We Caught 'Malaya Relived: The Penang Riots' Musical And We Think You Should Too

No matter how many local plays we go for, we're almost always pleasantly surprised by the quality of the work we see.

'Malaya Relived: The Penang Riots' by Liver and Lung Production was no different.

Set in 1967 Penang, the story revolves around the Hwang household, or rather the bedroom of Lady Hwang (Cheryl Tan).

The set is very intimate, with the guests sitting so close to the set, it almost feels like you’re peering through the curtains of the house like some keypoh makcik.

The lord of the house, who was as absent in the musical as he was in the lives of those portrayed in the story, had been away at sea for months and Lady Hwang anxiously waits for his return.

Her hand-maiden, Opal (Melissa Ong) seem to be her only friend and confidante till her husband sends her an Indian Eunuch (Phraveen Arikiah) whom he purchased during his travels.

This is also when Lord Hwang starts getting involved in the trade of opium and Hokkien gang Red Flags.

Lady Hwang, who is initially against this, later changes her mind when money starts pouring in.

Considering everyone else seem to be going hungry, and her previously profitable land not yielding the same kind of profit, Lady Hwang was happy to have the comfort and prestige the change in tide brought her.

But not all remains well – a dark prophecy by the Eunuch, jealousy, adultery, drug addiction and death and the threat of riot mars Lady Hwang’s perfect life and the story moves towards it’s somewhat expected conclusion.

The original music inspired by Chinese opera and the dulcet tones of early technicolour cinema definitely added a spark to the story.

All the actors carried their characters with conviction and had amazing vocal capacity.

Their interaction with the audience added some humour and engagement that you don’t always get in more traditional play settings.

Although the space where the play was held was small, it was done in a way that transports you into a Chinese household in days past.

The musicians were also amazing and deserve a shout out.

Overall, we loved the musical play but wish there was a peak to the story.

It felt like the movie moved on a straight flat road with little bumps here and there but no real uphill battle or plot twist.

However, we still think it’s worth a watch.

'Malaya Relived: The Penang Riots' is running till 30 June at GMBB, Kuala Lumpur.

Tickets costs RM70 and can be purchased here. You even get traditional kuih and Chinese tea for that price.

You’re encouraged to dress in your best Malayan/Chinese costume. Trust us when we say you’ll not regret taking the extra effort to look like a part of the set.