★★★★★ Theatre Review: Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice by Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre

Sarah Ruhl’s retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth comes alive under Ghafir Akbar’s inventive and imaginative staging, and the cast’s deeply sincere performances. Duration: 90 minutes For more than two thousand years, the story of Orpheus and Eurydice has endured as one of Greek mythology’s great stories of love and loss. Orpheus, the gifted musician, travels into the Underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice by Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre

Interview: ‘Eurydice’ director Ghafir Akbar speaks on Greek, grief and the future of Malaysian theatre

When Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) approached Ghafir Akbar about presenting a production, he already knew which play he wanted to pull from the back of his mind: Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, “I love Greek plays and I love this play,” he says. “But one of my concerns was also that sometimes when you think about classic plays, the language can be quite demanding, and … Continue reading Interview: ‘Eurydice’ director Ghafir Akbar speaks on Greek, grief and the future of Malaysian theatre

Malaysia Theatre: SUSAN by FSKi Works

Do you care who she is? Or just what she did? A woman stands before us. She has two dead husbands behind her, a murder case in front of her, and one thing she refuses to give away: her name. That is the provocation at the heart of SUSAN, FSKi Works’ full-length world premiere opening this week at Hush The Theatre in Petaling Jaya. Following … Continue reading Malaysia Theatre: SUSAN by FSKi Works

Malaysia Theatre: Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice by Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre

What happens when one of the oldest love stories in the Western canon is told from the woman’s point of view? This September, Malaysian audiences can find out as Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) presents Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, a bold, funny and ultimately heartbreaking reimagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Directed by award-winning theatre-maker Ghafir Akbar, the production runs from 18–27 September … Continue reading Malaysia Theatre: Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice by Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre

Malaysia Theatre: Once Upon a Malaysian Dream by Kee Thuan Chye

What does the Malaysian Dream mean today? As Merdeka approaches, Kee Thuan Chye returns to the stage with an ambitious new play about race, identity, history and the hope of a more united Malaysia. What if the Malaysia we dreamed of in 1957 is not quite the Malaysia we ended up with And what if that dream is still worth fighting for? Those are some … Continue reading Malaysia Theatre: Once Upon a Malaysian Dream by Kee Thuan Chye

★★★★☆ Theatre Review: Teater Normcore – Odisi Romansa by Ridhwan Saidi

Ridhwan Saidi crafts a haunting, cosmic space drama about androids to remind us what it means to be human. Ridhwan Saidi’s Teater Normcore: Odisi Romansa begins with surveillance. Before the theatre fully settles into darkness, before language and philosophy take over the stage, a grainy video emerges onscreen like recovered memory. Through the detached gaze of a CCTV camera, we follow a man and woman … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Theatre Review: Teater Normcore – Odisi Romansa by Ridhwan Saidi

Arts of Malaysia: An interview with writer/director Ridhwan Saidi on Teater Normcore – Odisi Romansa

There is something fitting about the long journey of Teater Normcore: Odisi Romansa, a play about distance, time, and memory that itself had to wait years before reaching the stage. First written in 2019, the production was disrupted by the pandemic, before finally returning in 2026. And for playwright-director Ridhwan Saidi, that passage of time was never something to erase. “I wrote Odisi Romansa back … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: An interview with writer/director Ridhwan Saidi on Teater Normcore – Odisi Romansa

Arts of Malaysia: Teater Normcore – Odisi Romansa by Ridhwan Saidi (Preview)

If you’re drawn to theatre that lingers somewhere between poetry and philosophy, Teater Normcore: Odisi Romansa might be one of the more intriguing productions to catch this season. Staged at the Black Box, Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC) this May, the latest work by Malaysian playwright-director Ridhwan Saidi arrives with all the hallmarks of his signature style: quiet lyricism, a touch of deadpan humour, and … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: Teater Normcore – Odisi Romansa by Ridhwan Saidi (Preview)

★★★★☆ Review: ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends by Dramalab

Jit Murad’s lost play transforms The Playhouse into a spiralling night of ’90s excess, nostalgia, and danger, resurrecting his voice with bold direction and an unforgettable ensemble. KUALA LUMPUR – Stepping into The Playhouse, it begins as though the audience has stumbled into a party already in progress: a beautiful, artsy house with a bar, a living room, and the specific kind of lived-in aesthetic … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends by Dramalab

Reviving Jit Murad’s Lost Play: An Interview with director Zahim Albakri, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Sabrina Hassan of ‘ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends’

It begins, unexpectedly, with a laugh. “I actually think it’s one of his most well-crafted plays,” says Dato’ Zahim Albakri, the director of ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends, and one of the late Jit Murad’s closest collaborators. “Some of the writing is his best and really quite fabulous. It’s different from his other plays, but it’s definitely him; you recognise the writing.” Then, almost in … Continue reading Reviving Jit Murad’s Lost Play: An Interview with director Zahim Albakri, and cast members Ghafir Akbar and Sabrina Hassan of ‘ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends’