Bringing legends to life: Meet the new generation of cast for the acclaimed PGL The Musical

KUALA LUMPUR, October 31 — The stage is almost set for the return of Malaysia’s highly acclaimed theatre production Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical (PGL).

Seventeen years since its last full theatrical run, PGL will once again mesmerise audiences from October 31 to November 15 with 19 shows scheduled for the 15-day run.

Adding to its appeal this time around, the musical will depart from its flagship home at Istana Budaya to take up residency at the newly opened, state-of-the-art Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) Grand Theatre in Sunway Square.

Despite the leap into modern projection mapping, immersive soundscapes, and advanced stagecraft, director Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina is adamant about one principle: technology will never override the human core of the story.

“We used to be low-tech and people already loved it and this time, with new technology, we want to see how much further we can elevate PGL but we will never, ever let technology lead.

“If audiences walk out talking only about lights and projections, we’ve failed. For me, the acting and storytelling must come first,” Tiara said.

That commitment to storytelling is felt across every layer of the 2026 staging—from its 50-strong ensemble, where every single member has been assigned a specific name, backstory, and social stance within the Melaka court, down to its newly minted lead cast charged with honoring an iconic legacy.

The weight of legacy

**NP_IMAGE_BODY[371576]**

At the center of this revival is the formidable role of Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah, famously originated by Tiara herself.

For actor and competitive jujitsu athlete Mila Mohsin, stepping into her mother’s footsteps carries both immense weight and a profound sense of purpose.

“It’s never easy doing reruns where the character was previously defined by one person—what more when it’s your own mother,” Mila shares candidly.

“Of course I feel the pressure, but I believe pressure makes diamonds.

“From young, I’ve always leaned into challenges. I want to be pushed to grow as an artist and as a person.”

To portray the Javanese princess, Mila spent time in Solo, Indonesia, along with some other cast and creative team, immersing themselves in ancient tata krama (royal customs) and Javanese philosophy.

Dissecting the character through a psychological lens rather than treating her as a mere folklore figure, Mila views Gusti Puteri through a distinctly modern framework.

“To me, Gusti Puteri is a huge feminist icon.

“She isn’t just a dancer or a young girl chasing romance—she is fighting for her freedom. That is her ultimate struggle, and that is where I connect with her most,” Mila said.

Mila approaches the physical demands of the role not through conventional musical dance, but as an embodied athletic and spiritual practice.

Working under Javanese master Mak Galo, she learned to lower her center of gravity to align with traditional Javanese posture (doyok).

“Javanese movement is about being closer to the earth—everything is lower, more humble, and set to a slower frequency.

“It’s not standard dance; it’s like a practice blending martial elements and yoga. As Mak Galo told us: ‘Sakitnya harus dinikmati’—you have to enjoy the painful process,” she said.

She also draws a strict distinction between off-stage identity and performance, focusing exclusively on how Gusti Puteri would authentically think and act rather than imitating her mother’s established stage habits or relying on her own personality.

Two visionaries, one princess

To manage the demanding physical, vocal, and cultural demands of the Javanese courtly roles, Tiara implemented a dual-casting strategy for Gusti Puteri, pairing Mila with pop powerhouse and songwriter Aisha Retno.

Contrary to public speculation regarding rivalry, both performers view the arrangement as a collaborative sisterhood of craft.

“We are completely different performers and people.

“My mother showed one side of Gusti Putri twenty years ago – The Princess was a historical figure with a million facets.

“In a two-and-a-half-hour show, Aisha will reveal one side, and I will reveal another. There is zero competition between us,” Mila said.

For Aisha, a Universiti Malaya economics graduate making her musical theatre debut, the transition from commercial recording artist to stage actor required shedding her pop identity entirely.

“I know some people might buy tickets expecting to see ‘Aisha Retno,’ but my goal is to make sure there is no Aisha Retno on that stage,” Aisha explains.

“As a singer-songwriter, you spend years hiding your pain—even if you’re unwell, you put on a happy face for the audience.

“But acting allows you to be vulnerable, raw, and broken, you get to channel real life experiences—like a heartbreak—directly into the dialogue.”

Aisha, whose mother possesses Javanese roots and personal experience in keraton (royal palace) traditions, credits both her family and Assistant Director Sabrina Hassan for helping her navigate the intense psychological demands of stepping into character without bringing the heavy emotional weight home.

Not just that, Tiara was also fascinated by Aisha’s grounded professionalism, pointing out that despite a punishing schedule of traveling and out-of-state shows, she arrives punctually for rehearsals without pretense— which Tiara describes as a rare degree of dedication for an established artist.

Aside from the dual-casting role strategy for Gusti Puteri, Tiara also uses the same approach with Bayan, Gusti Puteri’s loyal lady-in-waiting, which is split between singer Mimifly and actress-singer Nadia Aqilah.

The tormented Laksamana

Opposite the Princess stands the legendary Hang Tuah, portrayed by actor and singer Aqasha.

For Aqasha, taking on the legendary warrior is the realisation of a two-decade journey that began when he served as an understudy in the show’s original 2006 run.

“I’ve spent twenty years dreaming of this and I am a fan of this show, its poetic literature, and its score first and foremost.

“When I was an understudy twenty years ago, my younger self focused mostly on the romantic, ‘lovey-dovey’ aspect of falling in love with the Princess.

“But coming back to it today, I see Tuah through a completely different lens,” Aqasha said.

Rather than playing a romantic hero or an untouchable martial arts archetype, Aqasha grounds his portrayal in internal conflict.

“This time, I’m exploring how Tuah serves the Sultan and what his loyalty to Melaka truly costs him – Is he just another general living off wages, or is he a man bound by an unbreakable oath?

“He is a deeply tormented man– torn between his personal desire for love and his unyielding duty to his sovereign,” he said.

Rather than fearing comparisons, Aqasha encourages audiences to view the production through the lens of musical storytelling—focusing on themes of love, duty, and sacrifice—to fully appreciate the character’s emotional depth.

From the royal courts of Majapahit to the mighty Sultanate of Melaka and the mist-shrouded heights of Gunung Ledang, PGL tells an epic tale of love, loyalty, power and sacrifice.

After months of preparations, PGL will be premiering its first full show today with all 23,000 tickets already sold out since August for its 15-day run.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Esplanade Singapore (@esplanadesingapore)

A post shared by Esplanade Singapore (@esplanadesingapore)

Although there’s no update of any new added dates for its JCPAC run, PGL will be making its way to Singapore next year.

As confirmed by theatre venue Esplanade Singapore via its social media, PGL is set to arrive at Singapore shores in part of its Pesta Raya - Malay Festival of Arts in April next year with priority bookings set to open starting from November 4 to November 10.

The Singapore run will also feature the same lineup of the new generation of cast.

Apart from the cast, PGL also boasts an experienced creative team with visual projections overseen by Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim of KRU Studios, wardrobe creations by Singaporean couturier Fatimah Mohsin, stagecraft by scenic designer Raja Malik, and backstage operations led by Tiara’s long-time technical director, Roslidah “Cik Lid” Ali.

South Korea’s beloved on-screen dad Choi Bool-am dies at 87 after nearly seven decades in showbiz

Hael Husaini unveils new single ‘Selesa’, an emotional tale of love and letting go

Malay Mail’s Top 10 picks: ‘Clayface’ earns positive debut but fails to dethrone India’s ‘Jailer 2’ at Malaysian box office

Fahmi offers condolences to family of Mata Ayer state assemblyman Wan Badariah

Anwar directs Education Ministry to act firmly on school bullying

Anwar, Lawrence Wong to witness JS-SEZ master plan launch; Perak venue under review, says Akmal Nasrullah

吉隆坡，10 月 31 日讯——马来西亚备受赞誉的戏剧作品《Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical》（PGL）即将回归，一切准备就绪。

时隔十七年，PGL 将于 10 月 31 日至 11 月 15 日再次为观众带来精彩演出，在为期 15 天的演出中安排了 19 场表演。

此次音乐剧的吸引力更在于，它将离开其位于国家文化宫的旗舰剧院，前往新开业的、最先进的杰弗里·谢表演艺术中心（JCPAC）双威广场大剧院驻场演出。

尽管运用了现代投影映射、沉浸式音景和先进的舞台技术，导演潘斯里·蒂亚拉·杰奎琳娜仍然坚持一个原则：技术永远不会凌驾于故事的人性核心之上。

“我们以前技术水平不高，但人们已经很喜欢它了。这一次，有了新技术，我们想看看我们能把 PGL 提升到什么程度，但我们永远不会让技术领先。

“如果观众看完演出后只谈论灯光和投影，那我们就失败了。对我来说，表演和故事讲述必须放在第一位，”蒂亚拉说道。

这种对讲故事的承诺体现在 2026 年舞台剧的每一个层面——从其 50 人的强大演出阵容（其中每个成员都被分配了一个特定的名字、背景故事和在马六甲宫廷中的社会地位），到其新晋的主角阵容（肩负着传承标志性遗产的重任）。

遗产的重量

**NP_IMAGE_BODY[371576]**

此次复兴的核心是 Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah 这个强大的角色，而这个角色最初是由 Tiara 本人扮演的。

对于演员兼竞技柔术运动员米拉·莫辛来说，追随母亲的脚步既肩负着巨大的责任，也让她感到意义非凡。

“重演以前由一个人塑造的角色从来都不容易——更何况这个角色还是你自己的母亲，”米拉坦率地说道。

“我当然会感到压力，但我相信压力能造就钻石。”

“从小我就喜欢挑战。我渴望不断进步，无论作为艺术家还是作为一个人。”

为了塑造爪哇公主的形象，米拉与一些其他演员和创作团队一起在印度尼西亚梭罗待了一段时间，沉浸在古老的塔塔克拉玛（皇家习俗）和爪哇哲学中。

米拉并没有将古斯蒂·普特里仅仅视为一个民间传说人物，而是通过心理学的视角来剖析这个角色，她以鲜明的现代视角来看待古斯蒂·普特里。

“在我看来，古斯蒂·普特里是一位伟大的女权主义偶像。”

“她不仅仅是一个舞者，也不仅仅是一个追逐爱情的年轻女孩——她是在为自由而战。这是她最终的奋斗目标，也是我与她最有共鸣的地方，”米拉说道。

米拉并非通过传统的音乐舞蹈来应对这个角色的身体要求，而是将其视为一种身体上的运动和精神实践。

在爪哇大师 Mak Galo 的指导下，她学会了降低重心，以符合传统的爪哇姿势（doyok）。

“爪哇运动的精髓在于贴近大地——一切都更加低矮、谦逊，频率也更加缓慢。

“这不是普通的舞蹈；它就像一种融合了武术元素和瑜伽的练习。正如 Mak Galo 告诉我们的：‘Sakitnya harus dinikmati’——你必须享受痛苦的过程，”她说。

她还严格区分了台下身份和台上表演，只关注古斯蒂·普特里如何真实地思考和行动，而不是模仿她母亲既定的舞台习惯或依靠她自己的个性。

两位梦想家，一位公主

为了应对爪哇宫廷角色对体能、嗓音和文化的苛刻要求，蒂亚拉为《古斯蒂公主》实施了双重选角策略，让米拉与流行音乐巨星兼词曲作家艾莎·雷特诺搭档演出。

与公众猜测的竞争关系相反，两位表演者都认为这种合作关系是一种艺术上的姐妹情谊。

“我们是完全不同的表演者和人。”

“二十年前，我的母亲向世人展现了古斯蒂·普特里公主的一面——这位公主是一位拥有无数面的历史人物。

“在两个半小时的节目中，艾莎会展现她的一面，我也会展现她的另一面。我们之间不存在任何竞争，”米拉说道。

对于马来亚大学经济学毕业生艾莎来说，从商业录音艺术家转型为舞台演员，意味着她要彻底摆脱流行歌手的身份，首次涉足音乐剧领域。

“我知道有些人买票是想看到‘艾莎·雷特诺’，但我的目标是确保舞台上没有艾莎·雷特诺，”艾莎解释道。

“作为一名创作型歌手，你多年来一直隐藏着自己的痛苦——即使你身体不适，你也要在观众面前强颜欢笑。

“但是表演可以让你展现脆弱、真实和破碎的一面，你可以将真实的生活经历——比如心碎——直接融入到对话中。”

艾莎的母亲拥有爪哇血统，并亲身经历过王宫（keraton）的传统，她感谢家人和助理导演萨布丽娜·哈桑帮助她克服扮演角色时强烈的心理压力，同时又不把沉重的情感负担带回家。

不仅如此，蒂亚拉还被艾莎脚踏实地的专业精神所吸引，她指出，尽管艾莎的行程安排非常紧张，经常要到外州演出，但她总是准时参加排练，而且从不摆架子——蒂亚拉认为，对于一位成名的艺术家来说，这种敬业精神实属罕见。

除了 Gusti Puteri 一人分饰两角之外，Tiara 还对 Gusti Puteri 的忠实侍女 Bayan 采用了同样的策略，由歌手 Mimifly 和演员兼歌手 Nadia Aqilah 分别饰演。

饱受折磨的罗刹摩那

与公主相对的是传奇人物汉都亚，由演员兼歌手阿卡莎饰演。

对于阿卡沙来说，扮演这位传奇战士是他二十年梦想的实现，这段梦想始于他在 2006 年该剧首播时担任替补演员。

“我为此梦想了二十年，我首先是这部剧、它的诗意文学和它的配乐的粉丝。”

“二十年前我还是替补演员的时候，年轻的我主要关注的是与公主坠入爱河的浪漫、甜蜜的一面。

“但今天再回过头来看图阿，我的看法完全不同了，”阿卡莎说。

阿卡沙并没有扮演浪漫英雄或不可一世的武术家原型，而是将他的表演建立在内心冲突之上。

“这一次，我将探讨图阿如何为苏丹效力，以及他对马六甲的忠诚究竟让他付出了怎样的代价——他只是一个靠薪水生活的普通将军，还是一个受不可违背的誓言约束的人？”

他说：“他是一个内心饱受折磨的人——一方面渴望爱情，一方面又必须恪守对君主的坚定职责。”

阿卡莎鼓励观众不要害怕比较，而是从音乐故事的角度来欣赏这部作品——着重于爱、责任和牺牲的主题——从而充分体会角色的情感深度。

从满者伯夷的皇家宫廷到强大的马六甲苏丹国，再到云雾缭绕的勒当山，PGL 讲述了一个关于爱、忠诚、权力和牺牲的史诗故事。

经过数月的准备，PGL 将于今天首演其首场完整演出，自 8 月以来，为期 15 天的演出共售出 23,000 张门票。

在 Instagram 上查看此帖子 由 Esplanade Singapore (@esplanadesingapore) 分享的帖子

新加坡滨海艺术中心 (@esplanadesingapore) 分享的帖子

尽管 PGL 的 JCPAC 巡演日期尚未更新，但明年它将前往新加坡。

新加坡滨海艺术中心通过其社交媒体确认，PGL将于明年4月作为马来艺术节的一部分登陆新加坡，优先预订将于11月4日至11月10日开放。

新加坡站的演出也将沿用新一代演员的阵容。

除了演员阵容外，PGL 还拥有一支经验丰富的创意团队，视觉投影由 KRU Studios 的 Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim 负责，服装设计由新加坡时装设计师 Fatimah Mohsin 负责，舞台设计由布景设计师 Raja Malik 负责，后台运营由 Tiara 的长期技术总监 Roslidah “Cik Lid” Ali 领导。

韩国深受观众喜爱的荧幕老爸崔佛岩去世，享年87岁，在演艺圈从业近七十年。

Hael Husaini发布全新单曲《Selesa》，讲述了一个关于爱与放手的感人故事。

《马来邮报》十大精选：《泥脸》首映票房表现不错，但未能撼动印度电影《狱卒2》在马来西亚票房榜首的地位

法米向马塔亚州议员万巴达利亚的家人表示慰问。

安华指示教育部对校园欺凌行为采取强硬措施。

安华和黄循财见证JS-SEZ总体规划启动； Akmal Nasrullah表示，霹雳州场地正在接受审查