Page 492 - Proceedings Collega2023

STEFANI with a grant from Arts For All Seasons (ArtsFAS) grant by the Hasanah Foundation. The play is
directed by Datuk Hajah Fauziah Nawi and among the cast of this production is Wan Shade (Hang Tuah),
Azlan Komeng (Jebat) and Syel Ramlan (Dang Wangi).

This production is produced in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic; due to the current situation
of the time, no live performances were allowed. The producer decided to present Matinya Seorang
Pahlawan in hybrid form; a cross between theatre and film. The performance was aired via
th
th
CloudTheatre.com from the 12 to 16 December 2021. The recording was done on the 22nd – 26th of
November 2021 at the Balai Adat Institut Warisan Melaka, Kampung Duyong, Melaka. The writer is the
key costume designer for this production and is assisted by Mohd Herin bin Mansor and the late Mohd
Khairul Johar as dresser and hairstylist.
Matinya Seorang Pahlawan is set during the reign of Sultan Mansur Syah, the sixth sultan of
Malacca reigning from 1459 – 1477. The play takes place in the palace, where Hang Jebat had made his
way in by force and forcing the Sultan and the royal household to flee the palace. From this aspect of the
play, in general, the whole artistic direction has to be based on historical period to give impact not just to
the visuals created, but re-enacting an important tale from the golden days of Malacca.

In any theatrical production, especially with a play written based on historical background,
costumes play an important part in conveying to the audience the period of time the story is told.
Anderson (1999) mentions that the shape of clothes used provides the first identification of a historical
period, each period has its own uniqueness and style and beauty. Furthermore, they added that the
costumes may not be exact replicas, the theatrical reality with strong historical base is more meaningful
to the staged situation where the costumes are to be presented. As the play is written about

This paper is a documentation focused on the costume design for Hang Tuah. The writer will state
the aesthetic interpretation and concept of the character costume through details found from Hikayat
Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu.

The paper is constructed on the qualitative method and secondary research. Obtaining visual
information on the costumes of Hang Tuah from films like Hang Tuah (1955), Tuah (1989) and observing
past stage productions depicting the same character motivated the writer to design Hang Tuah for Matinya
Seorang Pahlawan (2021) as close to what had been described in Hikayat Hang Tuah. Apart from that,
comprehension of terms used in Hikayat Hang Tuah is also important as it holds the key to unlock the
aesthetics of the outfit besides noting the semiotics of the character. Terms like gangsi meaning smoked
with sandalwood and bertepi emas berpahat, bersirat meaning metallic thread embroidery/ surface
embellishment. Local knowledge documentation and sharing on traditional Malay arts and craft including
textiles, weaponry and costume styles is also observed in the research process to design the costumes for
this production.

Past productions of Hang Tuah be it in film or stage had never been interpreted as of the
description given in Hikayat Hang Tuah. This is referring to the duel scene between Hang Tuah and Hang
Jebat. The 1956 film production featured P. Ramlee as Hang Tuah wearing a green short sleeved tunic and
light yellow three quarter pants and a light yellow kain samping complete with a golden cummerbund.
The 1989 film production of Tuah, played by Jamal Abdillah had the character in a dark coloured overcoat
and matching long trousers made from saree material and a round neck red shirt inside and the samping
matches the coat and trousers. These two films can be found in You Tube and would be of reference to

International Conference on Local Wisdom of the Malay Archipelago (COLLEGA 2023) Page - 479 -