Muhammad Ibrahim (as Mat Solo) is seen during a rehearsal of 'The Amok Of Mat Solo' at Aswara in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Patblascreative
THEATRE: THE AMOK OF MAT SOLO
Venue: Experimental Theatre, Aswara, Jalan Tun Ismail, KL
Date: ends Oct 22
Aswara (National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage) in Kuala Lumpur is debuting a new theatre play The Amok Of Mat Solo, a 2011 work written by the late poet Salleh Ben Joned (1941-2020).
The walk-in show, directed by Syafiq Syazim and organised by Aswara’s Faculty of Theatre and Patblas Creative, is currently showing at the Experimental Theatre, Aswara in Kuala Lumpur until Oct 22.
Earthy yet scathing, The Amok Of Mat Solo is an expansion of the author Salleh’s The Ballad Of Mat Solo, a poem first published in 1987. It presents a dark play about Mat Solo, a Malay academic, who veers into the state of “amok” after becoming increasingly alienated from those close to him.
The character is known to use raw language and humour to criticise societal issues. The theatre show (listed for mature audiences only), offers a searingly tragic tale of a man’s mental breakdown, told with no-holds-barred honesty.
Among the leading cast featured for this play is Muhammad Ibrahim (as Mat Solo) and Sri Irdina (the wife character), who both completed performing arts studies at Aswara. They will be joined by Jerrica Lai, a seasoned actress who has appeared in more than 40 stage productions.
This play is also a tribute to Salleh, a poet, essayist, playwright and actor, who wrote in both English and Bahasa Malaysia. He was known for challenging racial, religious, sexual and cultural norms as well as power structures in his work. His first collection of bilingual poetry, Sajak-Sajak Salleh, was published in 1987, followed by a book of essays, As I Please (1994) and Nothing Is Sacred (2003).
For ticket bookings, contact: 014-753 3796.
More info here.
A scene from the 'Le Tabouret' show, now showing at Five Arts Centre in GMBB in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: D Yang Production
THEATRE: 'LE TABOURET'
Venue: Five Arts Centre, GMBB, KL
Date: ends Oct 22
This Hokkien/Mandarin stage adaptation of Le Tabouret, featuring actors (Teoh Siew Thung, Fred Chan, and Lim Li Jun) and Potehi puppets, is inspired by the absurdist play Les Chaises by the Romanian-French playwright Eugene Ionesco.
It presents the story of two elderly glove puppeteers lamenting the decline of the traditional puppetry art form. The show's script also adds on the backstory of Potehi puppet culture and performances.
"Through this show, we want to give the audience a chance to understand how glove puppeteers make a living and how these traditional art forms in Malaysia are slowly dying," says Dylan Yeo, playwright and director, who realised the intriguing parallels between the original script of Les Chaises and the lives of traditional glove puppeteers in Malaysia.
Coupled with the observation that the glove puppet shows Yeo used to watch at many temple festivals in his childhood are gradually disappearing, he decided to explore further into this subject and use it as the creative direction to create his script.
Le Tabouret, supported by the Krishen Jit Fund, also features Mandarin and English surtitles.
More info here.
Chinese calligraphy artist Ong Chia Koon will be exhibiting his works and collaborating in an art workshop at the Canto Yay festival. Photo: The Star/Yap Chee Hong
CANTO YAY FESTIVAL
Venue: Zhongshan Building, KL
Date: Oct 21
Canto Yay is a mini-festival of Cantonese culture happening tomorrow at the Zhongshan Building in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur. Events - a mix of free admission and ticketed - start from noon onwards.
The Payung Attap collective, the festival organisers, is set to give visitors a full day of Canto goodness. Come and explore the complexities of Cantonese culture over time and across the diaspora through different entry points that include: the visual arts, film, language, music, street culture and style, music, games, rituals and of course, food.
The mini-fest will also be headlined by a gig in the evening, featuring Cantonese Soundcloud rap legend $alty Chick, KL’s very own Dametrill, and Typo D on the decks.
More info here.
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NIRMALA DUTT: 'STATEMENTS' EXHIBITION WALKTHROUGH
Venue: Ilham Gallery, KL
Date: Oct 21, 11am to noon
Here's a chance to view Ilham Gallery's current exhibition Nirmala Dutt: Statements together with the show's curators Beverly Yong, Rahel Joseph, Snow Ng and Ellen Lee. It's an opportunity to get to know the late artist's works in more detail and to understand her visual language.
Beginning her career in the 1960s, Nirmala was one of the few prominent Malaysian women artists to have emerged at that time. The exhibition, which ends on Dec 24, is the first survey of Nirmala’s works from across her practice over four decades, spanning documentary photography, painting, silkscreen, collage, and public art. It hopes to explore the resonance and significance of her work, which consistently addressed social injustice and human suffering, in the contemporary frame, as well as its art historical context.
"Wayang Tek-Tek: Presentation and Workshops" with Fairuz Sulaiman is an additional programme tomorrow at Ilham Gallery. Nirmala studied wayang kulit in Jakarta and incorporated elements of wayang into some of her works. In this spirit, Ilham Gallery is inviting artist and researcher Fairuz to present the outcomes of his "Wayang Tek-tek" project, a theatre education programme for teens from indigenous communities in the country.
The curatorial tour at 11am tomorrow and the Wayang Tek-Tek workshop (1pm-5pm) are free admission events, you just have to register at: info@ilhamgallery.com, and state which event(s) you plan to attend.
More info here.
A scene from the opera show 'The Elixir Of Love', which is showing at KLPac this weekend. Photo: Benedict Yee
OPERA: THE ELIXIR OF LOVE
Venue: Pentas 1, KLPac
Date: Oct 20-22
Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti is known for nearly 70 operas, but his legendary work The Elixir Of Love is regarded as one of opera’s most heartwarming comedies, filled with passionate music. Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO) is celebrating this beloved Donizetti opera at Pentas 1, KLPac this weekend.
The Elixir Of Love is a comic opera, in two acts, by the Bergamo-born master composer that premiered in 1832. It tells a story about Nemorino, a young villager, who is madly in love with the beautiful business owner Adina, who he thinks is beyond his reach. At KLPac, The Elixir Of Love is being helmed by renowned conductor Kevin Field, who will lead an orchestra ensemble of over 25 players.
KLCO also welcomes back stage director Christopher Ling to once again direct this opera. The opera show features a double cast for the principal roles. Soprano singers Ho Chi Mei, and Tan Sin Sim are playing the role of Adina, while tenor singers Tan Chee Shen and Heo Yueh Ren are playing the role of Nemorino. Baritone singers Seow Chee Chuan, and Samuel Lim are taking on the role of Sergeant Belcore, while baritone duo James Long Cai Hunt and Wilson Loh are playing Dr Dulcamara.
More info here.
A general view of the 'Bapaku Pulang' exhibition at the Temu House in Petaling Jaya. Photo: Temu House
EXHIBITION: 'BAPAKU PULANG'
Venue: Temu House, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends Oct 29, 10am-5pm (weekends)
Bapaku Pulang is a visual art exhibition featuring selected Malaysian artworks from the collections of Nazura Rahime and Sharmin Parameswaran, the daughters of the late art collectors Rahime Harun (1954 –2008) and Datuk N. Parameswaran (1948–2022) respectively.
The exhibition - open on weekends - features modern and contemporary art works by 39 artists, offering a glimpse into the artists and topics/themes favoured by both Rahime and Parameswaran, who actively collected art and participated in the local art scene from the early 1980s.
Curated by Sarah Abu Bakar, this selling exhibition features 53 artworks spanning from the Wednesday Art Group contemporaries Peter Harris, Grace Selvanayagam and Dzulkifli Buyong, to the Anak Alam artists of the 1970s with Mustapa Haji Ibrahim, Maryam Abdullah, and Ali ‘Mabuha’ Rahamad, as well as early works (drawings, prints, photographs) from Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Eric Peris, Juhari Said, Nik Zainal Abidin and Yau Bee Ling.
Together with the exhibition, there will also be additional programming, including a panel discussion with Nazura and Sharmin; a session with storytelling, short films and songs; and a panel discussion with art collectors.
More info here.
