Front Row

Forkbeard: A Viking Musical Odyssey is the first Viking musical set to be staged in Kuala Lumpur, and is based on the massive naval ambush, “The Battle of Svolder”, a culmination of rivalry between Denmark’s infamous Viking leader Svend Tveskaeg (Forkbeard) and Olav Tryggvasson of Norway in late summer of 1000 AD. Presented by MYTH Productions and first staged in Penang, we find out what's in store for this KL staging from the production's director, Karam Tabba, and the show's writer, producer and composer, Nancy Jenster.

Image Credit: MYTH Productions

In the exhibition "Endless Buffet," we're invited to step into the world of Chadwick Moore's recent artworks, where myth, nature, and the excesses of consumer culture converge in thought-provoking ways. Curated by Ivan Gabriel, the exhibition at The Godown Arts Centre is a showcase of Chad's sculptures and paintings, and the title is a satirical reference to modern consumerism, while reflecting on the absurdity of excessive consumption, and our compulsion to consume without consideration of consequences. We speak to Chad to find out more.

Image Credit: The Godown Arts Centre

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Forkbeard: A Viking Musical Odyssey is the first Viking musical set to be staged in Kuala Lumpur, and is based on the massive naval ambush, “The Battle of Svolder”, a culmination of rivalry between Denmark’s infamous Viking leader Svend Tveskaeg (Forkbeard) and Olav Tryggvasson of Norway in late summer of 1000 AD. Presented by MYTH Productions and first staged in Penang, we find out what's in store for this KL staging from the production's director, Karam Tabba, and the show's writer, producer and composer, Nancy Jenster.

Image Credit: MYTH Productions

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A multi-sensory work based on the Greek classic by Homer, Soul of Odyssey devises and reimagines the hero’s journey and his attempts to rise from the ashes of war, chaos, and battles with deities. It questions and explores how human beings react to forces perceived to be out of  their control. Or as in the proverbial question: “What happens to ants when elephants fight?” This is the second chapter of a four part international project titled The Bird of Fire, and is a collaboration between the KL Shakespeare Players and the Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project of Japan. Santosh Logandran (composer and performer), Nurul Sofia (performer), and Lim Soon Heng (performer, producer and Executive Director, KL Shakespeare Players) join us to discuss what’s in store.

Wayang TEK-tek is a workshop series by Sekolah Main Wayang, which focuses on Orang Asli (OA) youths, and the program brings together Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and lo tech or DIY tech (tek) into a wayang-like performance. Following successful pilot programmes with Orang Asli youths in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur and Bota, Perak, Wayang TEKTek comes to Ilham Gallery with Wayang Apa? Wayang TEK-tek, promising pop-ups, a sharing session on the findings and outcomes of the programme, a panel discussion with members of Sekolah Main Wayang, and workshops conducted by youths from the Bota programme. We speak to Fairuz Sulaiman (Facilitator, Sekolah Main Wayang) and Wendi Sia (Project Manager of Wayang TekTek & Co-Founder, Gerimis Art Project) to find out more.

Image Credit: Sekolah Main Wayang

A multi-sensory work based on the Greek classic by Homer, Soul of Odyssey devises and reimagines the hero’s journey and his attempts to rise from the ashes of war, chaos, and battles with deities. It questions and explores how human beings react to forces perceived to be out of  their control. Or as in the proverbial question: “What happens to ants when elephants fight?” This is the second chapter of a four part international project titled The Bird of Fire, and is a collaboration between the KL Shakespeare Players and the Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project of Japan. Santosh Logandran (composer and performer), Nurul Sofia (performer), and Lim Soon Heng (performer, producer and Executive Director, KL Shakespeare Players) join us to discuss what’s in store.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wayang TEK-tek is a workshop series by Sekolah Main Wayang, which focuses on Orang Asli (OA) youths, and the program brings together Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and lo tech or DIY tech (tek) into a wayang-like performance. Following successful pilot programmes with Orang Asli youths in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur and Bota, Perak, Wayang TEKTek comes to Ilham Gallery with Wayang Apa? Wayang TEK-tek, promising pop-ups, a sharing session on the findings and outcomes of the programme, a panel discussion with members of Sekolah Main Wayang, and workshops conducted by youths from the Bota programme. We speak to Fairuz Sulaiman (Facilitator, Sekolah Main Wayang) and Wendi Sia (Project Manager of Wayang TekTek & Co-Founder, Gerimis Art Project) to find out more.

Image Credit: Sekolah Main Wayang

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SeaShorts Film Festival returns for its seventh edition, and is an annual celebration of Southeast Asian short films, comprising screenings, forums, workshops, exhibitions, and other creative endeavours from guests across the region. We speak to Elyna Shukri, the Chairperson of the SeaShorts Film Society, to find out what we can expect from this year's festival which is themed, Tanam Padi.

Image Credit: SeaShorts Film Society

“Bapaku Pulang: Growing Up with Art - Selected works from the collections of Nazura Rahime & Sharmin Parameswaran” is an exhibition that features artworks by 39 Malaysian modern and contemporary artists. Curated by Sarah Abu Bakar, the show brings together selected artworks collected by Nazura and Sharmin’s late fathers - Rahime Harun (1954–2008) and Dato’ N. Parameswaran (1948–2022). Both art curators themselves now, we catch up with Nazura and Sharmin to hear their stories of growing up surrounded by art, the influence their parents had on their own subsequent journeys into the world of visual arts, and why they are collaborating to show the world pieces from their late fathers’ private collections.

Image Credits:

Tan Choon Ghee, Nagore Durgha Sheriff, Leboh Chulia Penang

Ismail Mat Husin, Untitled

Yap Chin Hoe, Untitled I

From the collections of Nazura Rahime and Sharmin Parameswaran

Hijauan is a performance that transports audiences to a realm where nature’s grandeur meets cultural diversity. Presented by contemporary dance company Dua Space Dance Theatre, the founder of the company, Anthony Meh, personally choreographed "Hijauan" as a heartfelt ode to Malaysia, and celebrates the rich diversity of Malaysia through a blend of traditional elements into contemporary dance styles. Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, we chat with Lim Hong Jie, a senior dancer and an Assistant Artistic Director with Dua Space, to find out more about this show.

Image Credit: Dua Space Theatre