WILL THE REAL WAYANG KING PLEASE STAND UP?

He may play "Lobang" on the big screen, but off-screen, Private (PTE) (NS) Wang Weiliang is a real Wayang King. And there's only one lucky lady he gladly wayangs for.

Make no mistake, 27-year-old funny man PTE (NS) Wang is fully committed to his Bang Lee Onn character (aka L.O. Bang or Lobang*) in the Ah Boys to Men (ABTM) movies and the upcoming musical, where he will reprise his role as the recruit with all the solutions.

But when it comes to work, the actor is undoubtedly a professional Wayang** King who is ever ready to put on a good show. Despite nursing a headache, he turns up at the photo shoot with firm handshakes for everyone and, within minutes, is posing, jumping and tumbling for the lens, making the camera (and this writer) fall in love with his crazy antics and witty quips.

"Spotting a pretty girl in a club," he commentates with accompanying wide-eyed astonishment while turning around for an over-the-shoulder shot.

Wayang with heart

Unlike the stereotypical Wayang King who feigns over-enthusiasm to get into his superior s good books, PTE (NS) Wang exudes honesty and vulnerability as he describes his rebellious younger days, qualities which perhaps stemmed from his difficulties learning to work the crowd in "live" getai shows (public stage shows held during the Hungry Ghost Festival).

"During your 20-minute act, you have to keep the energy up and elicit a reaction from the audience. You must make them feel your enthusiasm and sincerity. I'm most worried when the audience doesn't respond. I did getai for four years: I sang for two years, but did not make much headway; I then went on to hosting but nobody listened to me, especially since I was new.

"So I got the haircut (which I sported in the first ABTM movie), and together with my comedic antics, people began to take notice of me. That haircut gave me my breakthrough."

Acting 101: Character development

For the self-professed reformed bad boy, another breakthrough came in the form of National Service (NS). The Private credits NS for moulding him into a stable and mature person.

"I was a storeman in 4 SIR (4th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment). I admit I wasn't a good soldier. When I enlisted, I questioned why I was being made to serve. But as I saw my 'brothers' chiong-ing (Hokkien for charging), I was influenced to join in. I think that the army teaches you to build relationships. I used to think only of myself. But if you do that, you will get the rest of the troops into trouble. This is a lesson I learnt in the army.

"After the two years, I came to realise that NS doesn t turn you into a man overnight; through NS, you gradually start to feel like a man. Serving NS is a really important rite of passage for us guys: It teaches us responsibility."

Of course, no NS experience would be complete without a practical joke, especially from the young comedian-in-the-making.

"Once, when a friend was sleeping, we poured prickly heat powder on his face and squirted camo (camouflage) cream in his hands. He was awoken by the powder's burning sensation, and when he tried to wipe it off, he smeared the cream all over his face. He ran crying to the Sergeant. As punishment for bullying our buddy, the seven of us involved were made to wear our Full Battle Order and camo paint for the entire day. We're good friends now; it was through clowning around together that we became close."

Wayang give mother see

Five years and countless performances on, the one person PTE (NS) Wang still looks forward to seeing at his shows - and continues to wayang for - is his mother.

"My mother is like my girlfriend," he proclaimed unabashedly. We are very close. I m still standing on stage today because of the pride I see on her face. I relish it. I fell wayward for 10 years, and she took care of me all those 10 years. I told myself I would never break her heart again because, no matter what I'd done wrong in the past, my mother would still say, 'you are still my son.'"

And there's certainly no wayang in that.

* Lobang is Malay for "hole". In Singlish it means tips, openings or contacts.
** Wayang is Malay for a performance or show.