Personal Review On This Play - Mohd Shazwan

After finished reading this play, I can say this piece of art is really good. The original title of this play “We Could Kill You Mr Birch” but the publication party in Malaysia said that the word “kill” is too rude. So Kee Thuan Chye agreed to changed it to four asterisk. The authority accepted it, without realize the new title is much ruder. At first, I thought the four asterisk stand for the word “fuck”. And my group mates also think like that. Our wild guess too far to be correct.

This play, in my opinion, are easy to understand. Even the students from secondary form can understand this play. Choices of words, for me, are not too complicated. By reading it once, you will know what this play is all about. Rough idea is about the assassination of JWW Birch, the first British Resident of colonial Perak, if I'm not mistaken (almost forgot about that part of history). Most of the action takes place during the last days of Birch in 1874. Some of the characters are based on real people but others are obviously fictional. We know they are fictional because the characters helpfully tell us. Some actors play multiple roles and jump in and out of character, sometimes addressing the audience directly. For example, Ahmad Yatim play 2 characters in this. One as a Datok Sagor and another one is The Mantri.

I personally agreed with the murder of JWW Birch. He did not respect the local's cultures. He is completely different from the British Resident in Penang. In Penang, the Resident has bring the state to development. He also so busy in political system and tried to take over some important jobs than should only be done by the Sultan. This has raise the anger of the leaders in Perak and led to his assassination.