Front Row

The Life Sdn. Bhd. series, which shares true stories about real-life issues, returns for its 6th installment, this time tackling the issue of abuse in all its various manifestations. Castmember Tria Aziz and singer-songwriter Khairil M. Bahar speak of the empowering and enlightening voices to be heard in the production, featuring those who have had to tackle abuse in one way or another. See omnyst...

LiFest KL 2011 is a week long festival of performances, music, photography and all manner of art endeavours, put together to help raise funds for the Yayasan Orang Kurang Upaya Kelantan (YOKUK). Datin Suliana Shamsuddin Alias, the founder of YOKUK, and Publika's Nani Kahar, share their experiences of putting this whole fest together, while filling us in on what's in store throughout the week. Find...

Known for his wicked puns and outspoken comments, popular Burmese satirist and comedian Zarganar is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence, for criticising the Burmese government's handling of Cyclone Nargis in 2008. 'This Prison Where I Live' is British filmmaker Rex Bloomstein's documentary on Zarganar, which gives a brief but poignant glimpse into his life, while taking a larger look at th...

A wickedly funny look at Indian culture and life in New Zealand, "D'Arranged Marriage" is a Bollywood-style parody which tackles love, sex, the Indian culture and vegetables. Written and presented by Those Indian Guys, this irreverent one-man performance features the acting talents of Tarun Mohanbai, who discusses the the multiple roles he plays, while chatting about interfering families, love, ma...

Described as melodically rich, harmonically daring and rhythmically subtle, Gwilym Simcock is a multi-award winning prodigious pianist and composer who hails from the United Kingdom.  Here in town with his trio to perform for two nights only, he shares snippets of his life and his brand of music, which is a special blend of classic and contemporary jazz, spiced with a fusion of classical musi...

Described as an artist who has documented processes of disruption, corruption and the manipulation of the environment, Yeoh Kean Thai returns with his latest solo exhibition of works, collectively titled 'Code Red – Action to Neutralise. Set to be presented at the Shalini Ganendra Fine Art gallery, the award winning Kean Thai shares some personal insight about his new works, and explains jus...

The knockabout antics of the Commedia dell’ Arte characters come to life in The Greatest Show on Earth: A Circus Story , a colourful children's theatre production by Western Australia's Murdoch University Children’s Performing Group. Associate Professor Jenny De Reuck, the writer and director of the work, tells us more about th is multicultural collaborative effort with the The Temple...

Described as  one of New York City's foremost cultural ambassadors, the Battery Dance Company has been teaching, presenting and advocating dance, on both a local and global scale for some three decades now.  The company is in town to work with Malaysian dance students and choreographers, and also youth from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, to present a performance titled...

Racism, love, jealousy, betrayal - this potent mix of human frailties comes to life in Shakespeare's Othello, which makes its way to the Malaysian stage this week. Presented by Masakini Theatre Company, director Tage Larsen and actor Pavan J. Singh, who plays the character Cassio in the play, tell us more about their take on this classic, which, despite its age, still mirrors our times today. See...

The concept of Pecha Kucha is simple enough - presenters give a slideshow of 20 images, each shown for only 20 seconds, with no brief to constrain them - they are free to present their thoughts however they think best, so long as they keep to the time and format. Started in Tokyo, 2003, Pecha Kucha is now a worldwide phenomenon, and the 11th installment in Kuala Lumpur is set to take place next we...

Founded in 1955, the World Press Photo organisation in known for organising the world's largest annual press photography contest. The prize-winning photographs are then assembled into a travelling exhibition, and viewed by over two million people in some 45 countries worldwide.  Jurre Jannsen, the project manager at the World Press Photo Foundation tells us more about this international compe...

A residential home converted into an art space, Core Design Gallery's latest exhibition is a series of works by artist Ong Oh Hup Hoe, collectively titled 7th Heaven . Gallery owner and art consultant Scarlette Lee, together with the versatile self-taught artist Hup Hoe, introduce us to this unique space that blends science and art, and the works that it is currently hosting. See omnystudio.com/li...

Described as heartrendingly compassionate, tenderly tragic but also uproariously funny, 'Someone Who'll Watch Over Me' is a play based on the life of Brian Keenan, an Irishman held hostage in Lebanon for four and a half years. This adaptation of Keenan's experiences by playwright Frank McGuiness is set to be staged in Kuala Lumpur this week, and the play's director Joe Hasham, together with actor...

Theatre Actor and Director Zalfian Fuzi gives his top picks of theatre productions and performances of 2010 and some events to look out for in 2011, while discussing some of the prevailing issues that plague the local theatre scene. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bilqis Hijjas, President of MyDance Alliance, discusses some of the highlights from the local dance scene in 2010, while giving a sneak peek of events to look forward to in 2011. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adopting a non-discriminatory approach to art, young artists Dali Abdul Azis and James Ly recently introduced the Minut Init Art space to the visual art scene in the Klang Valley. Describing the space as a place for absolute and free expression through art, they tell us more about the gallery, and its inaugural group exhibition of pop art, photography, animation and a few curious little surprises...

Poetry, music, short films and flea marketing await you this Boxing Day, at the Doppelganger KL Open Mic Open Stage, which will feature some of the best and brightest of the Klang Valley's indie scene. Jasmine Low, one of the forces behind the Doppelganger KL series, tells us about the eclectic mix of events in store, which promises a little something for everyone. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Diagnosed with autism at a very young age, Yeak Ping Lian was once a hyperactive yet withdrawn child, with poor social and imitation skills. But soon, thanks to care, training and nurturing, he began to display a great talent for art and was pronounced to be a prodigious savant - a veritable genius.   Now 17 years old, Ping Lian's artworks are exhibited across the world. Ping Lian's mother, S...

Armed with a camera and some basic photography know-how, several street children who call Chow Kit home, were tasked with capturing photos of their surroundings. The result can be seen in the exhibition 'Youth Lens', whose images have been described as carrying a certain insouciance, but nonetheless capturing the essence of the infamous Chow Kit area. Sharmila Sekaran, Chairperson of Voice of the...

The zombies are among us - and they're out to get you! With many mystifying and unexplained deaths occurring in our country, could the culprits possibly be the undead? Playwright Adiwijaya and actor Ashraf Zain tell us about this new petrifying conspiracy theory, and their new theatrical production, "Serangan Zombi Pertama Di Malaysia." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Described as mesmerizing, hypnotic and joyous, "Tapestry, Traditions in Transition" is a celebration of Malaysia's dance heritage, performed by the young students of the faculty of Dance from Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan, otherwise known as ASWARA. Joseph Gonzales, Dean of the Faculty of Dance at ASWARA talks about the efforts to keep our rich traditions alive, and how the practice a...

Influenced by everything from the newspaper to love and life in general, Reza Salleh is a singer-songwriter and gig organiser extraordinaire. Blessed with a soulful voice, the industrious Reza not only performs, but has also helped promote fellow local indie musicians to the Malaysian masses by organising the homemade music show Mooshine. Moonshine turns 5 this month and Reza joins talks about thi...

Described as being 'ferociously physical' WG-Spiel and Poetic Structure are a double bill of new works by award-winning Australian choreographer Daniel Jaber. Featuring performances by both Malaysian and Australian dancers, Daniel, together with Rimbun Dahan's Bilqis Hijjas, talk about all things dance and choreography, including this latest marriage of Australian and Asian talents, which is part...

While the changing times spell the decline - and sometimes even death knell - of certain traditional art practices, there remains those faithful few who continue to practice and promote these jewels of heritage. Nirmala Karuppiah is a photographer whose latest body of works pay tribute to and explores the ancient dance forms of Makyong and Chinese Opera. She talks about her latest exhibition, 'Cap...

Giving an insightful new perspective on loss and self-discovery, Lost & Found is a spanking new production which features colourful true stories from an equally colourful and young 12 cast members. The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre's Joe Hasham talks about this collaboration of his with Gavin Yap, and about nurturing young artistic talent in Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...