The White Rajah of Sarawak Musical Facebook Page
Production Disclaimer
This musical drama is an original work based on the life of Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak. Some characters are real while others are purely fictitious as are some of the events portrayed. Real historical events may have taken place quite differently from how they are staged in this performance. Any similarities to any living persons are purely coincidental.
Synopsis
Balancing historical accuracy and artistic creativity, this musical chronicles the life of James Anthoni Brooke, an English adventurer who left his English shores for the shores of Borneo.
The initial story starts off with his childhood days in Bath, England, followed by his battle days in Burma. Then he sets off for a great adventure in his schooner, The Royalist.
Together with his English interpreter, Thomas Williamson, he arrives on the bank of the Sarawak River, to the tiny town of Kuching. They meet Pangiran Indera Mahkota, the Brunei-appointed Malay governor of Sarawak. At the same time they also meet the heir to the Sultan of Brunei, Pangiran Raja Muda Hashim who is visiting Sarawak with his brother, Pangiran Badruddin.
James’ many adventures lead him to fall in love with the land and people of Sarawak. The Malay, Chinese and Iban cultures are portrayed artistically in scenes where James meets with the local inhabitants of Sarawak.
Ultimately, he is installed as the first White Rajah of Sarawak because of his feats of defeating the pirates that infested the coast of Sarawak.
But he still has to deal with the Chinese uprising. The story ends with him escaping the uprising alive, and triumphantly overpowering the uprising.
