Front Row

What happens when you put a retro-glam big band and a full symphony orchestra on the same stage? You get a musical explosion called Tarakucha! The Lambang Sari Series is back with more glitter, groove, and glamour, powered by Malaysia’s very own Terrer-Menerer Retro-Glam Big Band, and lifted by the National Symphony Orchestra. And of course, leading the charge are two dazzling voices - the suave Sean Ghazi and the sensational Ida Mariana.

Nature blooms, love lingers, and fairies dance in the shadows - that’s the promise of Springtales & Fairies, a concert weaving song and story into a magical night of German lieder. We speak to tenor Scott Woo, the founder of The Poetics Collective, and also to soprano Saori Suzuki, about the programme and what audiences can expect.

Four classical dance forms. Two great musical traditions. One stage. The Temple of Fine Arts’ Ragas and Mudras at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS promises a night where melody meets movement in spectacular harmony. We speak to Prakash Kandasamy, Music Director from the Temple of Fine Arts to find out more about the performance that promises Hindustani and Carnatic music, and Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak, and Kuchipudi dances.

Weaving together laughter, music, and tradition, Dreamweaver The Musical tells the inspiring story of Sarawak’s master weavers, with the weavers themselves taking the stage. The show’s producer, Datuk Jacqueline Fong, also the co-founder of Tanoti Sdn Bhd joins us to share the heart behind this unique production.Image Credit: Datuk Jacqueline Fong / Tanoti Sdn Bhd

Part history, part myth, and part mystery, Hang Tuah has stood at the centre of our imagination for generations. But in Fragments of Tuah, that familiar tale is broken apart and examined through music, performance, and archival research, revealing surprising gaps, silences, and contradictions. Presented by Five Arts Centre, we find out more about this new documentary theatre work from co-creators Mark Teh and Faiq Syazwan Kuhiri, and discuss how they pieced this project together.

What do two colleagues scrambling to impress their boss and a cross-cultural encounter gone deliciously wrong have in common? They both live inside Wacky Double Bill: Borong & Encyclopedia, the latest work by award-winning playwright Adriana Nordin Manan. We speak to Adriana, and also the production’s producer and costume/ set designer Sidhart Joe Dev to unpack the wit, warmth, and weirdness of it all.

What does it mean to be human in an increasingly absurd world, and how do stories help us make sense of it all? Writer and speaker Imran Ahmad is bringing his wit, charm, and storytelling chops to the stage in a one-man show called Life, the Universe and Publishing. He’s doing it pro bono, in support of PEN Malaysia, which works to protect writers and freedom of expression. Joining us are Imran and Mahi Ramakrishnan, President of PEN Malaysia, to tell us more about the show, the cause, and the power of the written word.

Frank McGuinness’ Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is not an easy play - it's emotional, funny, and at times harrowing. But it’s also a celebration of the human spirit, of survival through connection. In the lead-up to its return to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, we speak to  lead actors Charles Donnelly and Kingsley Judd, to talk about stepping back into the roles, and what the story means to them more than a decade later.

The George Town Festival. The Royal Selangor Jazz Festival. DPAC. Jao Tim. The WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble is lighting up August with performances all over the map, and at the heart of it all is a group that’s been redefining what Malaysian jazz sounds like for nearly two decades. We speak to the band's founder, pianist, and musical director Tay Cher Siang, and AJ Popshuvit, WVC’s bassist, to discuss their packed month ahead, the stories behind some of their major festival shows, and what keeps WVC’s sound fresh, exciting, and rooted in Malaysian identity.

What does it mean to give form to stillness, or to turn silence into sculpture? Artist Alexdrina Chong aka Alexoid Luce, explores these questions in her new solo exhibition Sanguinella: Ink and Fire, now showing at FabCafe KL. The show weaves together poetry, illustration, and ceramics in a slow-burning meditation on solitude, resilience, and creativity. We’re also joined by Gwyneth Jong, co-founder of FabCafe KL, the space that made this collaboration possible, to hear more about this unique space and the story behind the art.

From Taiping to sold-out stages across the country, singer and performer Janet Lee has spent the last two decades entertaining audiences with her voice, her flair, and her deep love for music. Now, she’s marking this milestone with a theatrical concert experience called Lucky Lee - The 20-Year Journey On Stage with Janet Lee. Joining us to reflect on this incredible journey are Janet herself, and her long-time musical collaborator and the show’s music director, Tay Cher Siang, from the WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble.

What happens when a material scientist, trained in chemistry and nanotechnology, turns her attention to painting, sound, and philosophical inquiry? You get Cat Town: Energy, Matter, and the Art of Becoming, a new solo exhibition by Lyne Ismail, where energy, matter, and abstraction come together in unexpected ways. Lyne joins us to talk about her journey from the lab to the studio, and what visitors can expect from this immersive, thought-provoking show.Image Credit: Lyne Ismail

What happens when a Spanish classic about repression, grief, and family tension is reimagined in a 1970s Malaysian fishing village, but with an all-male cast? That’s the bold vision behind Anak-Anak Malik, a localised adaptation of Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba. Joining us to share more about this intriguing production are director Christopher Ling, and actor Mark Beau De Silva.Image Credit: Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

Art galleries can be beautiful, inspiring places, but they’re not always easy to get to. That’s something Ilham Gallery is hoping to change with Skola Gambar Ilham, a travelling exhibition that’s bringing Malaysian contemporary art to communities that don’t usually have access. It’s all part of Ilham's 10th anniversary celebrations, and we speak to Ilham's Gallery Director Rahel Joseph, to find out more.Image Credit: Kenta Chai

Pop Up Theatre is back with their latest dark comedy, Dead Tourists, a one-act play filled with oddball characters, strange events, and a bit of undead mischief, all set in a New York mortuary. We find out what’s in store from actor Kapil Kanagasabai, who’s part of the play’s eclectic cast.

It’s not every day that a homegrown music festival hits the 10-year mark, and does so by going international! Bachfest Malaysia is celebrating a decade of connecting people through the timeless music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and this year’s lineup is bigger, bolder, and more global than ever. We speak to the man behind it all, Dr David Chin, the founder and artistic director of Bachfest Malaysia, to tell us what’s in store for the International Bachfest Malaysia 2025, which is themed Bridging Bach. David is also Director of the Bach Collegium, a Music Professor at Augustana University in Sioux Falls in South Dakota, and a Senior Fellow of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, Germany.

From the haunting beauty of E.T. to the rousing chants of Gladiator, there’s something undeniably powerful about music written for the screen. A Salute to Cinema, featuring the Tutan Festival Orchestra and the KL City Opera, promises to transport audiences through some of the most iconic soundscapes in film history. Conductor Kevin Field from the Bentley Music Academy, and Rahul Ramachandran, the CEO of Tutan Entertainment, join us to talk about the artistry, the emotion, and the magic of bringing Hollywood’s greatest soundtracks to life.

What does it mean to really listen to someone’s truth, especially when it’s hard to hear? Today we’re speaking with the team behind Burden of Proof, a powerful theatre production that confronts sexual violence through storytelling, movement, music, and art. Inspired by real-life accounts and created over three years, it’s a show that not only raises awareness, but makes space for empathy, healing, and change. Presented by Dabble Dabble Jer Collective, we speak to founding members Miriam Devaprasana and Ysabel Loh, to find out more.Image Credit: Dabble Dabble Jer Collective

What happens when two beloved community choirs – one from KL and one from Penang – come together for a shared love of music? You get Choral Bridges, a joyful and powerful collaboration between The Philharmonic Society of Selangor and the Penang Philharmonic Chorus. We speak with Brenda James, Chairperson of The Phil, about the inspiration behind the show, the heart behind the harmonies, and why this is a concert that brings more than just beautiful music to the stage.

Jit Murad’s Visits is back - sharper, darker, and more thought-provoking than ever. More than two decades after its original staging, this play still cuts deep into topics like mental health, class, motherhood, and the complicated ways families try to care for one another. Now, under the direction of Ida Nerina, Visits has been reimagined for 2025, with all the wit, surrealism, and emotional punch that made Jit’s work so iconic. And at the heart of this production is a powerhouse cast, including Nadia Aqilah, Nabila Huda, and Sofia Jane as the Nurse, guiding us through the complex emotional landscape of the play. Presented by Dramalab, we speak to both Ida and Sofia about this exciting new production, and what makes Visits so compelling.