A National Heritage
Information about past performances in the Experimental Theatre is various and scattered. However, the E.T. features prominently in the past of the Malaysian theatre and arts scene. Notable theatre groups in U.M. included the Literary and Drama Association (LIDRA) under the English Department, and Kumpulan Kesenian Universiti Malaya (KESUMA).
The following is by no means an exhaustive list.
If you have information about other past performances at the E.T.,
please do not hesitate to email Adila at:
| Event | Date | Credits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play: Room with Paper Flowers | c. 1964 | Written by Goh Poh Seng One of the first few plays staged in the theatre | The Routledge Concise History of Southeast Asian Writing in English by Rajeev Shridhar Patke, Philip Holden |
| Play: A Fireside Story | 1970 | Written by Kannan Menon; Presented by the Free Theatre Group; Malaysia’s first musical. About the aftermath of the May 13 riots | The Star, 23 May 2004 |
| Play: The Barefooted Neighbour | 1971 | Featuring Mohd Ismail Ariffin | http://benariff.blogspot.com/2009/03/avangardes-barefoot-neighbour.html |
| Musical: Uda dan Dara | 1972 | Written by Usman Awang; Directed by Datuk Rahim Razali; Presented by Gemaseni | Utusan Malaysia, 11 July 2010 |
| Play: Protes | 1972 | Featuring Dinsman (Che Shamsuddin Othman) | Teater Eksperimental Melayu: Satu Kajian Bentuk dan Struktur Teks Dramatik by Fazilah Husin, Universiti Sains Malaysia |
| Play: Alang Rentak Seribu | 1973 | Written by Dato Syed Alwi Hassan; Directed by Krishen Jit; Featuring Adibah Amin, Ahmad Yatim, Mano Maniam, Salleh Joned, Rohani Yousoff | Dato’ Syed Alwi Syed Hassan: Tokoh Seniman Negara ke-5 by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism, Malaysia |
| Play: Jebat | 1974 | Featuring Dinsman (Che Shamsuddin Othman) | Teater Eksperimental Melayu: Satu Kajian Bentuk dan Struktur Teks Dramatik by Fazilah Husin, Universiti Sains Malaysia |
| Music Festival: The Ming Dynasty | 1975 | Directed by Chan Ming Lye; Featuring Michael Veerapen and Lewis Pragasam | Antares, http://magickriver.blogspot.com; via personal correspondence |
| Play: Kotaku Oh Kotaku | 1975 | Written and Directed by Johan Jaafar; Presented by KESUMA | Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Malaysia |
| Play: Bukan Bunuh Diri | 1975 | Featuring Dinsman (Che Shamsuddin Othman) | McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama (Volume 1) by Stanley Hochman |
| Play: Tok Perak | 1975 | Featuring Dato Syed Alwi Syed Hassan | http://www.budiey.com/dato-syed-alwi-syed-hassan-meninggal-dunia/ |
| Play: Ana | 1976 | Featuring Dinsman (Che Shamsuddin Othman) National Literary Award for Best One-act Play | McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama (Volume 1) by Stanley Hochman |
| Play: Sang Puteri | 1976 | Written and Directed by Johan Jaafar | Membesar Bersama Teater by Krishen Jit, quoted in Utusan Malaysia, 1 May 2005 |
| Play: Angin Kering | 1976 | Written by Johan Jaafar; Directed by Mustapa Haji Ibrahim; Featuring Omar Abdullah , Muhammad Abdullah, Fauziah Nawi; Presented by Anak Alam | New Straits Times, 28 August 2010 |
| Musical: West Side Story | 1976 | Produced and Directed by Kam Sun Yoke; Choreographed by Suzan Manen; Co-Directed by Chin San Sooi; Featuring Kam Sun Yoke as Maria | Antares, http://magickriver.blogspot.com/2010/05/west-side-story-wows-malaysia.html |
| Play: Bukan Bunuh Diri | 1977 | Written by Dinsman (Che Shamsuddin Othman); Directed by Krishen Jit; Featuring Khalid Salleh; Presented by Anak Alam | http://noorhasnahadam.multiply.com/journal/item/6 |
| Play: You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown | 1977 | Directed by Patricia Lockwood; Featuring Antares as Snoopy | Antares, personal correspondence |
| Music: K.D. Possum & the Flying Fox | 1978 | Bluegrass Music Ensemble | Antares, personal correspondence |
| Dance: Dayang Sari | 1978 | Directed by Datin Azanin Ezane Ahmad; Presented by Suasana Cultural Centre; This was Suasana’s first production | The Star, 29 April 2008 |
| Play: Si Bongkok Tanjung Puteri | 1979 | Written by Shaharom Husain; Directed by Johan Jaafar; This was presented as part of Pesta Teater | Johan Jaafar profile page, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka website, http://dbp.gov.my |
| Play: The Battles of Coxinga | 1979 | Directed by Chin San Sooi; Featuring Sukania Venugopal and Antares | Antares, personal correspondence |
| Play: Tok Perak | 1979 | Featuring Dato Syed Alwi Syed Hassan | http://www.budiey.com/dato-syed-alwi-syed-hassan-meninggal-dunia/ |
| Play: The Crucible | 1970s | Written by Arthur Miller; Featuring Faridah Merican | http://www.lifeandstyle.com.my/Personality/dato-faridah-merican.html |
| Cultural Night (music, singing, poetry, plays): Malam Berbunga Sajak | 1970s | Cultural Officer: Arif Ahmad; Featuring Dinsman (Che Shamsudin Othman), Sagul Hamid, Zubir Ali, Johan Jaafar; This was part of the vibrant theatre scene of the 1970s | New Straits Times, 30 January 2010 |
| Play: Z:OO-M198 | 1981 | Written and Directed by Dato Syed Alwi Hassan; Featuring Abdullah Ahmad, Lynn Caroline, Nor Nikman Dadameah, Lim Beng Choon, Faridah Begum | Dato’ Syed Alwi Syed Hassan: Tokoh Seniman Negara ke-5 by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism, Malaysia |
| Play: Narukami | 1981 | Directed by Kee Thuan Chye | Kee Thuan Chye, personal correspondence |
| Play: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead | 1981 | Written by Tom Stoppard; Featuring Kee Thuan Chye | Kee Thuan Chye, personal correspondence |
| Play: Equus | 1981 | Written by Peter Shaffer; Directed by Mano Maniam; Featuring K.K. Nair as Martin Dysart and Antares as Alan Strang | Antares, personal correspondence |
| Play: Jangan Bunuh Rama-rama | 1982 | Written by Noordin Hassan; Presented by the National Cultural Complex Group; This play presented a nationalistic and Islamic view of society | “Toward an Islamic Theatre for Malaysia: Noordin Hassan and Don't Kill the Butterflies” by Krishen Jit, The Asian Theatre Journal (Vol. 1, No. 2, Autumn 1984) |
| Play: Long Day's Journey into Night | 1984 | Featuring Kee Thuan Chye | Kee Thuan Chye, personal correspondence |
| Play: 1984 Here and Now | 1985 | Written by Kee Thuan Chye; Directed by Krishen Jit; Featuring Kee Thuan Chye, Salleh Ben Joned, K.K. Nair, Fatimah Abut Bakar, Sukania Venugopal, Leow Puay Tin, Sabera Shaik and Chew Kin Wah; Presented by the Five Arts Centre; Based on George Orwell’s book of the same title, this play openly criticised government policies; this performance played to a full house | Postcolonial Plays: An Anthology by Helen Gilbert; and Antares and Kee Thuan Chye, personal correspondence |
| Musical: Fiddler on the Roof | 1986 | Directed by Chin San Sooi; Produced by Kam Sun Yoke | Antares, personal correspondence |
| Play: Hamba Allah | 1989 | Written and Directed by Dato Syed Alwi Hassan; Featuring Rohani Yousoff, Monica Voon, Norhayati Hashim | Dato’ Syed Alwi Syed Hassan: Tokoh Seniman Negara ke-5 by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism, Malaysia |
| Play: Kawan Setia | 2001 | Written and Directed by Allahyarham Dr Ariff Ahmad; Produced by students of various faculties for a Cultural Centre elective course: Stage Drama Practicum | Tengku Zamir, U.M.'s graduating class of 2001, personal correspondence |
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