The Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia is once again collaborating with the George Town Festival to present the "Island to Island" program, which aligns with this year's festival theme "Here & Now." This program showcases the diverse facets of Taiwanese theater. The lineup includes "Magical Double Acts" by the National Taiwan Traditional Arts Center’s GuoGuang Opera Company, and the street performance "Ultra-Intimate Mini Theater Festival" Penang Mini Version by the FeiFan Collective. Additionally, the Malaysian Dance Alliance's "Southeast Asia ChoreoLab" will feature a collaborative creation led by Taiwanese choreographer Ho Hsiao-Mei, guiding 15 emerging choreographers from the region to introduce Taiwan's artistic and cultural features.
The "Southeast Asia ChoreoLab" will showcase Taiwan's cultural and artistic features (Photo / Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture Website)
Since George Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the George Town Festival has become a prominent arts event in Southeast Asia. The "Island to Island" segment was first introduced in 2018 to deepen the artistic and cultural ties between Taiwan and Penang.
The "Super Intimate Small Theatre Festival" transforms details of everyday life into performance scripts (Photo / Courtesy of the Ministry of Culture Website)
Last year, Sangpuy and the Bulareyaung Dance Company's "pulu'em & Luna" set a festival box office record, and the Golden Bell Award-winning director Liu Song’s "Southland Revelations: Malaysia, Penang" received high praise.
This year, the GuoGuang Opera Company will perform "Cutting Down Zidu" and "The Test of a Wife" – two traditional operas connected by the role of an underworld judge, reinterpreted through modern theater. These plays have already garnered acclaim in Kuala Lumpur and are expected to attract significant attention during their two performances at the George Town Festival.
The FeiFan Collective's "Ultra-Intimate Mini Theater Festival" transforms everyday spaces into performance texts, with works such as "City of Echoes" and "Hiss."
