KUALA LUMPUR, July 6: Is the theatre scene in Malaysia well and still alive? Nobody can be blamed for asking, considering that theatre plays are rare events in the city, with ticket takers unpredictable, and making good money from theatre works quite an impossible dream.
With social media holding a huge pie of all things, including entertainment, filling up theatre halls to even half their capacity for stage productions, could be a huge feat these days.
Hence, watching a group of mostly young talents displaying their capacities at Thoughts In Cinecolour, a collection of five 10-minute plays, was both a pleasant surprise and an unexpected treat. It certainly was testimony that those in the business are not giving up and instead, with their obvious passion, are bound to inspire more talents and works.
The actors of Thoughts In Cinecolour were good, delivering their part mostly in monologues. Their lines were witty, wicked and engaging as each of the play unfolded. The dancing between the plays, besides being creatively stiched to connect one play to the next, also further displayed their theatrical talents.
While the stage was a very, very confined area – the first floor of a shop lot – with little space between the actors and audience who were either seated on chairs or on the floor, it did not seem like a big deal. The directors, actors, choreographers were no novices in using limited stage space and props, and covered them well whether singing, dancing or doing a gun shooting (yes, you read right) scene, standing by an imaginary beach or waiting at the departure terminal of KLIA!
Thoughts In Cinecolour was staged under EJKLS Seni’s Young Blood Experiment, a mentoring programme for upcoming writer-directors on the KL scene, under the mentorship of EJKLS Seni’s Artistic Director, Asyraf Syahir.
The five plays were namely Mommy Cool, written and directed by Hanna Lee, and featured Grace Ng; The Coastline, written and directed by Yanu, featuring Iris Lo, Virtuoes Romana, and Suba Magas; Bye Bye Bro, written and directed by Lok Shi Hoong, featuring Wilson Chin and Abdul Min Muhaimin; Kneel, written and directed by Yuthes Umadevi Navarathinam, featuring Gemmy Tan Ragusta and Thasha Gunaseelan; and finally, Melur’s Choice, written and directed by Adelia Khalid, featuring Aliya McReynolds and Miza Aziz.
Speaking to Weekly Echo, Asyraf said one of the reasons for his mentoring, with his own funding, was the love of the arts and his wish to help and provide budding writers, directors and actors a space for their expression and growth in theatre productions.
— WE