor, 12 March 1895.)

In 1904, even though there were five wayang in Penang {Straits Echo, 16 May 1904), the Wayang Yap Chow Thong in Penang drew 'crowds' which 'attended in full force and late comers had to be refused admittance' {Straits Echo, 30 May 1904). Another correspondent reported that 'inside the theatre hall the air was simply stifling and seats were so much huddled up together that it was simply impossible to move one's own elbow without touching one's neighbour. Tickets were sold over and over again when it was quite apparent there was no more room' {Straits Echo, 24 June  1907). These descriptions testify to the great popularity of bangsawan in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Indeed, 'the visit of a bangsawan or opera company' was 'an attraction' that never failed 'to draw the crowds in any town either of Malaya or the Dutch East Indies' {Straits Echo, 20 October 1928).

In the 1930s, there continued to be 'constant fights for seating accommodation'. In the case of Nooran Opera, 'additional chairs had to be brought in each night' {Straits Echo, 5 June 1933) during its performance in Penang. Such was the public reception of Dean's Opera during its entire season in Penang  'that night after night, it was the  case of standing room, only' {Straits Times, 9 January 1932). Opera fans requested troupes to stay longer or to come back for a second season. A certain Mat wrote to the Straits Echo requesting that the Normah Amateur Dramatic Party of Penang should 'extend [its] season to another three weeks or so in order to allow all the Penang Opera Fans a chance to see this wonderful show' {Straits Echo, 12 September 1935). And when Dean's Opera toured Sumatra in 1933, the troupe was ‘recalled … to gave a second season in Medan’ after an initial offering of three weeks (Straits Echo 6 June 1933)

Although the main language used was Malay, bangsawan performances attracted a multi-ethnic audience. Besides Malays, locally born Babas and Nonyas … , Jawi Pernakan, Chinese, Indians, Arabs and Europeans were drawn to it. When the Comedy Pusi Indra Bangsawan performed in Palembang there were many people in the audience – ‘more aristocratic Malays and fewer Chinese, Arabs, Dutch and Indians” (Bintang Timor, 12 March 1895). On another occasion, the Chahaya Pulau Pinang reported that the wayang [Yap Chow Thong] played in Penang, every night… the big theatre was  full with European men, European women, Baba, Nonya, Malays, [and] Jawi Pernakan’ (Chahaya Pulau Pinang, 11 May 1904)

In fact, the ‘Babas and Nonyas who spoke and understood Malay’ were such great fans of bangsawan that they were motivated to set up their own amateur bangsawan groups. When the Chinese Babas of Penang performed a Malay bangsawan play called Princess Nilam to collect money for the China Flood Fund at the Anglo-Chinese School Building in May 1918, a review article commented that even ‘the Malay professionals present’ admitted that ‘the piece… was fairly well performed’ (Straits Echo, 28 May 1918). In 1919, the same group staged Nyai Dasima (Straits Echo, 12 October 1919) and in 1920, Ginufifah or Herto Brabant (Straits Echo, 13 July 1920. In 1926 a party of Chinese ladies calling themselves Penang Nyo Nya Bangsawan presented Juli Juli Bintang Tiga, Nyai Dasima, and A Merchant of Bagdad (Straits Echo, 21 December 1926)