The team behind Five Arts Centre’s 'BUKA' series. Back row, from left: Syamsul Azhar, Meshalini Muniandy, Hoe Hui Ting, Syada Anor and Michael Ng. Front row, from left: Syafiq Syazim, Yon Lynn, Nur Alyaa Afifah, Doro and Engku Armand. Photo: Five Arts Centre
Solo performances are stepping into the spotlight with BUKA – a new arts series for singular voices to open up and share stories rooted in emotional truth, identity and belonging.
Produced by Five Arts Centre’s Hoe Hui Ting, the programme runs at GMBB creative mall in Kuala Lumpur, from Jan 23–25, featuring two theatre monologues and one dance work.
Hoe, a producer and production/stage manager, aimed to create a programme that spotlighted solo performance for its raw honesty.
“When one person stands on stage alone, there’s nowhere to hide, only the body, the voice and whatever they choose to bring with them. That kind of 'solo-ness' requires skill, but also courage and trust," says Hoe, who also oversees Five Arts Centre’s efforts to build capacity and foster connections between new talent and established producers and arts managers.
Yon Lynn appears in the theatre work 'Kenapa Tak Tukar Nama?', one of the three solo performances in 'BUKA'. Photo: Five Arts Centre
“For BUKA, solo performance felt like the ideal form for personal stories. It lets artists choose what to reveal and what to keep private. That sense of agency, care, and personal choice is central to this platform," she adds.
The pieces are directed and performed by Syafiq Syazim, Yon Lynn, Nur Alyaa Afifah, Doro and Engku Armand, with a special voice appearance by veteran actress Fatimah Abu Bakar.
The 90-minute show at the Five Arts Centre space is performed in English, Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia and Hokkien, with English and Bahasa Malaysia surtitles.
Audiences at the 8.30pm shows on Jan 24 and 25 can also join post-show conversations with the creators and performers.
Kenapa Tak Tukar Nama?, directed by Syafiq, is a theatre piece touching on the dilemma faced by Muslim convert Mei Ying (portrayed by Yon Lynn) as she navigates the complexity of identity and faith while struggling to answer the question everybody is asking: “Why haven’t you changed your name?".
In 'Me Nari', dancer Nur Alyaa explores personal identity and self-expression through the declaration 'I Dance'. Photo: Five Arts Centre
Me Nari, choreographed and performed by Nur Alyaa, is an experimental dance piece that weaves together personal identity and self-expression through the declaration “I Dance”.
Me Nari – “me” meaning self and “nari” from menari (dance in Bahasa Malaysia) – offers a reflection of dance as both personal experience and shared experience, and navigating through personal passion and external judgement in a dancer’s journey.
The final piece, Denganmu Ibu (DEBU), is a theatre work written and performed by Doro and directed by Engku Armand. The deeply personal performance explores what a child leaves unsaid with their mother (voiced by Fatimah).
Moving between real-life recollections and imagined conversations with the writer’s mother, the piece is confrontational and blunt – at times angry or fearful – yet grounded in love and the hope for a better relationship.
Hoe believes that personal stories about identity and belonging don’t always need spectacle or explanation, only a space where they can be heard.
"BUKA creates room for stories that speak honestly from specific experiences. When something personal is shared without trying to represent everyone or make a grand statement, it often opens up deeper connections. Within these individual stories, audiences may recognise parts of themselves, even across different backgrounds,” she concludes.
BUKA will be staged at Five Arts Centre, GMBB creative mall in Kuala Lumpur from Jan 23-25. More info here.
