Let the festive mood begin
P. Ramlee The Musical leads the online theatre delights this festive season.
THIS year’s Hari Raya Adilfitri celebrations might be very different, but we do hope that everyone celebrating safely at home will still have a memorable time.
For theatre lovers, you can catch some performances online. Despite Andrew Lloyd Webber ending a marvellous six-week run of online theatre classics recently, there’s still a lot to keep the masses entertained.
Here are some highlights:
P. Ramlee The Musical
Tan Sri P. Ramlee is truly a Malaysian cultural icon. He sang, composed songs, wrote lyrics and scripts, acted and directed films. But there was more to this man than just fame and talent. His life was weighed by trials and tribulations, and shared with three women: Junaidah, his first wife, Norizan, the second, and Saloma, who was with him till the end.
This acclaimed musical version of P. Ramlee’s life is presented by Enfiniti Productions.
The musical is available on Vimeo On Demand as part of Enfiniti’s “Stage To Screen” series; you can watch it for RM25. The show comes with a 48-hour streaming window.
P. Ramlee The Musical features Sean Ghazi in the title role, with a cast comprising Liza Hanim, Melissa Saila, Atilia Haron, Joseph Gonzales, Douglas Lim and a special appearance by Datuk Siti Nurhaliza. This production was staged at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur in 2007. The show also won six Boh Cameronian Arts Awards.
Kandang
Here is your last chance to catch Klpac’s on demand streaming of the award-winning production Kandang. This Bahasa Malaysia play’s online run ends on Klpac’s Youtube channel this Sunday midnight. The recent addition of English subtitles has given this work a broader audience beyond Malaysian shores. This localised adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm was first staged in 2017. It sold out even before opening night and went on to bag four awards – Best of 2017 , Best Director, Best Costume Design & Best Actor in a Leading Role – at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards. 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. Omar directs this show, which is Klpac’s first archival theatre production to stream during this Covid-19 outbreak.
The Winter’s Tale
How about an online date with Shakespeare’s late, great romance The Winter’s Tale, filmed from the Bard’s most famous stage, the Globe Theatre in London? Sounds like a plan! Acclaimed British theatremaker Blanche Mcintyre directs this new version of Shakespeare’s great play of the irrational and inexplicable. Set in a world of monsters, gods and natural disasters, travel from the stiffling atmosphere of the Sicilian court, to the unbuttoned joy of a Bohemian festival. You can stream The Winter’s Tale for free until May 31 on Shakespeare’s Globe’s Youtube channel.
Under The Umbrella
If you need family drama, you have come to the right place. Under The Umbrella by British-hong Kong playwright Amy Ng (Acceptance, Shangri-la) is streaming on
Britain’s The Belgrade Theatre Youtube channel until May 29. The show, which is set in Coventry and Guangzhou, is directed by Justine Themen, and based on an original idea by Lian Wilkinson. Under The Umbrella tells the story of Wei, who has turned 27 and her grandmother is worried.
In the old Chinese belief, “27” brings the label of “shengnu”, or “leftover woman”, so a husband must be found before it’s too late. Unbeknownst to Wei, her grandmother and her mother affix Wei’s dating profile onto an umbrella and join the hundreds of parents at the Marriage Market in Guangzhou. Here there’s only one successful transaction: a first date for your child. When Wei learns of her family’s interventions, she finds herself asking whether being single is just too much hassle.
Mama White Snake
For all his life, Meng has dreamt of adventures beyond the confines of Emei Mountain. But his mother and aunt have always kept him close, warning him of dangers outside. Finally, Meng decides he has had enough, and enrols in a martial arts school run by the mysterious Master Fahai. Fahai soon realises Meng’s mother and aunt are the magical White Snake and Green Snake of legend.
This family friendly musical is produced by Singaporean theatre company Wild Rice and directed by Pam Oei, with script by Alfian Sa’at and score by Elaine Chan. Glen Goei and Ivan Heng play White Snake and Green Snake, leading a stellar cast that includes Siti Khalijah Zainal, Zelda Tatiana Ng, Cheryl Tan, Andrew Marko and the First Stage Kids.
This production was recorded at the Singapore’s Drama Centre Theatre in December 2017. It is available to stream on demand on Wild Rice’s Youtube channel until midnight on June 7.
A Streetcar Named Desire
Britain’s National Theatre at Home series has a real treat for us with A Streetcar Named Desire. Gillian Anderson plays the iconic Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams’s classic play about cruelty, desire and loneliness.
After suffering a series of losses, Blanche decides to move in with her sister Stella in Mississippi. However, this brings her into conflict with her brutal brother-in-law Stanley.
This critically acclaimed production was filmed live on stage at London’s Young Vic in 2014 by National Theatre Live. The play is directed by Benedict Andrews, and features Anderson, Vanessa Kirby as Stella, and Ben Foster as Stanley. It is available for a week on National Theatre’s Youtube channel.