Theatre Dance Visual Arts Music Young People's Theatre
Five Arts Centre seeks to create theatre that is distinctly Malaysian. In the last 20 years the company has sought to
entertain, stimulate and provoke audiences through experimentation, breaking boundaries and finding new ways of
performance that explore and give voice to what is Malaysian. Directors like Krishen Jit, Chin San Sooi, Chee Sek Thim,
Anne James, Charlene Rajendran, Ong Keng Sen, Janet Pillai, Leow Puay Tin and others have brought cutting-edge work on
to the Malaysian stage.
Five Arts Centre has always been committed to Malaysian and Singaporean playwriting, staging the works of:
- KS Maniam – The Cord, The Sandpit, Skin Trilogy;
- Leow Puay Tin – 3 Children, Ang Tau Mui, Family;
- Kee Thuan Chye – 1984: Here & Now;
- Chin San Sooi – Yap Ah Loy: The Play, Lady White Snake, Morning In Night, Reunion: The Musical;
- Edward Dorrall – A Tiger Is Loose In Our Community;
- Lloyd Fernando – Scorpion Orchid;
- Stella Kon – Emily of Emerald Hill;
- Eleanor Wong – Peter’s Passionate Pursuit, Mergers & Accusations;
- the late National Laureate Usman Awang – Opera Uda dan Dara;
- the late Kuo Pau Kun – The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole, No Parking On Odd Days, The Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral;
- Charlene Rajendran – My Grandmother’s Chicken Curry &..., Polishing;
- Huzir Sulaiman – The Smell Of Language, Atomic Jaya, They Will Be Grateful; Election Day;
- Jit Murad – Visits, Malam Konsert;
- Mark Teh – Daulat
Emphasis has always been placed on training and research. This has led to incorporating training in traditional forms
as part of the rehearsal process for many productions. Five Arts Centre also pioneered ‘devised plays’ in Malaysia,
where the director and actors create a script and performance without the intervention of a playwright, in productions
such as Us: Actions and Images, A Chance Encounter, My Grandmother’s Chicken Curry &... amongst others.
In 1998, The Directors’ Workshop, conceived by Krishen Jit was launched by the company in collaboration with The Actors Studio. The Directors’ Workshop is a platform for younger artists to try their hand at directing while providing guidance and support. The workshop was the first of its kind in Malaysia, and has brought artists such as indie filmmakers Amir Muhammad and James Lee, journalist Hari Azizan, TV/film personality Ida Nerina, theatre practitioners Anne James, Charlene Rajendran, Wilson Wong, Chee Sek Thim, Nam Ron and Reza Zainal Abidin into the directing arena.