By Bernama Lifestyle Reporter
PETALING JAYA, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- With the dedication and unwavering commitment of the entire team, renowned theatre producer and director Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina has promised audiences the best possible performance in the revival of the iconic Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical (PGL) 2026.
The large-scale production is scheduled to run from Oct 31 to Nov 15 at The Grand Theatre, Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC), Sunway City.
Tiara said she would personally assess the production and ensure that its quality was of the highest standard before it was presented to audiences.
“Actually, I am more particular than any audience member in the world. I will not stage Puteri Gunung Ledang until it is truly perfect, and until I am confident that no other production in Malaysia can surpass it. That is my promise,” she told reporters at the PGL Exclusive Media Session here yesterday.
She said the same spirit of dedication was evident among the cast, particularly those portraying Majapahit characters, who were willing to pay their own way to travel to Solo, Indonesia, to gain a deeper understanding of the ancient culture and portray it more authentically.
Tiara said the actors had taken the initiative themselves, without relying on the production team, despite the management having previously brought in specialist instructors from the region to Malaysia to ensure that every aspect of the dances, philosophy and pronunciation of Javanese characters was presented accurately.
The Best Actress award winner at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Film Festival also praised the quality of preparations by the production team, expressing confidence that all the cast members were fully prepared, even if the curtain were to rise as early as tomorrow.
Meanwhile, to ensure the production felt truly alive, all 50 performers on stage had been assigned specific roles and characters, with none relegated to being “merely background dancers”.
“For this production, not a single performer on stage is just a background dancer or simply standing idle at the back. All 50 cast members have been given names, specific roles and individual character backgrounds so that every scene feels genuinely alive,” she said.
PGL 2026 will feature a first-time pairing of singer Aisha Retno and actress Mila Mohsin as Gusti Putri Retno Dumilah, while singer and actor Aqasha will take on the role of Hang Tuah.
Celebrities Mimi Fly and Nadia Aqilah will portray Bayan, Luqman Hafidz will play the Sultan of Melaka, while Yusuf Hashim will take on the role of Gusti Adipati.
Asked about the production's overall cost, Tiara declined to disclose the details but said the large-scale undertaking involved an investment amounting to millions of ringgit to ensure the highest production standards.
She said the investment was worthwhile, given the extraordinary response to the musical's revival, with 23,000 tickets sold out within two hours. The production team is also in discussions about bringing PGL 2026 to Singapore.
Meanwhile, actor Aqasha described his portrayal of Hang Tuah this time as markedly different from his experience as an understudy for the same role 20 years ago.
The 44-year-old actor said that when he first took on the role at the age of 24, his focus had been primarily on the physical aspects of the character and vocal projection.
“Now, I feel that Hang Tuah has much greater depth and a broader dimension. My interpretation focuses more on the meaning and significance of his loyalty to the Sultan, as well as his personal love,” he said.
Aqasha said that to meet the physical demands of performing silat, dancing and singing simultaneously, he had taken the initiative to train at the gym and consume herbs and honey to maintain his stamina throughout the run.
Describing his appearance in the production as a “compilation version” that brings together the legacy of prominent figures who had previously portrayed the character, including Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Datuk M. Nasir and Datuk Jamal Abdillah, Aqasha said every actor had his own distinctive interpretation of the role.
-- BERNAMA