George Town Festival 2019: Kampong Chempedak by The Glowers Drama Group (Review)

Change is the only constant. PENANG, MALAYSIA – While most modern city-dwellers have long gotten used to the constant march of progress as our cityscape moves forth, there remain those that find it difficult to impossible to adapt to the way the world has changed. Performed by Singapore senior theatre group The Glowers, our story then focuses on the villagers of Kampong Chempedak, once a thriving and … Continue reading George Town Festival 2019: Kampong Chempedak by The Glowers Drama Group (Review)

George Town Festival 2019: Screaming in Silence by Parastoo Theatre Team (Review)

Staging the painful truth of forced marriage in Afghanistan.  PENANG, MALAYSIA – Performed by Parastoo Theatre Team, a group of Afghan refugees who are based in Malaysia, Screaming in Silence uses the form of Theatre of the Oppressed to raise awareness about child marriage in Afghanistan, following the life of a young girl forced into marriage with a much older man by her father and the community. Performed in … Continue reading George Town Festival 2019: Screaming in Silence by Parastoo Theatre Team (Review)

Preview: George Town Festival 2019

PENANG, MALAYSIA – Back for its 10th edition this weekend, the annual George Town Festival returns with a promise to deliver an  entirely new way of experiencing arts to everyone. This year, the Festival embodies the idea of making arts accessible to all, regardless of age or background, with a range of programmes that take place all around the historic city. From traditional auditoriums to halls, shophouse … Continue reading Preview: George Town Festival 2019

Art in Malaysia: Dust by Theatresauce (Review)

A poignant reflection on the ever-confusing nature of death and mortality. KUALA LUMPUR – Newly devised by Theatresauce, DUST is a brand new, multi-lingual work that explores the concept of mortality, pieced together from the stories, dreams and imaginations of its five performers, each deeply affected by experiences and questions surrounding death, grief, and ultimately, life. Directed by Esther Liew, DUST comprising a series of expressive visual and auditory montages … Continue reading Art in Malaysia: Dust by Theatresauce (Review)

In Kuala Lumpur 2019: Gold Rain & Hailstones by The Instant Cafe Theatre Company (Review)

A timely reminder of the genius and timelessness of Jit Murad in this reflection on the Malaysian identity. KUALA LUMPUR – It’s been 13 years since Jit Murad’s Gold Rain & Hailstones was last produced in his own home country of Malaysia. So it’s about high time then that a revival is in order by the Instant Cafe Theatre Company this March. Gold Rain & Hailstones follows the outspoken and … Continue reading In Kuala Lumpur 2019: Gold Rain & Hailstones by The Instant Cafe Theatre Company (Review)

In Kuala Lumpur 2019: Ola Bola the Musical (2019 Version) by Enfiniti Productions (Review)

The sold out Malaysian musical continues to swell with nationalistic pride as it returned for a rematch for an even stronger performance this year.  KUALA LUMPUR – After enjoying a sold out run in 2018, Ola Bola the Musical, the ‘best Malaysian musical’ (according to Malaysian PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself) returned to the Isatana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur this February to wow even more … Continue reading In Kuala Lumpur 2019: Ola Bola the Musical (2019 Version) by Enfiniti Productions (Review)

In Kuala Lumpur 2019: An Interview with the Creative Team of Gold Rain & Hailstones (The Instant Cafe Theatre Company)

KUALA LUMPUR – Jit Murad is one of Malaysia’s most prominent playwrights, having penned some of the country’s sharpest and most scintillating plays effectively highlighting and presenting the Malaysian identity onstage. Last staged in Malaysia in 2006, it seemed only right that as part of their comeback and 30th anniversary, the Instant Cafe Theatre Company’s 30th anniversary would then stage Jit’s very first professional play: Gold Rain … Continue reading In Kuala Lumpur 2019: An Interview with the Creative Team of Gold Rain & Hailstones (The Instant Cafe Theatre Company)

Review: Are You Game, Sau(dara)? by Five Arts Centre (KL) and Bhumi Collective (SG)

Experimental responses to Leow Puay Tin’s 3 Children still very much cerebral works in progress. KUALA LUMPUR – Cross Causeway arts projects are always to be celebrated, showcasing the keen relationship Singapore continues to share with our closest neighbours. The most recent of these would be Malaysia’s Five Arts Centre and Singapore’s Centre 42 joint collaboration on Are You Game, Sau(dara)?, a double bill of new work from … Continue reading Review: Are You Game, Sau(dara)? by Five Arts Centre (KL) and Bhumi Collective (SG)

Preview: MUD The Musical by Enfiniti Productions (Kuala Lumpur)

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – This December, Enfiniti Productions is bringing back the award-winning, family-friendly MUD The Musical for an all new production! Set in 1857, MUD the Musical tells the story of the founding of modern Kuala Lumpur, before the tin mining boom of 1880 attracted an influx of pioneers from across the Asian region to the muddy confluence of the two rivers – Sungai Lumpur (now known as … Continue reading Preview: MUD The Musical by Enfiniti Productions (Kuala Lumpur)

Review: A Tale of Star-Crossed Lovers by Nyoban Kan and KL Shakespeare Players

Romeo and Juliet, meet Rama and Shinta MALAYSIA – As part of the 2018 KL Butoh Fest, Nyoban Kan and KL Shakespeare Players collaborated on a brand new production that interweaves two of literature’s most famous star-crossed lovers into a single show. The Japanese art of butoh, by definition, resists definition, and in A Tale of Star-Crossed Lovers, we see this on full display, as Shakespeare’s Romeo and … Continue reading Review: A Tale of Star-Crossed Lovers by Nyoban Kan and KL Shakespeare Players