Sultan Zainal Abidin, pemerintah Kembayat Negara telah menyerahkan takhta kepada ayahandanya, Sultan Darman Syah buat seketika kerana pergi berburu di hutan, sambil melihat-lihat negeri dan bertemu rakyat jelata. Sewaktu ketiadaan baginda, berlakulah kekecohan di dalam negeri akibat perselisihan faham di antara Saudagar Berida dan Cincu Cina dalam perniagaan. Kekacauan di pelabuhan itu telah membabitkan pengikut kedua-dua belah pihak.

Saudagar Berida dan Cincu Cina dibicarakan di hadapan Sultan Darman Syah. Cincu Cina kalah bicara dan menuduh Sultan Darman Syah menerima rasuah daripada Saudagar Berida. Sultan Darman Syah murka dan Cincu Cina dipenjarakan, tetapi beberapa orang pengikutnya berjaya melarikan diri. Wangkang mereka pula dibakar. Pengikut Cincu Cina yang selamat pulang ke negara China mengadukan hal itu kepada Maharajanya. Walau dalam keadaan gering, Maharaja China sangat marah dan mahu membalas dendam.

Siti Zubaidah, isteri Sultan Zainal Abidin (puteri negara Iraqan Kastan yang tidak mendedahkan identitinya yang sebenar), tidak disukai oleh Permaisuri Tua (bonda Sultan Zainal Abidin). Sebaliknya, Puteri Sajarah (isteri muda Sultan Zainal Abidin) dilayan seperti menatang minyak yang penuh. Ketika ini bala menimpa Kembayat Negara apabila angkatan Maharaja China, yang dipimpin oleh puterinya, Puteri Kilan Cahaya, datang menyerang. Angkatan tentera Kembayat Negara berjaya ditewaskan. Puteri Kilan Cahaya yang telah jatuh hati pada Sultan Zainal Abidin membebaskan tawanan yang lain, tetapi menawan dan membawa orang yang dicintainya itu pulang ke negara China.

Setelah ketiadaan Sultan Zainal Abidin, Siti Zubaidah dituduh berlaku curang terhadap suaminya. Beliau yang juga telah dicabar supaya membuktikan ketaatan dan cintanya pada suami telah melarikan diri meninggalkan istana Kembayat Negara. Dalam perjalanannya ke negara China untuk mencari dan menyelamatkan Sultan Zainal Abidin, Siti Zubaidah bertemu dengan Puteri Rukiah yang tersingkir daripada takhta kerajaan Yunan. Mereka bersahabat dan sama-sama berguru dengan seorang Tuan Syeikh. Setelah berjaya membantu Puteri Rukiah merampas semula takhtanya, Siti Zubaidah merancang pula untuk menyelamatkan Sultan Zainal Abidin daripada tawanan Maharaja China.

Di negara China, Sultan Zainal Abidin diseksa di dalam perigi buta kerana tidak mahu sujud menyembah mengakui kebesaran Maharaja China dan menolak cinta Puteri Kilan Cahaya. Siti Zubaidah dan Puteri Rukiah menyamar sebagai penari lelaki, mengatur gerakan dengan teliti, dan dengan bantuan angkatan tentera dari negara Iraqan Kastan, Kembayat Negara dan Yunan, tentera China berjaya dikalahkan. Berkat keazaman sebagai seorang wanita yang cekal, berani dan perkasa serta ketaatan seorang isteri kepada suaminya, akhirnya Siti Zubaidah berjaya menyelamatkan Sultan Zainal Abidin. Puteri Kilan Cahaya pula menerima seruan Islam.

Siti Zubaidah portrays the story of a land called ‘Kembayat Negara’, its ruling Sultan, Sultan Zainal Abidin and his wife, Siti Zubaidah, the central character of this story.

Sultan Zainal Abidin temporarily hands over his reign to his father, Sultan Darman Syah while the former goes off to hunt and to mingle with his subjects.

While he is gone, a business dispute takes place between the royal trader (Saudagar Berida) and a Chinese boatman (Cincu Cina) at the harbour. The dispute turns into a fight with supporters of both parties getting involved.

Saudagar Berida and Cincu Cina are brought before Sultan Darman Syah, where the Cincu Cina failed in his defense. In anger, he accuses the Sultan of accepting bribes from Saudagar Berida. Cincu Cina is sentenced to prison and his boat is burnt. However, some of his followers managed to escape and return home to China. They conveyed the bad news to the sickly Emperor who became very upset.

Siti Zubaidah is the first wife of Sultan Zainal Abidin. She is the daughter of the ruler of Iraqan Kastan. She, however, keeps her royal identity a secret.

The queen mother (wife of Sultan Darman Syah and mother to Sultan Zainal Abidin) – Permaisuri Tua – despises Siti Zubaidah and favours Puteri Sajarah (Zainal Abidin’s second wife) as she is particular about royal lineage.

After what happened at the harbour, the Chinese army – led by the Emperor’s princess, Puteri Kilan Cahaya – attacks Kembayat Negara. The Kembayat Negara army – led by Sultan Zainal Abidin – is defeated. The princess falls in love with Sultan Zainal Abidin and decides to take him to China and become her prisoner of war.

Permaisuri Tua accuses Siti Zubaidah as being unfaithful to her husband and challenges Siti Zubaidah to rescue him. Ignoring all slander, she decides to leave the palace for China. In the jungle, she runs into Puteri Rukiah, a Yunan princess who was expelled from her throne. They become friends and decide to learn the art of self-defense from an old theologian, Tuan Syeikh. The two princesses helped each other accomplish their aims. Siti Zubaidah assists Rukiah in regaining her throne in Yunan and Rukiah helps Siti Zubaidah to rescue the latter’s husband.

In China, Sultan Zainal Abidin is tortured as refuses to succumb to the Emperor and he declines Puteri Kilan Cahaya’s hand in marriage. Siti Zubaidah and Puteri Rukiah disguised themselves as male dancers and planed the rescue of Sultan Zainal Abidin. With the help from the Iraqan Kastan, Kembayat Negara and Yunan armies, the Chinese are defeated.

With brevity, perseverance, strength and loyalty of a wife towards her husband, Siti Zubaidah finally rescues Sultan Zainal Abidin. Puteri Kilan Cahaya then embraces Islam.

TAJUK/TITLE:
Bangsawan Siti Zubaidah

PENULIS/PLAYWRIGHT:
Zakaria Ariffin

KARYA TEMPATAN ASLI /ORIGINAL LOCAL SCRIPT:
Yes

NAMA KUMPULAN/COMPANY NAME:
Istana Budaya

TARIKH/DATE:
1 – 11 July 2000

JUMLAH PEMENTASAN/TOTAL SHOWING:
11

TEMPAT PEMENTASAN/VENUE:
Istana Budaya

NEGERI/STATE:
Kuala Lumpur

BAHASA/LANGUAGE:
Malay

HARGA TIKET/TICKET PRICES:
N/A