Kukushkina Evgeniya

On the problem of historical continuity in the comic Malay theatrical and literary tradition: images of servants-clowns

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2016, №32, 170-185

 
Annotation: Contemporary Malaysian literature demonstrates a peculiar localization of laughter, mostly present in play-writing. In traditional Malay literature comic effect also manifested in the most prominent way in the texts, derived from the plots of folk performances. In folk histrionic forms laughter is predominantly translated by the figures of clown servants whose characters are rooted in the figures of mythical tricksters. Clown servants were inherited from folk performances both by medieval lore and modern Malay literature. Dramatist Kala Dewata as a forbearer of realistic theatre is attracted by lack of stylization in characters of clowns, thus making them closer to reality. Post-realistic writing of Khalid Salleh, on the contrary, exploits folkloric generalization typical for comic characters. So, comic figures appear as vehicles of surviving convention, still in-demand in today’s Malaysian theatre.

Keywords: MALAYSIAN DRAMATURGY, MALAY FOLK THEATRE, TRADITIONAL PERFORMING FORMS, COMIC CHARACTERS, REALISTIC THEATRE, KALA DEWATA, POST-REALISTIC THEATRE, KHALID SALLEH