Check back in tomorrow for FMT Lifestyle’s May listing of dance and musical theatre productions!
THEATRE
1. ‘Playback Theatre’
In this unique form of improvisational theatre, actors listen to real stories from the audience and transform them instantly into live performance.
Presented primarily in Mandarin, this is a collaboration between Onion Theatre and the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).
2. ‘Beyond the Sea’
Based on a novel written in 1950, this dynamic presentation transports audiences to relive the streets, people and atmosphere of Penang during an intriguing period of history.
Presented by Areca Books and Cape Poetics as part of the Penang Heritage Arts Festival.
- When: May 1 & 2
- Where: Bangunan UAB, Penang
- Get your tickets here.
3. ‘Stuck’
Floyd gets his kite stuck in a tree. When he throws his shoe to shift it, that gets stuck, too. So he throws his other shoe – and a whole host of wacky things ensues.
This production, based on Oliver Jeffers’s award-winning picture book, is ideal for children aged 3-8. Presented by Gardner & Wife Theatre.
- When: May 3, May 10, May 17
- Where: DeStage @ Jaya One, Selangor
- Don’t get stuck for tickets – click here.
4. ‘Much Ado About Nothing’
KL Shakespeare Players‘s adaptation of the classic play is reimagined with polo, parties, pranks and pickles aplenty in 1930s Penang.
Tricks and misunderstandings abound as a tycoon’s daughter prepares to marry a champion polo player.
- When: May 7-10
- Where: klpac, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
- Get your tickets here.
5. ‘Teater Normcore: Odisi Romansa’
Drawing on Malay poetic and mythic forms, “Teater Normcore: Odisi Romansa” unfolds in a future where humanity has vanished, leaving two androids to attempt to simulate the human experience.
- When: May 8-10, May 14-17
- Where: Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC), Empire Damansara, Selangor
- Tickets can be purchased here.
6. ‘Randai Macbeth’
Macbeth goes to desperate measures after receiving a prediction from witches that he will become king. This intercultural performance by Persatuan Alumni Aswara draws on Malay theatre in the form of Randai, a folk style from West Sumatra, Indonesia.
7. ‘The Legend of Rani Dhobi’
Set in 1800 Penang, this historical drama focuses on Lt Governor Leith, who is wrestling with increased piracy along the Penang-Kedah coastline. Meanwhile, the passionate Rani Dhobi is trying to establish her laundry business.
Part of the Penang Heritage Arts Festival.
- When: May 9 & 10
- Where: Bangunan UAB, Penang,
- Tickets can be purchased here.
8. ‘Pengat Pisang & Dapur Yang Kau Susun’
An intimate art experience on grief, memory and mental health among senior citizens. Before the performance begins, audiences are invited to select and arrange objects that will shape the unfolding narrative.
Presented as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 9 & 10
- Where: The Godown, Kuala Lumpur
- Don’t forget to book your tickets here.
9. ‘Shakespeare Demystified: Merchant of Venice’
Antonio, a merchant in Venice, defaults on a large loan taken from Jewish moneylender Shylock, on behalf of his friend, Bassanio. Will Antonio survive the cruel judgement demanded by Shylock?
- When: May 15
- Where: Auditorium Jotic Johor Bahru, Johor
- Tickets can be purchased here.
10. ‘Teater Moden: Serunai Malam’
Based on the classic story by Usman Awang, this play by Fakulti Theater Aswara depicts the love story of Safiah and Umar. Conflict begins after differences in thoughts, social background, status, education and ambitions arise between the couple.
- When: May 15 & 16
- Where: Black Box, Aswara, Kuala Lumpur
- Get your tickets here.
11. ‘The Untold Story of The Tortoise & The Hare’
The hare challenges the tortoise to a rematch of their famous race. First commissioned by Alliance Française Kuala Lumpur, this family show is performed by the KL Shakespeare Players.
- When: May 16
- Where: Auditorium Jotic Johor Bahru, Johor
- Race to get your tickets here.
12. ‘I’m OKay, U?’
Constantly told to sit aside during every school marathon for her “safety”, a woman with a physical disability decides to break the rules and finally run.
Performed in Tamil, English and Malay by Santhiagu Thiagu and directed by Putrina Rafie, presented as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 16 & 17
- Where: Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, Kuala Lumpur
- OKay, book your tickets here.
13. ‘The Storyteller: Oi-Jia’
After becoming a mother, a woman fears repeating what she once condemned. This solo performance, presented as part of the KL Festival, unravels three generations of inherited female narratives – exploring memory, responsibility and the fragile process of becoming oneself.
- When: May 16 & 17
- Where: Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, Kuala Lumpur
- Looking for tickets? Click here.
14. ‘Wayang Women: Live in Dataran’
Blending humour, folklore and wayang kulit, this showcase by Wayang Women reimagines ghost stories from across Malaysia and the region with a playful twist.
The troupe brings together musicians from across Southeast Asia and the Netherlands. Presented as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 16
- Where: Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, Kuala Lumpur
- Tickets can be purchased here.
15. ‘[Family] by Mr John’
Contemporary clown Mr John, who has over 27 years of performance experience across Europe, China, Thailand, Korea and Japan, presents an interactive comedy about family.
Presented as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 17, May 23, May 30, May 31
- Where: Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, Kuala Lumpur
- Stop clowning around and get your tickets here.
16. ‘Cluedo’
When six suspicious guests arrive at a remote mansion, they quickly find themselves entangled in a web of blackmail, deception and murder. As bodies start to drop, everyone becomes a suspect in this high-energy comedy presented by Limelight Theatre.
17. ‘Layan Diri’
Trapped in a self-service laundromat, a group of strangers are forced to confront each other after a mysterious bag sparks conflict, greed, and a struggle for possession in this quirky comedy by Revolution Stage.
- When: May 22-24
- Where: Revolution Stage, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
- ‘Layan diri’ and get your tickets here.
18. ‘Bisik’
“Bisik” explores the traumatic struggles within oneself: wars that may be real or unseen by the eye. This play is inspired by the Whispering Enemy War, a military conflict from 1821-1839 between Siam and the Kedah Sultanate.
- When: May 22 & 23
- Where: Black Box, Aswara, Kuala Lumpur
- Tickets can be purchased here.
19. ‘The Lessons of Silence’
A young girl’s ordinary day is suddenly interrupted by an urgent evacuation during a violent event. This Indonesian production explores themes of race, class, and the intimate dynamics between children and parents.
Presented as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 22-23
- Where: The Godown, Kuala Lumpur
- Get your tickets here.
20. ‘Play Theatre Festival 2026: The Magical Disc’
This production by Uniplay Space presents a series of children’s plays that are “absolutely unrelated to children”. Drawing inspiration from classical literature, these four works revisit the emotions, confusions, and imagination of young people today.
21. ‘Fragments of Tuah’
This award-winning documentary theatre work revisits, dissects and reimagines the enduring figure of Hang Tuah – the 15th-century warrior whose myth and memory continue to echo across time in modern Malaysia.
Presented by Five Arts Centre as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 23-24
- Where: Sekolah Seni Malaysia Kuala Lumpur
- Looking for tickets? Click here.
22. ‘Siapa Cacat?’
A bold disabled-led theatre production weaving stories of deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creators. Set at a bus stop, performers share humour, defiance and reflection through scenes and monologues.
Presented by Theater Untuk Semua as part of the KL Festival.
23. ‘I’m just a little unwell’
In the war against one’s own mind, victory is making it to tomorrow. “I’m just a little unwell” pulls back the curtain on bipolar disorder and depression. Built on lived experience, this play weaves a story of profound struggle and radical hope.
- When: May 29-30
- Where: IBOX Theatre, Penang
- Tickets can be purchased here.
24. ‘A Journey Through Bardo’
This arts programme invites audiences to explore “Bardo”, the state between life and death – a topic often considered taboo in Chinese culture.
The experience combines striking art installations featuring symbolic effigies, with a powerful theatre performance. Presented by The Razors Experimental Theatre.
25. ‘Origin of a Tale’
Artists tell fables while dancing and sculpting clay in this family-friendly performance. Kids, in particular, will be enthralled by the actors’ clay-tastic creations including a donkey, turtle, an elephant, and a man in a canoe.
Presented as part of the KL Festival.
- When: May 30 & 31
- Where: Rumah Tangsi, Kuala Lumpur
- Looking for tickets? Click here.
Putting on a show? Email us at [email protected].