Front Row

We kick off our brand-new review show, where we respond to, dissect, and generally get excited about various local arts creations. First up, “Teh Tarik with the Flag”, an art exhibition that brings together 14 Malaysian artists to explore the various symbolic meanings of the Malaysian flag, particularly within the context of the the country’s historic elections. Artist Ruby Subra...

Singaporean poet and spoken word artist Shivram Gopinath uses his works to talk about issues like culture and identity, while his most recent work explores multilingual poetry as a way of exploring the Indian experience in Singapore. He speaks to us about honesty and authenticity in poetry as a means of examining identity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The choir pays homage to Björk, the musician from Iceland, with musical arrangements by members of the choir themselves. The directors reveal the reasons for this concert and what the choir is hopes to achieve with its experimenting with percussion, acapella, music processing and even choreography. This production will deploy visual projection designs by students of Saito University College,...

When the Indian historical epic film “Mughal-e-Azam” was released in 1960, it set a new standard for Indian cinema. The tale of a grand romance between Mughal prince Salim and court dancer Anarkali, and the ensuing disapproval of Salim’s father Emperor Akbar, is still celebrated today as a classic. The movie has now been adapted into a lavish Broadway-style musical, which is maki...

After a short hiatus, Speak Easy is back for Season 2 with a new host, Sheena Baharudin, joined by last season’s host, Elaine Foster. We kick off this season with a change of scene by leaving the open mic stage in pubs for the experimental theatre space. Find out how poetry and cabaret come together to create a dazzling, delightful fusion of performance art. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Who doesn’t love the circus? And now for the first time, Malaysians are going to be able to experience the Russian circus tradition, as The Moscow Circus rolls into town. We speak to the circus’ producers and, in a twist on traditional male roles, the ringmistress Karina Peace, about keeping circuses relevant and why there’s nothing quite like the live experience. See omnystudio....

Find out about a young artist from Tawau, Sabah who through his winning work earned himself a residency at the UOB-Fukuoka Asian Art Museum. Hear his story and about why the visual arts takes centre stage in his life and the theme that interests him. Most recently, his work graces the regional bank’s annual report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat initiated a new-play project, inviting would-be playwrights to spend six months, meeting weekly to work on their scripts. During these weekly meetings theatre practitioners came in to share their experiences. Hear what they have to say about the experience and if the great Malaysian play lies just over the horizon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Local theatre company theatrethreesixty celebrates #MalaysiaBaru by celebrating the spirit of collaboration in theatre-making. In their six-week theatre festival #wearetheatrethreesixty2018, the company is presenting three different productions that are multicultural and multilingual. Directors Christopher Ling and Nicole-Ann Thomas talk to us about the three plays they are staging, and the proces...

Charis Loke often engages with Malaysian culture and contemporary issues in her art. Over the last few years, her series such as “Bunga Bantahan” and “Rally Sketches” have focused on issues like the Bersih movement and the need for clean and fair elections in Malaysia. She also recently documented the 14th general elections through a series of sketches. Charis talks to us a...

The Selangor International Indigenous Arts Festival is an annual event that aims to celebrate and increase awareness of Malaysian’s indigenous communities by highlighting their various art forms. The festival’s event manager Hafeezuddin Abdul Razak tells us what they have in store this year, and why it is important to create spaces where urban Malaysians can connect with indigenous com...

Dead insects, dried plants, and tiny skeletons are captured in an otherworldly photo exhibit called “Redux” by Shareem Amry. She talks to us about her debut solo exhibition, what drew her to photographing these unlikely subjects, and why she uses film photography in her works. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music from the 80s and recollections of teenage love come together in “Stories from a Mixtape”, a musical by Malaysian band Leonard Theng and The Cerita. Band frontman Leonard Theng, and members Sharon Chong and Mizzie talk to us about how they will be bringing together narrative and live performance in a unique way for the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fifth biennial international percussion festival organized by Hands Percussion. Bernard Goh introduces the international and local guests, including Ariefwaran who with choreographer Kathyn Tan, work with the drummers to create a new vocabulary of movements for the performance. Ariefwaran hints on what to expect from the percussionists. Together Bernard and Ariefwaran point to some new directi...

The visiting artist and adjunct professor of illustration at Pratt Institute at Brooklyn was in Kuala Lumpur to exhibit her works, some 20 portraits depicted in a dreamlike state. While several of her works are dark--like the one of her son with two bombs falling into the sides of his head--most in this collection are light and whimsical. Like women with cupcakes and wedding cakes on their heads....

When it comes to the local indie music scene, Azmyl Yunor needs no introduction. As a fiercely independent musician, Azmyl views his art as a way to comment on the social, cultural, and political aspects of life in Malaysia. With the country being under a new government, we talk to Azmyl about the role of popular art forms in a democracy - particularly as a form of dissent, critique, and protest....

The Kancils is the Malaysian advertising industry awards. This year, in a bid to expand and redefine itself, the awards is introducing a two-day creative festival that aims to bring together practitioners from fields like the arts, filmmaking, and literature. But when it comes to the advertising industry, can the commercial aspects of the business ever truly be separated from the creative? We spea...

The acclaimed Malaysian play called “A Modern Woman Called Ang Tau Mui” by Leow Puay Tin has had numerous stagings since it was first written in 1993. One of the adaptations that has proven to be very enduring is director Loh Kok Man’s version, which has been staged in both Mandarin and Cantonese. With another staging coming up, Kok Man and visual artist Fairuz Sulaiman - who wor...

Malaysians may know of wayang kulit, but not of shadows by a hand-dramatist. Drew Colby from England was in Kuala Lumpur for a little over a week entertaining children and adults alike and running workshops to teach those interested how to use their hands, arms and shoulders to create creatures in silhouette on a screen. Drew Colby tells about his journey into this performance art and the joy that...

Seven Malaysian choreographers are coming together in a dance showcase called “Ilham: Inspiration”. Each choreographer uses their individual approaches to comment on living in a new Malaysia. Three of the choreographers talk to us about what it means to be a Malaysian dancer, and how they both found and examined their identities within their art. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

It’s been six years since popular comedy revue “Indicinelive!” went on hiatus, and it’s now back with fresh new material - and of course, with Malaysia Baru, there is plenty of fodder for humour. Some of the folks behind the latest edition of “Indicinelive!” talk to us about sketch comedy, Malaysian humour, and the challenges of keeping the funny alive. See omny...

As a global arts practitioner, Asad uses the arts to create and nurture sustainable communities around the world, particularly amongst groups who are under-represented within the global arts landscape. He often focuses on contemporary Muslim culture, redefining stereotypical ideas of what Muslim arts can be. We speak to Asad about his work, and how young people in Malaysia and globally can create...

In Wei-Ling Contemporary, the artist meets the microphone to tell about his third solo exhibition there. Sean Lean plays with the triptychs. In the works, collectively called ‘3’, he captures “the past, present and future,” “the body, soul and spirit,” the naturally occurring three’s which feature in tales, folklore and religion. The artist describes and e...

Four visual artists from Malaysia and Indonesia - Caryn Koh, Dedy Sufriadi, Indra Dodi, and Syahbandi Samat - come together to explore the stories that can be created by exploring the human facade in an exhibition called “Masks and Stories”. Dedy, whose works inspired the theme, and the show’s curator, talk to us about art, human personas, and social interactions. See omnystudio....

“Company” is one of Stephen Sondheim’s best-known musicals, one of that feels fresh and relevant more than 40 years after it first premiered on Broadway. The show is making its Malaysian debut through a staging by PAN Productions, and some of the folks behind it talk to us about bringing the iconic musical to life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.