Reviews of current and coming shows and events in Penang.
A Real Fake Forest, July 11th – 28th 2019
29 Lebuh Melayu, the venue for Tan Lay Heong’s new art installation A Real Fake Forest, seems highly unassuming: without signage, the building appears just like the other heritage houses it is sandwiched between. Finding the small yet other-worldly installation that...
Fluorophone, July 19th & 20th 2019
However theoretical it may be to explore the relationship between light and sound, Fluorophone turns theory into practice. Fusing digital fluorescent lights, the naked flame, strobe lights and custom-built LED discs with percussion, this is a performance that makes...
Beautiful Malaysia: CMWA 26th Annual Exhibition, July 2nd – 21st 2019
Firstly, congratulations to the Contemporary Malaysian Watercolorists Association (CMWA) on holding their 26th annual exhibition in Penang. These artists are some of the most well known around Malaysia, as well as some big names from Penang. With local names including...
The Strangers, July 16th & 17th 2019
To address global issues of identity, belonging, trust and xenophobia to an audience of 9-14 year olds is an undeniably ambitious task. Yet this is just what The Strangers, taking place as part of the George Town Festival this month, aims to do. In a wordless...
Screaming in Silence, July 14th 2019
Politically resonant, emotionally stirring and socially transformative, Screaming in Silence, performing on July 14th as part of the George Town Festival, promises to be a powerful play. Directed by award-winning director and writer Saleh Sepas, this production...
When Night Falls, July 13th-14th 2019
This month, the George Town Festival is returning for its tenth year, featuring no less than 150 exciting programmes (from theatre to workshops, from photography to music) that will take place in Penang from 13 to 28th July. It’s hard to know where to start when...
Malaysian Philharmonic Tour North Malaysia, July 2nd 2019
Proud Penangites rarely envy the residents of Kuala Lumpur, with the notable exception of those who enjoy listening to live performances of classical music. Although Penang has several amateur orchestras which give regular concerts, it lacks both a professional...
Memes: A Love Story, June 28th-30th 2019
What happens in the minds of a couple as they interact before they fall in love? This is the process Memes: A Love Story intends to illuminate for us. The musical drama is the latest product of the creative flourishing in Penang’s drama scene, written,...
The 8” x 6” Project Exhibition, Until June 30th 2019
Exploding onto the art scene last weekend, with the Open Studios Penang arts festival, came a new and exciting project spearheaded by Ivan Alexander Francis Gabriel. As a multi-disiplinary artist himself, he has collated work by a vast variety of Penang-based...