KLPAC launches archival online theatre series
THE Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) has started streaming some of its theatre shows online for free.
The online streaming kicked off on May 16 with the award-winning 2017 production Kandang, which is presented in Bahasa Malaysia. Kandang will be available to stream on demand until midnight on May 24.
Kandang, based on British author George Orwell’s book Animal Farm, stars Clarence Kuna, Farah Rani, Faez Malik, Ashraf Zain, Nik Waheeda, Joe Chin, Zul Zamir, Nabil Zakaria, Coebar Abel and Endee Ahmad.
Adapted by the late Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim and Omar Ali, a father-and-son team, Kandang is an allegorical and cautionary tale about freedom and equality.
“When we talk about power, we often talk about the perks of power, and rarely about the responsibility, accountability and the ripple effects of its consequences. Unfortunately, it is seldom this aspect of power that appeals to people; instead, it is the promise of what you can do with that power that draws them in,” said Omar, the show’s director, in an interview with The Star in 2017.
The show sold out its debut run in 2017. It also bagged four big awards at the 15th Boh Cameronian Arts Awards in 2018, including Best Director and was later restaged last year as part of The Actors Studio’s 30th anniversary programme.
“KLPAC will be releasing one show recording every two weeks as a small way to say thank you to everyone’s support all these years and particularly in these trying times,” reads a statement from KLPAC.
“Since everyone is staying at home and missing out on going to the theatre and shows, we thought of sharing some recordings from our archives,” says Joe Hasham, Klpac’s co-founder and artistic director.
“There’s a lot out there on Netflix and shows from other theatres around the world but I think, here, people are really missing good local content. Shows that speak to them and strike a chord with them apart from the entertainment factor,” he adds.
Besides streaming past productions, KLPAC is also venturing into digital theatre in June. Its biennial Yayasan Sime Darby Arts Festival (YSDAF), which was originally scheduled for August, has been postponed to 2021. The free admission festival, which takes over KLPAC – indoor and outdoor – for two days consistently attracts thousands of festivalgoers with its performances of traditional to contemporary works, hands-on workshops, dance to comedy shows and live gigs.
One of the pre-festival YSDAF activities, the Visual Arts Competition for children and teenagers, will still continue. Themed “Malaysiaku”, the competition is open to Malaysians aged seven to 17, and submission closes on June 1.
The KLPAC marked its 15th anniversary on May 9, with an optimistic message on social media from co-founders Hasham and Faridah Merican. Klpac’s #Saveyourseat fundraiser campaign, launched on April 17, has also seen 95% of the seats being adopted to date.