By Lainie Yeoh
If Walls Could Talk at The Gaslight KL, 8pm 30 April
Fondly known as Walls, this poetry open mic show is a must-try event in KL. Many wonderful poetry acts have been discovered in Walls, and the energy from the audience is always warm and generous. Each volume has a feature act — Leaism is a singer-songwriter you should get to know, if you don’t already. Audience feedback is important in Walls; snap your fingers for lines that give you the feels. The crowd fills up quickly for Walls, so grab an early dinner nearby and get in before 8pm. Cover charge is a donation of RM20, which includes a drink. More information here.
Dancebox May 2018 by MyDance Alliance and The Actors Studio at Pentas 2 klpac, 8:30pm, 1 May
The highlight of the week brings us a selection of short dance works from six young choreographers, who will be presenting new contemporary creations. Dancebox is a regular platform to showcase dance, and a convenient way to survey what (and who) is up-and-coming in the Malaysian dance scene. There’s a RM15 donation at the door (free entry for MyDance members). All choreographers on the list are promising — Lee Ren Xin in particular might have something interesting up her sleeve. More information here.
Light & Space | 得意忘形 by Liew Kwai Fei at OUR ArtProjects, 13 April – 5 May 2018. Artist-led workshops 5 May.
Are these paintings? Sculptures? Objects? Artist Liew Kwai Fei returns to the exploration of colours, shapes, size and forms with his eighth solo exhibition, Light & Space | 得意忘形. The exhibition takes on a site-specific arrangement in OUR ArtProjects. The gallery is housed within The Zhongshan Building, alongside many other creative spaces that are also worth a visit. For more information on the exhibition, click here.
Liew will also be conducting five one-on-one sessions, 5th May, every hour from 2pm to 6pm. You can choose a beginner’s class on drawing, an introduction to art appreciation, or a portfolio review for artists. Workshops are free — sign up at contact@ourartprojects.com
Crackhouse Carnival Presents: The Gala Bonanza! at Crackhouse Comedy Club KL, 9pm 1 May
The pioneers of KL’s standup comedy scene, Crackhouse Comedy Club will be celebrating their 4th anniversary with a whole slew of comedy performances. The Gala Bonanza! is the grand finale, with a lineup of veteran comedians from several countries — Crackhouse co-founder Rizal Van Geyzel will represent Malaysians. Ahmed Ahmed (Egypt) of Axis of Evil comedy tour fame is a clear crowd-puller. If you want to go for this, commit ahead and purchase your tickets online soon (RM70), as tickets are bound to sell out. In the unlikely event that seats are available on the day, it’s RM80 at the door. Thin-skinned audience members should choose something else.
AMOK by Alliance Francaise at DPAC, 8:30pm 4 & 5 May
This theatre offering from The French Festival takes us back to 1912, where a young doctor with a secret runs away to Malaysia, until a mysterious woman asks for help. There are two compelling reasons to recommend this play. First: Alexis Moncorgé’s interpretation earned him the Molière (The French National Theatre Award) for Best Male Newcomer in 2016. Second: the play compares the murderous rampage of running amok to obsessing over a woman, so it’s worth a watch just to see how the French have developed this idea. The play will be performed in French with English surtitles, and admission is RM50. More information here.
The Frankie Sixes, at Alexis Bistro Ampang, 10pm 4 & 5 May
Singer-songwriter Reza Salleh has a new swing jazz band that has been heating up dance floors. Check out The Frankie Sixes in Alexis Bistro over the weekend — they’ve been working on some new jazz standards. There’s a RM10++ admission charge. Alexis Bistro has some house rules: children below 10 are not allowed, and a dress code applies (no shorts or slippers). For updates on the band, follow their Facebook Page.
Note: All information is correct at the time of publication. Please confirm directly with the organisers/event websites. ArtsEquator is not responsible for any changes to the schedule of events. If you have an event you’d like us to highlight, please email events[at]artsequator.com.