★★★★★ Theatre Review: Fragments of Tuah by Mark Teh and Five Arts Centre

Mesmerising docutheatre production delves into the myth of Malayan national hero Hang Tuah while asking who gets to shape history, and why we continue to believe the stories we inherit. Duration: 90min Mythological figures have long served as vessels for morality, identity and national aspiration. Their stories are repeated until they begin to feel inseparable from the societies that tell them, their contradictions smoothed over … Continue reading ★★★★★ Theatre Review: Fragments of Tuah by Mark Teh and Five Arts Centre

Esplanade’s The Studios 2026: An Interview with Mark Teh on retelling legends of national heroes in Five Arts Centre’s ‘Fragments of Tuah’

Hang Tuah has occupied a singular place in the Malaysian imagination for centuries. The legendary warrior appears in school textbooks, literature, films and political speeches, often held up as the embodiment of loyalty, courage and duty. It is precisely because he is so deeply embedded in the national consciousness that theatre-maker Mark Teh never imagined he would make a work about him. “He’s a mythic … Continue reading Esplanade’s The Studios 2026: An Interview with Mark Teh on retelling legends of national heroes in Five Arts Centre’s ‘Fragments of Tuah’

★★★★☆ 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)

Arts of Malaysia: KL Art Book Fair 2025 celebrates fair’s 5th edition with over 125 local and international exhibitors

Bigger than ever, the Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair (KLABF) is back for its fifth edition to honour the city’s vibrant artist-run culture and self-publishing scene. KLABF 2025 invites artists, designers, illustrators, writers, photographers, printmakers, independent publishers, alongside enthusiasts from Malaysia and beyond to gather under one roof for an exciting three-day celebration of the art book community. Founded in 2021, the KLABF is an … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: KL Art Book Fair 2025 celebrates fair’s 5th edition with over 125 local and international exhibitors

Arts of Malaysia: LaguKu 3.0 by Orang Orang Drum Theatre

KUALA LUMPUR – Drumming is loud, powerful, and relentless, often seen as a male-dominated art form, but for two women at the heart of Malaysia’s Orang Orang Drum Theatre, the rhythm of the drum is what guides their way of life. Jian Ru and Tee Vlin, two of the drummers featured in upcoming third edition of their signature LaguKu series, have each spent nearly two … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: LaguKu 3.0 by Orang Orang Drum Theatre

Arts of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair 2023 – a haven for the independent publishing scene at a bigger venue with record 112 exhibitors

KUALA LUMPUR – The art book fair has slowly but surely grown into one of the most exciting festival circuits to get on board, expanding out from the West to Asia. Representing the fervent spirit of independent creation and innovation amidst an increasingly uniform world, there is a fierce passion that accompanies every regional variant of the fair, regardless of the city it’s held in, … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair 2023 – a haven for the independent publishing scene at a bigger venue with record 112 exhibitors

Arts of Malaysia: KL Art Book Fair 2023

KUALA LUMPUR – Returning for its third edition, the eagerly awaited Kuala Lumpur Art Book Fair (KLABF) will bring a mammoth line-up of independent publishers, artists, rare art books, exclusive collectibles and programmes to the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) from 8 to 10 December 2023. Sprawling over 7,000 square feet of exhibition space, the three-day KLABF 2023 will transform KLSCAH into … Continue reading Arts of Malaysia: KL Art Book Fair 2023

★★★☆☆ Review: Teater Normcore 3 – Masam Manis 酸甜 by Kaos Nol (Malaysia)

Ridhwan Saidi adapts P. Ramlee’s classic film with a dose of social commentary. Performed at KongsiKL, the newest edition of Kaos Nol’s Teater Normcore series feels like a form of guerrilla theatre, purposely minimalist and low-budget to focus attention on the production’s craft, script and performance. In this play, playwright and director Ridhwan Saidi has taken inspiration from P. Ramlee’s 1965 film Masam-Masam Manis, loosely adapting … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Teater Normcore 3 – Masam Manis 酸甜 by Kaos Nol (Malaysia)