This Merdeka Day, klpac is releasing an archival recording of TUNKU The Musical on Youtube from 12pm on 31 August 2021 until the midnight of 7 September 2021.
The musical is an original creation by director Joe Hasham OAM for Malaysia’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
The local production is an apt revisit since the future of Malaysia is playing in everyone’s minds and we’re all wondering how we’ll emerge from this catastrophic year. By 27 August, klpac and most venues in Malaysia would have gone by 365 days or a whole year without audiences, a whopping 70% of the number of days since MCO 1.0 in March 2020.
The hit musical written by Lim Chuang Yik and Teng Ky-Gan starring Tony Eusoff, Maria Yasmin and more has all the colour, drama, excitement, anticipation, heartache, sorrow and uncertainty of that fateful Saturday morning 31st August, 1957, when the cries of “Merdeka!” reverberated across the country.
The musical brings audiences through a 50-year musical journey beginning from Merdeka Day through the Singapore-Malaya separation, the 1969 riots and to the year it was staged, 2007.
Interwoven through these four timelines are stories and characters that give us some insight as to the effect Merdeka has had on Malaysia and its people as well as the hopes and ambitions of our Bapa Merdeka.
Today, it serves as a great reminder to Malaysians to stay hopeful, stay united and to use your voice to build a future that Malaysia deserves.
TUNKU The Musical is free for the public but donations are welcome via www.klpac.org/donations/
Production team
Director, Creative Concept, Artistic Director: Joe Hasham OAM
Executive Producer: Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican
Writer / Composer: Lim Chuang Yik
Writer: Teng Ky-Gan
Musical Director, Conductor & Choral Master: Mervyn Peters
Choreographer: Joseph Gonzales
Costume Designer: Dominique Devorsine
Breathing Master: Dominique Lonchant
Production Designer: Paul Loosley
Main Cast
Tony Eusoff as Syed, Syuk Ibrahim as Ali, Douglas Lim as Paul, Zamil Idris as Malik, Maria Yasmin as Maria, Doreen Tang as Fauzia, Evelyn Toh as Cik Tan
Ensemble Members
A. Aris A. Kadir, Abigail Barragry, Alicia Tahnee Daniel, Anas Firdaus bin Md Sharif, Azmir Abdullah, Carol Wu, Chang Fang Chyi, Choi Chin Yang, Choy Le Roy, Fariza bt. Zainul Ariffin, Glamorique, Gloria Patie, Hazra bt. Ghazaly, Ho Soon Yoon, Isma Hanum Husein, Ismadian Ismail, Jessica Ho, Joe Wong, Johann Lim, Joylynn The, Khairul Nizam bin Nazri, Lakshman Balakrishnan, Lee Wen Yan, Leo Selvaraj, Liu Yong Sean, Low Wai Keat, Mark Beau de Silva, Maybel Chan, Mohd Nur Faillul bin Adam, Nicholas de Warren-Chinn, Nicholas Pang, Nicole Fuchs, Norbaizura bt. Abdul Ghani, Norsafini bt. Jafar, Nur Arina Hamzah, Pat Chan, Payal Vashist, Sean Yap, Shariffah Mariam bt. Syed Abdullah, Sharlene Rani a/p Kumaravellu, Sufinah bt. Abu Bakar, Tabitha Kong, Valerie Low, W. Nurul Ameera bt. W. Mazlan, Yugeetha Ramasamy, Zachary Nong Ke Lud, Zamzuriah bt. Zahari
