Front Row

For centuries, audiences have seen Shakespeare's The Tempest as a tale of magic, revenge and forgiveness. But what if the story looks very different when it's told from the perspective of the island's original inhabitant? That's exactly what Masakini Theatre Company is exploring in Caliban, a bold new adaptation that reimagines Shakespeare's classic through a Nusantara lens, weaving together local performance traditions, live traditional music and Malaysia's multicultural heritage. Joining us to tell us more are producer and lead actor Sabera Shaik, who plays Caliban, and the production's director, Susan Sarah John.

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What does it really mean to be Malaysian? Is it the stories we're told, the languages we speak, the histories we inherit, or the memories we carry? Bebenang: An Almost Malaysian Story is an original theatre production that explores those questions through the real-life experiences of everyday Malaysians. Developed using verbatim theatre, it brings together personal stories that reveal the many different ways we understand identity, belonging and home. We find out more from producer and director Farah Rani, together with deviser and actor, Perassath.

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As Merdeka approaches each year, we're often encouraged to reflect on how far Malaysia has come. But it's also a chance to ask some difficult questions: have we lived up to the ideals that independence promised, and what does the "Malaysian Dream" actually mean today? Those are the questions at the heart of Once Upon a Malaysian Dream, a new play that's equal parts history, satire, music and heartfelt drama, exploring the country's past while imagining where it could still go. We find out more from its writer, producer and director, Kee Thuan Chye.

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For centuries, baroque music has endured because of its beauty, emotional depth and technical brilliance. But can it also become the foundation for an immersive, multidisciplinary performance that resonates with audiences today? That's the challenge Wicked Music People has set itself with Unbound, a new production that brings together period instrument performance, contemporary dance, digital scenography and live theatre in a bold exploration of human freedom. Joining us are co-producers U-En Ng and Lin Lee, both co-founders of Wicked Music People, to tell us more.

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Our rivers have always sustained us, but today many are under increasing pressure from pollution, development and climate change. Rather than presenting those challenges through facts and figures alone, Pravaham – The Pulse of Creation invites audiences to experience them through dance, music and storytelling. It's an original production that celebrates water's role as the pulse of creation while encouraging us to rethink our relationship with the natural world. Joining us are Shangita Namasivayam, Artistic Director of Kalpana Dance Theatre, and Kennedy Michael, the Founder of Community Action Nexus and the Alliance of River Three (ART!) to tell us more about this dance performance, and their collaboration.

*For invitations to the show, please call: 017-6725672

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Some artists travel to exhibit their work. Others travel because they're endlessly curious about the people, places and cultures around them. Robert Rauschenberg was very much the latter. Widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, he believed that creativity flourished through collaboration, conversation and seeing the world firsthand. Those ideas are at the heart of Robert Rauschenberg and Asia, an exhibition organised by M+ in collaboration with ILHAM Gallery, and currently on display at Ilham. Joining us to explore the exhibition are Rahel Joseph, Director of ILHAM Gallery, and Russell Storer, Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs at M+, and curator of this exhibition.

Image Credit:

Robert Rauschenberg

Studies for Chinese Summerhall #I

1984

From an edition of 25, published by Graphicstudio, University of South Florida, Tampa, and Gemini G.E.L, Los Angeles

©️Robert Rauschenberg

Foundation Photo: Ron Amstutz

Image courtesy of Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

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Poetry has often been called the language of the heart, but can it also become a language of resistance, dialogue and peace? Poet, author and cultural activist Raja Ahmad Aminullah certainly believes so, and has spent decades using literature to spark conversations about humanity, justice and the world we live in. This month, he's bringing together voices from Malaysia and beyond for "Poets for Peace and Humanity: Against Hegemony & Imperialism" while also launching his latest book, Sepucuk Surat, Sebuah Episod: Rakaman Pelaku-Pelaku Zaman. He joins us to tell us more.

Poets for Peace and Humanity runs from the 23rd to the 25th of July, with events at GMBB, Rumah Mandiri and PPAS in Selangor. The series brings together poets and writers for readings and conversations on peace, humanity and social justice. 

The launch of Sepucuk Surat, Sebuah Episod: Rakaman Pelaku-Pelaku Zaman will take place on Thursday, 23 July at 4pm, at The Grey Box in GMBB. Free admission for all.

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Being Carried is a new theatre production that puts disabled, Deaf and neurodivergent artists at the heart of the creative process, exploring themes of care, connection and survival through lived experience. Created as a collaboration between Malaysia and the UK, the production also asks audiences to rethink how disability is represented, both on stage and in society. Joining us are two of the artists behind Being Carried: Ho Lee Ching, neurodivergent and disabled theatre-maker and founder of Teater Untuk Semua, and Wheelsmith, a musician and performer.

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Cross-cultural collaborations often produce some of the most exciting work in theatre, especially when they bring together traditions that, at first glance, seem worlds apart. Shakespeare Meets Noh: Desdemona does exactly that, combining Shakespeare's Othello with the centuries-old performance traditions of Japanese Noh theatre to create an entirely new theatrical experience. Following a successful premiere in Tokyo, the production now returns to Malaysia for audiences here to experience this striking fusion of classical storytelling, movement, music and ritual. Joining us to talk about the journey behind the production are cast member and producer Lim Soon Heng, along with musician Santosh Logandran.

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The klpac Orchestra is celebrating its 20th anniversary with its biggest production yet, bringing together more than 100 musicians for TITANS & Temptations. We speak to Music Director and Resident Conductor Lee Kok Leong, and First Violinist Zeth Yuen about the orchestra's journey, the challenge of bringing more than 100 musicians together on one stage, and why TITANS & Temptations promises an unforgettable evening of Romantic masterworks by Mendelssohn, Mahler and Suppé.

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