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

Arts in Malaysia: An Interview with Johnny Ong, Co-Founder of Hauntu

KUALA LUMPUR – Do you believe in ghosts? If you came to THE LINC KL and looked around a bit, you might just find an attraction that’ll convince you of their existence, with Hauntu.  A portmanteau of the English word ‘haunt’ and Malay word ‘hantu’ (ghost), Hauntu mashes escape room and haunted house for one hell of an experience, as live theatre performance, role play and storytelling come together. … Continue reading Arts in Malaysia: An Interview with Johnny Ong, Co-Founder of Hauntu

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

Arts In Malaysia: Catching Up With Sean Ghazi In Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR – The last time we sat down with Sean Ghazi was way back in 2017, after an incredibly busy year in Singapore preparing for An Evening with Sean Ghazi (with Stephanie Reese), and after an acclaimed run on W!ld Rice’s staging of La Cage Aux Folles opposite Ivan Heng. That was the year that Sean seemed to truly revive his connection with Singapore after primarily performing on … Continue reading Arts In Malaysia: Catching Up With Sean Ghazi In Kuala Lumpur

Arts in Malaysia 2019/20: ILHAM Gallery and Singapore Art Museum Present The Body Politic and The Body (Preview)

KUALA LUMPUR – ILHAM Gallery and Singapore Art Museum (SAM) present ILHAM x SAM Project: The Body Politic and the Body from 8th December 2019 to 12th April 2020 at ILHAM Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. The first collaboration between ILHAM Gallery and SAM, it explores the many facets of contemporary art and its genealogies in Malaysia. The Body Politic and the Body is conceived as a … Continue reading Arts in Malaysia 2019/20: ILHAM Gallery and Singapore Art Museum Present The Body Politic and The Body (Preview)

Preview: DASTAK 2019 by WECANDOIT

Returning for its 4th year, DASTAK, a theatre festival produced by WECANDOIT, is back to present theatre and dance with performances to celebrate Singapore’s Bicentennial year. Translating to ‘knock’ in English, DASTAK acts as a knock on the social door to contribute to the diversity of Singapore’s theatre and dance landscape, bringing 10 short plays of 10 minutes each directed by 10 different local directors. Touching … Continue reading Preview: DASTAK 2019 by WECANDOIT

Malaysia Boleh: Emperor Cinemas Chooses Johor Bahru as Site of First Luxe Theatre in Malaysia

Just how fancy can cinemas possibly get? The answer is: extremely, as Emperor Cinemas proves with their very first outlet in Malaysia. First introduced in 2015, the cinemas have quickly expanded their reach across mainland China and Hong Kong, and finally, have reached out to the region and set up a brand new luxe cinema in R&F Mall, Johor Bahru. Taking pride in their first-class … Continue reading Malaysia Boleh: Emperor Cinemas Chooses Johor Bahru as Site of First Luxe Theatre in Malaysia

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