Festival Highlight
Causes
Theatre
Ceritaku
1.00 pm - 1.30 pm
Stage Two (G3)
#Festival Highlight. Every community has its own stories. In order to begin to understand a particular community, we have to begin by listening to its people’s stories.
Ceritaku is a human library project that began during YSDAF 2025 Kampung Tour to five states. At each stop, playwright Arsyad Azrai conducted interviews with over 60 people which form the basis of monologues brought to life by six actor-storytellers.
Premiering at the Urban Tour under the direction of Christopher Ling, festival goers can get a glimpse into the life of ordinary people across Peninsular Malaysia as a way of bringing communities together like YSDAF 2025’s theme “Community: Side by Side”. With just a simple tikar rolled out, they will literally sit at the feet of the storyteller as the actors recount these stories – some happy, some sad but all real and heartfelt. Audiences can hop from one station to another to listen to stories from the different states and locations.
Ceritaku ialah projek “human library” hasil daripada temuramah bersama komuniti di lima negeri yang dikunjungi semasa YSDAF 2025 Kampung Tour. Penulis drama, Arsyad Azrai telah menemuramah lebih daripada 60 orang untuk menghasilkan monolog yang akan dipersembahkan buat kali pertama di YSDAF 2025 Urban Tour.
Ceritaku, arahan Christopher Ling, mempunyai konsep yang menghubungkan pelakon dan penonton secara dekat dengan menggunakan sehelai tikar. Penonton dapat merasai kisah-kisah yang disampaikan dengan lebih mendalam. Penonton juga boleh bergerak dari satu stesen ke stesen yang lain untuk mendengar cerita daripada lokasi yang berbeza.
About the Artiste / Group
The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat
Since its inception in 1989, The Actors Studio has been presenting groundbreaking theatre in Malaysia. In 2006, it created The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat arm to bridge the gap between the arts and the people in line with the National Arts and Culture Department’s efforts to ‘merakyatkan seni’.
The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat’s inaugural project was Alfian Sa’at’s “Anak Bulan di Kampong Wa’ Hassan” which toured to five villages in Peninsular Malaysia. Since then, it has re-staged many classics such as “Philadelphia, Here I Come!”, “Uda dan Dara” and “Rashomon”. It has also revived interest in traditional art forms through productions like “A Night of Cantonese Opera” and “Mak Yong Titis Sakti” and presented many new, Malaysian works. “Kandang” bagged the Best of 2017 Award at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in addition to three other awards.
Christopher Ling
Christopher Ling is the Associate Artistic Director of The Actors Studio Malaysia. His work as a director and production designer of plays, operas and musicals has been seen in Malaysia, Singapore and London, UK.
For The Actors Studio Foundation, most recent credits include the Kembali Ke Pangkuan season: Saccharine, Perhiasan Kaca, Trilogi Bulan.
He is a multiple BOH Cameronian Arts Award recipient for Best Direction in the Theatre category in 2023 as well as the Musical Theatre category in 2012. He also received the Anugerah Seni Negara (National Arts Awards) Young Talent Award for Theatre Directing in 2009.
Arsyad Azrai
Arsyad Azrai is a playwright, poet, and youth theatre advocate and instructor. Arsyad’s works include SALT, Moonlight, Silkworm, Melody, and Teratai. Arsyad’s main body of work is as the Head of Creative Programmes of PKK Tuanku Bainun, where he champions arts education for youth as well as writes and produces original works under Artspire and the Teen Theatre Project.
Language
Bahasa Malaysia
Team
Director: Christopher Ling
Playwright: Arsyad Azrai (based on the real stories collected from YSDAF 2025 Kampung Tour)
Cast: Hazzy Alzeeq, Merahmalam, Muhammad Ibrahim, Qiu Qatina, Shasha Fairus, Wishi Zuri
Production Stage Manager: Hafiza Husna
