Latest news with #KualaLumpurPerformingArtsCentre
The Star
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
KLPac presents a tense, darkly funny tale of three hostages clinging to hope
It's a curious detail, almost poetic in its timing. One of Joe Hasham's favourite theatre plays – Someone Who'll Watch Over Me by Irish playwright Frank McGuinness – has never made it to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) stage. Despite Hasham being the longtime artistic director of both The Actors Studio and KLPac, the play remained absent from the venue's repertoire. Someone Who'll Watch Over Me last appeared in January 2011 at The Actors Studio @Lot 10, a rooftop arts venue in KL now long gone. Next week, Hasham returns to Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, restaging the powerful drama as part of KLPac's 20th anniversary celebrations. From Aug 15-24, the play takes over Pentas 2 – and there's a twist: the original 2011 cast is reuniting for the occasion. Trio back together Fourteen years on, British actor Charles Donnelly, Australian Kingsley Judd, and Malaysian Gavin Yap step back into the harrowing roles of three men – an American doctor, an Irish journalist and an English academic – imprisoned in a windowless cell in Beirut, Lebanon. Cut off from the world, bound by fear and fragile hope, they face the question no one dares to ask out loud: will they ever make it out alive? For Hasham, the play left its mark on him – he's wanted to bring it back for years, and figured now is as good a time as any. Hasham returns to 'Someone Who'll Watch Over Me', restaging the powerful drama as part of KLPac's 20th anniversary celebrations. Photo: The Star/Izzarafiq Alias 'It's one of the most powerful scripts I've ever worked on. With KLPac's 20th anniversary and Ireland's 30 years of diplomatic presence in Malaysia, it felt like the perfect moment to restage it. Collaborating with the Embassy of Ireland and the Australian High Commission, as well as reuniting with our original international cast has made it even more meaningful,' says Hasham in a recent interview. He adds that they will stay true to the play's original spirit, as the story's strength lies in its simplicity and emotional intensity. Someone Who'll Watch Over Me is based on the real-life abduction of Irish author Brian Keenan, who in 1986 was taken by militia on his way to his teaching job in Beirut, where he was held hostage for four-and-a-half years. A year after his release, Keenan recounted his horrific ordeal in an autobiographical book, An Evil Cradling, which won the Irish Times Literary Prize for Non-Fiction in 1991 and was adapted into a film in 2003. A cultural bridge Australian-raised but born in Lebanon, Hasham shares a personal connection to the play's Beirut setting. 'This restaging is about revisiting something powerful and letting a new audience experience it,' he says. In the play, three men go from strangers to friends to comrades, and the same could be said for Donnelly, Judd and Yap, who share an undeniable chemistry on stage. 'I never thought we would do it again and to be honest, I wasn't sure I wanted to, because I look back on the 2011 and 2012 productions very fondly. But I love this play, and I love the character so much that it brought me back,' says Yap. Cut off from the outside world, the characters in this classic Irish theatre work fight despair with bursts of song and laughter. Photo: Weeling Chen Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, with Hasham as director, was also shown in George Town, Penang and Singapore back then. 'More than anything, what strikes me the most about the play is its humanity. It really is a story about the resilience of the human spirit, brotherhood and friendship. It feels great to be back and to be working with Joe, Kingsley and Charles again. It feels like brothers reunited,' says Yap. He adds that the play still feels as relevant today as when it was first produced back in the 1990s. First staged in 1992, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me ran on London's West End and then on Broadway in New York, where it received the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play. Currently based in Dublin, Ireland, McGuinness is heartened to hear that his play still resonates to this day, making its way to Malaysia again. 'In this world still driven by violence and wars, I hope its message – that to survive, we need to learn to live with each other, to acknowledge and to celebrate, and even enjoy our differences – hits home for audiences,' says McGuinness in a KLPac press handout. A timely message Given the ongoing war in Gaza, the play's themes – displacement, captivity, endurance, and the search for shared humanity amid conflict – feel more urgent and resonant than ever. 'Sadly, it is a tale that could be taken from present-day headlines. That said, I am so grateful to revisit and restage this magnificent piece of writing and to reinhabit the role of Edward Sheridan,' says Judd. 'When I walked into the rehearsal room, I could feel the butterflies taking wing as we prepared to step over the edge and once more into the pit,' says Donnelly. Photo: Weeling Chen With absolutely no contact with the outside world and an uncertain fate, the characters in Someone Who'll Watch Over Me fight boredom by breaking out into song and laughter, pretend they're in a flying car and do just about anything to stay sane. At the same time, they must also learn to overcome personal and nationalistic differences. Reflecting on what it's like to reprise their roles after 13 years, Donnelly says it's only natural that each of them has grown emotionally since the last staging – and that growth will inevitably shape their performances. 'Our life experiences since then may colour our response to the situation the characters find themselves in. That's not to say that anything will change, but there may be subtle differences in the performance,' says Donnelly. 'When I walked into the rehearsal room, I could feel the butterflies taking wing as we prepared to step over the edge and once more into the pit,' he concludes. Someone Who'll Watch Over Me plays at Pentas 2 of KLPac in Sentul Park (Jalan Strachan, off Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah), KL from Aug 15-24. Supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Malaysia and the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, the restaging by The Actors Studio also marks the 30th anniversary of Ireland's embassy in KL.
New Straits Times
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Acclaimed play 'Someone Who'll Watch Over Me' returns to KLPAC on Aug 15
KUALA LUMPUR: As part of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre's (KLPAC) 20th-anniversary celebrations, The Actors Studio Foundation and The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat are restaging Someone Who'll Watch Over Me from Aug 15 to 24. The revival of this acclaimed play is supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Malaysia and the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Malaysia. In a recent statement, playwright Frank McGuinness expressed his happiness that the play would be performed in Kuala Lumpur again. He highlighted that its message is especially significant in today's turbulent world. "In this world still driven by violence and wars, I hope its message, to survive, we need to learn to live with each other, to acknowledge and to celebrate, even enjoy our differences," he said. Orla Tunney, Ireland's Ambassador to Malaysia, emphasised the play's role as a "cultural bridge." She said that McGuinness's "reflections on resilience, identity and memory resonate across cultures," and she is "excited to see how this production will land with a new audience." Based on the real-life story of Brian Keenan, the play ran on the West End and Broadway, where it won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play. Keenan was abducted on his way to work in 1986 and held hostage for four and a half years. During this time, he befriended his fellow cellmate, British journalist John McCarthy, and they helped each other stay sane and afloat. A year after his release, Keenan recounted his harrowing experience in his autobiographical book, An Evil Cradling. The book won the Irish Times Literary Prize and was later adapted into a film. This re-staging, directed by Joe Hasham, reunites the original international cast: Charles Donnelly from the UK, Kingsley Judd from Australia, and Malaysia's own Gavin Yap. Danielle Heinecke, Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, spoke about the deep connections between the two countries. "As we celebrate Australia's 70 years of diplomatic presence in Malaysia, our support for this play reflects our continuous commitment to building our vibrant partnership with Malaysia," she said. "We are pleased to support the involvement of Australian actor, Kingsley Judd, in the re-staging of this fantastic play."
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Let Me Go' explores Malaysian youth's dream of making it in Hollywood
KUALA LUMPUR: A new play that tells the story of a young Malaysian's dream of making it big in Hollywood is set to debut in the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC), here soon. Directed by Christopher Ling and co-written by Mark Beau de Silva and Dhakshayni Jegatheeswaran, it is Let Me Go, the story of Nira, who has always dreamed of going to Hollywood someday. However, as she prepares to leave Malaysia, family drama erupts between her panicked mother, diplomatic father, and nosy aunt. As Nira reflects on the hurdles of local fame and global ambition, she is torn between the life she knows and the future she craves. This heartwarming, hilarious, and at times hauntingly real tale about identity, ambition, and the price of chasing stardom asks audiences the question, can a young Malaysian woman truly chase her dream in a world that often tells her not to? Starring Dhakshayni, Lakshmi Ahrunagiry, Perassath, and Tania Ashwini, it is the eighth production practicum under the TUTAS Bachelor of Performing Arts conservatory degree programme. This programme is a three-year conservatory degree programme by The Actors Studio and Taylor's University. An entry by audition only programme, it enables students from Malaysia to learn from award-winning lecturers with hands-on industry experience and full access to KLPAC's facilities. The play will be staged at 8pm and 3pm on July 12 and 13.
New Straits Times
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
Staging the afterlife: A play that dares to talk about death
THE cast of If There Is an Afterlife, I Hope It's Your Version Instead of Mine will insist they're not particularly close. They'll laugh it off with jokes and playful teasing if you suggest otherwise, but spend five minutes in their company, and the truth reveals itself. There's an unspoken intimacy in the way they move around each other, finish each other's sentences and share easy, knowing laughter. It's the kind of bond forged by people who've walked through fire and recognised the same burn marks on others. The play, which returned to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre recently, follows Sofia, a skeptical Malay woman wrestling with her faith while caring for her devout, cancer-stricken mother. Three years after her mother's death, grief resurfaces when childhood friends are confronted with a family crisis of their own. Writer-director Asyraf Syahir, better known as Acap, drew from his own experience of losing his mother three years ago. Clad in all black with the quiet intensity of someone well-acquainted with life, death, and the occasional black metal lyric, he speaks with clarity and conviction about his casting choices. "I find people with real experiences," begins the 33-year-old, adding: "Technical stuff can be taught. Real emotions have to come from within." That philosophy drives every choice. Myrra Baity Khan, 31, who plays Sofia, knows grief intimately. Her father died when she was five, followed by her grandparents. "I didn't cry for 18 years," she shares. Of mixed Pakistani, Arab, Malay and Chinese heritage, she spent her youth "shape-shifting to fit in" and her hunger for connection drives her performance. "When I was 17, I wrote a monologue that made this girl cry. We're still friends today. That's exactly what I want — connection," she adds, expression earnest. Leon Khoo, 27, known as LeonieTunez, recalls his first time reading the script. "It got me in tears," he admits, adding: "I was transitioning from who I was before to who I am now." Hailing from a conservative background, the stage became a form of liberation. "On stage, I get to play. Maybe one day, that'll manifest in real life," he says, voice low. For Alya Amani, a 27-year-old public relations executive and model, identity has always been complicated. Half Chinese, half Malay, she grew up feeling like she was never enough of either. "I fit everywhere but belonged nowhere," she shares. It was on stage that she finally found a place to call her own. Inspired by Glee and High School Musical, Alya has grown from chasing validation to chasing impact. "If they laugh, cry or get angry — as long as they feel something, I've done my job." Errie Woo, a clinical hypnotherapist and aerial yoga instructor, takes on the role of the mother. She first discovered theatre through workshops, and her experience working with cancer patients gave her a deeper connection to the story. "My first performance felt like a calling," confides the 47-year-old, adding: "Audiences tell us this is their story too." What sets this production apart is its willingness to confront questions of faith openly — and from a place of uncertainty. These are people who have wrestled with their own beliefs, not to dismiss them, but out of genuine curiosity and a need to understand. "There are so few safe spaces in Malaysia to talk about faith through doubt," says Myrra, adding: "When I saw a project with this kind of bravery, I was like, 'hell yeah!'" For Acap, he knew that he had to approach the subject with care, choosing to explore faith broadly rather than focus on a specific religion. "It would've been a problem narrowing it to just one, so we have two running in parallel," he explains. And asked what was his biggest hurdle? He doesn't miss a beat. "Money," he confides, before adding wryly: "It's all self-funded." SHARED HEALING Through this play, healing has taken on a new meaning for its cast. Leon describes it as "returning to your truest self, becoming better in every way." For Alya, it's about "learning to accept both the good and the bad." Myrra adds: "Most Malaysian families don't talk about someone once they're gone. And that silence keeps us from grieving, from healing." For audiences carrying their own losses, the production offers no easy comfort. "We want to show nuance," they say, continuing: "That it's okay to feel angry, to feel unhinged. Grief is messy — it doesn't follow a straight line." The cast hold different beliefs about what comes next. Errie believes in reunion. Acap quietly admits he thinks we simply cease to exist. Leon is more matter-of-fact: "I'd rather not think about it. I just want to live now." Yet within this work, they've built a space where those conflicting truths can sit side by side. Because when someone you love is gone, and they believed in peace beyond this life, maybe it's enough to hope they were right. That their version of the afterlife exists, even if it isn't yours. And sometimes, that fragile, imagined possibility is its own kind of peace. This isn't sugar-coated reassurance. It's an embrace. A quiet, unflinching reminder: we get it. It hurts. But you don't have to carry it alone.
BusinessToday
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BusinessToday
Renowned Kopitiam Sitcom Actor Mano Maniam Passes Away
Malaysia has lost one of its most beloved cultural icons. Mano Maniam, the veteran actor best known for his warm portrayal of Uncle Chan in the iconic 1990s sitcom Kopitiam, passed away peacefully on May 30 at the age of 79. His younger brother, Madi Maniam, confirmed the news to Bernama , saying Mano died of natural causes due to old age. 'Further details are still being arranged with the family,' he said, adding that the funeral is expected to take place this Monday at Bliss Gardens, Shah Alam. Born on Nov 15, 1945, Mano was more than just a familiar face on Malaysian television, he was a pillar of the local performing arts scene. With a career that spanned six decades, Mano wore many hats: Actor, director, playwright, acting coach and voice-over artist. His dedication to the craft touched generations of Malaysians, and his legacy continues to shape the country's creative landscape. In addition to his work on local TV and theatre, Mano left his mark on the international stage. He appeared in Hollywood's 'Anna and the King' and the Netflix historical drama 'Marco Polo', showcasing Malaysian talent to a global audience. His distinct voice also brought life to Tok Din in the English-language adaptation of Lat's animated classic Kampung Boy . Even in his later years, Mano remained active, conducting acting classes for senior citizens at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre and lending his voice to various projects. He was a cherished mentor to many young artists and a vocal advocate for inclusivity and cultural preservation in the arts. In a poignant twist, Mano was scheduled to receive an award on May 31 in recognition of his lifelong contributions to the Indian community and Malaysian performing arts. As tributes pour in from peers and fans alike, Mano is remembered not only for his unforgettable characters and commanding stage presence, but also for his deep humanity, humour and the warmth he brought to every role. Malaysia mourns the loss of a true legend, but celebrates a life that inspired and united generations through storytelling, compassion and art. Related
