Keeping ‘potehi’ alive with a next-gen performing group

GEORGE TOWN, Aug 11 — Some are teachers, some are musicians, some are in Information Technology and some are students.

Yet when this unlikely group gets together and start playing percussion and musical instruments and controlling hand puppets in a potehi performance, they resemble professional hand puppet artistes.

This group of young potehi performers may be relatively new at the traditional hand puppet performing art but they have almost perfected the skills of manipulating the puppets, working out an interesting script and performing before a rapt audience.

They are the Ombak-Ombak ARTStudio potehi group which is made up of about 20 youths below the age of 30.

This group was formed about three years ago when Universiti Sains Malaysia ethnomusicology professor Tan Sooi Beng started a project to document the remaining traditional potehi troupes in Penang.

Aside from research on the potehi troupes and literally following them everywhere to learn more about them, Tan also set up a group to actually learn the art of traditional art.

This group started with six youths but has grown to about 20… some left after they completed their studies here and went back to their home states.

At the recent Macam-Macam Asean event held in conjunction with the start of this year’s George Town Festival, the group performed Kisah Pulau Pinang (A Penang Story).

“There are 11 of us including two stage hands and we have been practising and rehearsing this new performance since March,” said one of the members, Marcus Lim.

He said they had initially learned how to manipulate the puppets, play the instruments and put up a performance from their potehi masters, the Beng Geok Hong troupe in Penang.

“In the first year, we had to learn a lot of the skills from our masters and last year, we put up our first performance at George Town Festival,” he said.

The Ombak-Ombart ARTStudio potehi group performed ‘A Penang Story’ in Hokkien and Malay at the recent Macam-Macam Asean event. — Picture by KE Ooi

The first year, the group performed Journey To The West, a classical Chinese novel from the 16th century, which is about Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang’s travels to the west (India) for the Buddhist sutras. He was accompanied by Sha Wujing — a water buffalo demon; Zhu Bajie — a pig demon and Sun Wukong, the Monkey king.

“For Journey to the West, we bought the puppets from Indonesia and rehearsed and practiced for several months before the performance at the George Town Festival,” Lim said.

He said after each show, they would consult their potehi masters to further refine their performances.

This year, the group went with a localised story they created on their own; A Penang Story is told through four main characters — Chew, Nya, Li and Kahssim.

Instead of using the formal classical Hokkien used in performances like Journey to the West, this localised version was performed fully in Penang’s very own lilting Hokkien mixed with some Malay by the Indian Muslim character, Kahssim.

The story is set in Penang during the 19th century: Chew is a trader and Nya is a Nyonya living in George Town while Kahssim is also a trader in the inner city.

The story tells of how Chew met Nya and his friend Li who helped arrange their marriage. Later, it tells of the interaction between Chew, Li and Kahssim as fellow traders in the busy trading port.

The story winds its way through the streets of George Town against the backdrop of the Penang Riots of 1867 and after the riots, harmony prevails and is celebrated with chingay and lion dance performances. Even the famed entertainment centre, New World Park, is featured in the performance.

According to Lim, potehi is a dying art that many in the younger generation have no interest in and the start of this young potehi group is a way to get more youths interested.

“Professor Tan has also introduced quite a number of students to join this group and by incorporating stories that people can relate to, we believe we can get more people interested to learn and continue with this traditional performing art,” he said.

The team that performed during the recent Macam-Macam Asean was made up of Lim, Chew Pei Pei, Jasniza Johari, Lee Soo Khiang, Ong Chin Siang, Isabelle Wong, Khoo Wei En, Kang Su Kheng, Chuah Shin Yee, Abel Benjamin Lim, Nathan Cheng and Alex Tan.

Lim said all races are welcome to join them and learn the art of potehi and as you can see from the line-up, they already have a Malay member on the team.

Jasniza, who is of mixed parentage, speaks fluent Hokkien and fits in perfectly with the group. “We welcome any youths to join us, it is fun and a great way to learn new skills,” Lim said.

• Ombak-Ombak ARTStudio is a non-formal collective of artists and producers that come up with contemporary performances and exhibitions along with traditional art forms, all with a Malaysian identity. The potehi group is just a part of the larger collective of artists.