George Town Festival 2018 Opening Weekend: Kelantan – A Living Heritage

GEORGE TOWN, MALAYSIA – Last weekend, a brand new show opened the 9th edition of the annual George Town Festival (GTF) in Penang, Malaysia. Titled Kelantan: A Living Heritage, the performance acted as a platform to showcase the many cultures and art forms that made up Malaysia, so named as the word ‘Kelantan’ refers to the ‘Cradle of Malay Culture’. The performance began on a youthful note, with … Continue reading George Town Festival 2018 Opening Weekend: Kelantan – A Living Heritage

Rainforest Fringe Festival 2018: Festival Opening Weekend

KUCHING, SARAWAK – From an outsider’s point of view, Kuching feels like a world apart from bustling Singapore. Instead of the daily grind of office workers commuting into the CBD, the roar of cars speeding along a highway, the Sarawakian capital is quiet, at peace with the world as its inhabitants go about their lives amidst the lush greenery of the rainforest. The truth is … Continue reading Rainforest Fringe Festival 2018: Festival Opening Weekend

Review: Teater Normcore by Ridhwan Saidi (Kuala Lumpur)

Dark humour is rife in these riveting playlets that highlight social issues. KUALA LUMPUR – The term normcore stems from an anti-fashion movement that revolves around purposefully choosing to wear plain, unremarkable clothing. But in the two plays that make up writer Ridhwan Saidi’s Teater Normcore Double Bill, these initially normal looking settings quickly give way to settings far darker than they initially let on. … Continue reading Review: Teater Normcore by Ridhwan Saidi (Kuala Lumpur)

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

A nationalistic musical with high production value that celebrates Malaysia in all its glorious diversity. KUALA LUMPUR – There are two things that Malaysians will always get fired up about: food, and sport. Taking the latter subject and putting it into the arts, it’s completely possible that Malaysians too can feel a sense of nationalistic pride upon seeing it brought to life onstage. Based off … Continue reading Review: Ola Bola the Musical by Enfiniti Productions (Kuala Lumpur)

OlaBola The Musical: An Interview with Ghafir Akbar and Altimet

KUALA LUMPUR – This February, Malaysia’s esteemed Istana Budaya ends its renovation and opens with a blast with OlaBola The Musical. Based off the hit 2016 film of the same name, get ready for a moving stage show that revisits the glories of Malaysia’s national football team Harimau Malaya as they geared up to qualify for the 1980 Summer Olympics. With catchy rap songs, the best … Continue reading OlaBola The Musical: An Interview with Ghafir Akbar and Altimet

Preview: OlaBola The Musical by Enfiniti (Kuala Lumpur)

Sports and theatre may seem as disparate as oil and water, but this February, Malaysia’s Enfiniti is about the change all that with OlaBola The Musical, an all new locally produced show set to open the prestigious Istana Budaya performing arts centre following its renovation. Based off the 2016 film of the same name, which was in turn based off true events, OlaBola The Musical is a period … Continue reading Preview: OlaBola The Musical by Enfiniti (Kuala Lumpur)