Front Row

"At A Plank Bridge" is a two character, one-act play set in the heart of Malaya after the Japanese withdrawal and before the return of the British colonialists to the peninsula, that deals with conscience, identity and humanity. Co-lead actor and Associate Producer of the show, Mano Maniam, speaks about the production and role he is reprising, having first played the character Chandran in the 2003...

Writer, Director and Producer Santhira Morgan of the Serious Comedy Studio speaks about his upcoming production, which is about Indians who do not speak their mother tongue. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second edition of this festival of music, dance and visual arts happens on the 14th of January 2012 and is a collaboration by the Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur (AFKL) and African Radio Tv Asia Malaysia (ARTAM). Marine Moncaut, the cultural coordinator at AFKL and King Lhota, from ARTAM and also the reggae band Dub Essentials, tell us what's in store at the day long fest. See omnyst...

Said to trace its roots from the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance and blues music, the Spoken Word and its most popular offshoot, Slam Poetry, has evolved into the present day soap-box for people. Elaine Foster, who specialises in teaching performance poetry and spoken word, and who regularly organises and hosts spoken word events, speaks about the movement here in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/lis...

Sunny Chan, co-manager and coordinator of Danceworks Production, fills us in on the organisation's latest neo-classical ballet production, "The White Bat" which is based on Johann Strauss' opera Die Fledermaus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Filmmaker Khairil M Bahar and actor Baki Zainal spill about their latest film, "Relationship Status." Based on the numerous options available on popular social networking sites, the film tells the story of a number of KL dwellers from all walks of life, whose relationships are created, changed, and sometimes even ruined by social networking and the way we communicate in the 21st century. See omnys...

The all-embracing concept of Art Jamming involves creating art just for the sake of it. Jennifer Tan and Jonny Ishaque, a married couple who run The Studio @ KL, which is the home of art jamming in Kuala Lumpur, explain the whole concept of art jamming, and its many benefits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A firm opponent of the death penalty, Nora Murat, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM), dicusses the topic of capital punishment and the organisation's efforts to abolish it around the world. She also speaks about the activities planned this October by AIM and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Rights Committee, in conjunction with the World Coaliti...

Dancer/choreographer/educator Joseph Gonzales, who is also the Dean of the Dance Faculty at Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA), discusses the institution's annual contemporary dance showcase, "Jamu". He also touches on the release of his latest book "Dancing the Malaysian" which details the relationship between dance and national identity here in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/liste...

Super Everything, a new collaborative arts project by The Light Surgeons is described as a 'poetic audio-visual tapestry that together will form a rich, kaleidoscopic view of the cultural landscape of Malaysia.' Christopher Thomas Allen, founder of the Light Surgeons and Tim Cowie, long-time collaborator, discusses their layered, complex piece of work that binds light, sounds, visuals and smells a...

The World's Largest Floating Bookstore - Logos Hope is a 132 metre long ship that contains half a million titles, with 400 crew members from 45 different countries. Three volunteers from the Logos Hope ship, Barnard Modimakwane, Eileen Chua and Jessica Kiely, tell us about their experiences during their time working on the ship. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tugu Drum Circle is a gathering of drummers, percussionists and like minded people who have been sharing their love and passion for playing drums and percussion with all, every Sunday around the Tugu Negara area. Now, they're set to perform in Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, and Tugu Drum Circle co-founder Paul Lau discusses the upcoming performance and also what it is that keeps the group going. See...

Amnesty International celebrates it's 50th anniversary this year, and in conjunction with the event, the Malaysian chapter of the society is celebrating with "A Toast to 50!" which features performances and the unveiling of AIM's 50 Youth Ambassadors.  Amnesty International Malaysia's Communications Officer, Adeline Choo, speaks both about the organisations work here in Malaysia and the upcom...

Masakini Theatre Company's Sabera Shaik speaks about her latest directorial effort, a shadow play performance titled "Wayang," which promises to take you through the recent ages of Malaysia through song, dance and of course, shadowplay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Director, performer and co-founder of The Jumping Jellybeans (JJB), Shanthini Venugopal, discusses their latest production for kids and their adults, "The Jumping Jellybeans Party", which is part of the PJ Laugh Fest 2011. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marine Moncaut, Cultural Coordinator at Alliance Française de Kuala Lumpur (AFKL), Aisyah Aris, Marketing & Public Relations at AFKL and Lyslie Legendre, Cultural Assistant at AFKL discuss the upcoming events at this year's French Art and Film Festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian dancers Angela Goh, Danielle Canavan and Madeline Edwards discuss "Bodies Across Boundaries," a contemporary dance performance that is a collaboration between Malaysian and Australian performers and choreographers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The images of decadent Berlin and the ways in which it bows to the rise of Nazism are the basic premise of Kander and Ebb's hard-edged musical, 'Cabaret'. Being staged here in Malaysia for the first time, castmembers Peter Ong and Stephanie Van Driesen take us back to the deliciously seamy setting of the play - the Kit Kat Klub -  while giving us a rundown of what to expect in their upcoming...

A versatile musician, composer, guitar teacher, workshop organizer and producer, Arnaud Fillion has performed in over 1000 concerts and gigs around the world. Here in Malaysia to perform in a mix jazz concert and conduct masterclasses with Malaysian students, Arnaud shares his experiences from his world travels, and also sheds some light on his particular vision of music. See omnystudio.com/listen...

The opening of the Wei-Ling Contemporary art gallery at Gardens Mall, is a concerted effort to bring visual art and artists smack into the public realm. Gallerist Lim Wei Ling, who has long been a champion of Malaysian visual art, shares her reasons for creating this new meeting place for people and art, and the many engaging programs she has in store to do just this. See omnystudio.com/listener f...

The Filmmakers Anonymous Series was created some 5 years ago, to provide a much-needed space where independent film makers and film enthusiasts alike could come together and revel in all things celluloid. Organisers Effa Desa, James Tan and Sheryl Chong chat about their egalitarian effort, and also about the upcoming 14th edition of the series, which promises noble, tragic and possibly even strang...

A music series that spans over four weekends, "Muzik Ku: Muzik Mu" promises empowering music by empowered women, with styles ranging for hip hop to rock. Singer Elvira Arul, together with Muzik Ku: Muzik Mu's organiser Becky Harding from Kakiseni, tell us more about this locally brewed series that celebrates women, which has a little something for everyone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Some things are best left buried they say, but even the best kept secrets will eventually surface.  KLAP Theaters Art Performers latest offering, My Mother My Aunt , is a play of dark revelations, which tackles the universal issue of abuse, but with a sprinkling of humour. Writer and Director JD Menon shares more about the play's skeletons that are set to emerge from the closet. See omnystudi...

The upcoming theatrical performance, "This Cannot, That Cannot', is a production featuring a collection of prize-winning entries from the Kakiscript Playwriting Competition.  Director David Lim has compiled all these intriguing works that the competition unearthed, and he talks about this Malaysian-made multiple bill of works that is set to be staged. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Based on the centuries old poet Jayadeva's epic poem, the Gita Govindam, Dasavatar is a dance drama being staged next week to raise funds for a charitable cause. Spearheading this project is the Vijayaratnam Foundation's Chairperson, Datin Umayal Eswaran, who gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this dance production, while filling us in on the many good works the Foundation does. Se...