George Town Festival 2021: An Interview with Danny Yeo, co-creator of BODY X – The Culprit

When theatremakers Danny Yeo and Li Xie founded BODY X Productions in 2014, immersive theatre in Singapore was practically non-existent at the time, marking them as local pioneers of the genre. Making their debut with BODY X – The Wedding at the Singapore Writers Festival 2014 to fascinated audiences, they took the success in their stride, returning in 2016 with BODY X – The Rehearsal. … Continue reading George Town Festival 2021: An Interview with Danny Yeo, co-creator of BODY X – The Culprit

Preview: George Town Festival 2021

GEORGE TOWN, PENANG – Even with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Penang’s annual George Town Festival has announced that the Festival is set to continue as scheduled, with a slew of online programmes from 10th to 18th July 2021. Physical events are tentatively postponed until further notice, due to the government’s announcement of a total nationwide lockdown, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The postponement of … Continue reading Preview: George Town Festival 2021

A Luxury Hotel with Heart: An Interview with Rina Teoh, Executive Director of The Edison George Town and Ivan Khoo, Hotel Manager

PENANG, MALAYSIA – The Edison George Town may have only been opened in 2016, but the building the luxury hotel is housed in has a history that goes far beyond that. Located on Lebuh Leith, the building was commissioned and built in 1906 as a residence for a tycoon. Transformed into a hotel after the second World War, the hotel continued to flourish into the ’60s, … Continue reading A Luxury Hotel with Heart: An Interview with Rina Teoh, Executive Director of The Edison George Town and Ivan Khoo, Hotel Manager

Penang Power: The Eastern & Oriental Hotel Re-Opens Heritage Wing

  PENANG, MALAYSIA – The historic Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel’s Heritage Wing has embarked on an extensive refurbishment since March 2019, ready to refresh it to present an all-new luxury experience for guests when refurbishment is set to complete by year end.  As one of the few historical hotels around the globe, the management has placed great emphasis to preserve elements of the hotel’s 134-year old … Continue reading Penang Power: The Eastern & Oriental Hotel Re-Opens Heritage Wing

George Town Festival 2019: An Interview with Kavin Jay and Friends

PENANG, MALAYSIA – According to Malaysian comedian Kavin Jay, Penang is his second favourite place to perform in Malaysia, after KL. “I love performing here in particular because of the Penangnite sense of humour,” he says. “They’re always so appreciative of everything that comes their way, compared to people in KL who can be a bit spoilt. And we connect on that level.” It’s perfect then, … Continue reading George Town Festival 2019: An Interview with Kavin Jay and Friends

George Town Festival 2019: The Strangers (Review)

Finding the connections between others who seem worlds apart. PENANG, MALAYSIA – Directed by Argentinian director Leandro Kees and dramaturged by Julia Hesse, The Strangers brings together 4 performers from 4 different Asian countries (Cheng Ying-Yun, Kanako Ihara, James Kan Che Wei and Sanghun Lee) as they gather onstage and learn about each other. Seemingly with little to nothing in common, be it food or language or history, … Continue reading George Town Festival 2019: The Strangers (Review)

George Town Festival 2019: An Interview with The Glowers Drama Group

PENANG, MALAYSIA – It’s not every day you get to see a Singaporean theatre company perform overseas, let alone one made entirely of older actors and crew members. But with the highly successful Kampong Chempedak, which made its international premiere at the 2019 George Town Festival, the Glowers Drama Group can give themselves a pat on the back and more for a job well done. Founded by … Continue reading George Town Festival 2019: An Interview with The Glowers Drama Group

George Town Festival 2019: An Interview with Lee Mok Yee, Creator of Superstition II

PENANG, MALAYSIA – Temples may be sacred ground, but for artist Lee Mok Yee, they also double as a gallery, specifically for his latest exhibition Superstition II. Inspired by their interiors and significance, the Malaysian artist has crafted installations in two beautiful temples in George Town as part of the 2019 George Town Festival, each one delving into concepts of religious symbolism, Taoist philosophy and managing to link … Continue reading George Town Festival 2019: An Interview with Lee Mok Yee, Creator of Superstition II

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)