KUALA LUMPUR: The five-day Malaysia-Taiwan Crosstalk Show will help the people to understand the current economic situation better through comedy, says the Federal Territory MCA.
The shows are being planned across five locations in Selangor and Johor next month with free admission.
Similar to western stand-up comedy, crosstalk – also known as Xiangsheng – is a traditional form of Chinese comic dialogue that may include singing, Chinese rapping and musical instruments.
It is typically performed by two performers or sometimes as a group act.
Federal Territory MCA deputy chairman Tan Kok Eng said the performance is a way to help the public better understand national and cultural issues through comedy.
“Instead of giving a typical political speech which can be hard to understand for some people, the crosstalk comedic twist will help the audience to better understand the current situation through laughter,” he said in a press conference here yesterday.
Malaysia Crosstalk Association president Kelvin Leong described the show as a way to bring some happiness to the community.
“We just want to make everyone happy as laughter is the best medicine.
“These crosstalk performances will be the largest held in Malaysia in the past 10 years. They will showcase famous crosstalk performers from both Taiwan and Malaysia,” he said.
The performers will include Chu De-Kang, who is well known for his role in popular Taiwanese dramas, such as The New World (2015) and the recent historical drama Shang Hun.
The first crosstalk performance is being planned at Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur at 7.30pm on July 2 with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong to grace the event.
The second will be held at the Kuala Lumpur campus of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) in Setapak at 7.30pm on July 3.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (UTAR) Sungai Long campus in Cheras will host the third performance at 7.30pm on July 4.
The remaining two performances will be held in Johor.
The Yong Peng Chinese High School in Ayer Hitam will host the show at 8pm on July 5.
SJKC Yu Ming 2 in Pekan Nanas will feature the second show at 8pm on July 6.
Those who wish to reserve their seats may do so via https://forms.gle/C3hTVq2KSXveVkoA6.
The public may also get their tickets from various MCA district associations in the Federal Territory as well as selected media groups, such as the Star Media Group Bhd and 8TV.
Walk-ins are also welcome.
