#Showbiz: Forget Disney, check out Malaysian folklore on stage!

KUALA LUMPUR: After the staging of Badang The Magnificent and Si Tanggang The Ungrateful Son, at the Performing Arts Centre of Penang (Penangpac) last week, theatre fans can expect more local tales in the coming months under its Once Upon A Time series.

The project is a 5-part series showcasing Malaysian folklore and legends from the yesteryears.

A statement from Penangpac read: "Perhaps it is time we expose our children (and maybe ourselves too) to the amazing stories from our own backyard."

"Disney has grabbed a lot of the world's most famous myths, legends and fairy tales and turned them into classic Disney films we now know and love.

"Unfortunately when it comes to Asian folklore, the only folklore most of our children are familiar with, thanks to Disney, is Mulan.

"Malaysian folklore and legends have a special and sometimes magical feel as well," it added.

Like other folktales, these stories have good moral values and lessons for children.

To make the stories catchy for a new generation of children, the tales have been given a new spin which includes a healthy dose of humour.

There will also be a lot of interaction between the cast members and the audience.

Badang The Magnificent and Si Tanggang The Ungrateful Son was a 60-minute show directed by Fa Abdul, which was staged in English with traditional Malay dance scenes that featured popular Malay tunes.

The cast comprised of Garu Rumon, Karam Tabba, Lara Matias, Lawrence Chin and Martina Andrene, as well as four dancers from Afif Dance Theatre (ADT).

The upcoming instalments in the series are The Curse Of Mahsuri & Raja Bersiong: The King With Fangs which will be staged on May 28 to 30, Bawang Putih Bawang Merah: The Step Sisters & The Fairy Princess Of Gunung Ledang (July 16 to 18), The Adventures Of Musang Berjanggut & Sanggul Beracun: The Revenge Of Cik Siti (Sep 3 to 5) and Tun Teja: Tale Of Love & Betrayal & Pak Belalang: The Astrologer (Oct 15 to 17).

This children theatre special is supported by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana) and MyCreative Ventures under the Cendana Recovery Initiatives programme.

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/penangpac or call Penangpac at +6048991722.

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