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The Merry Opera's LA TRAVIATA November 22 - Dec 9, 2012 |
One
of Britain's best small opera companies brought us one of opera's best
known classics - Verdi's Opera LA TRAVIATA. Set in modern London, and
performed in English, they received rave reviews (And here,
too!) Traveling first to Penang Performing Arts Centre, then back to PJ
Live Arts, they also performed to an Ipoh audience of over
800 as a fund-raiser for St. Andrew's Church, Ipoh. They return next year with Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. Musical instruments for the show were supplied by Roland Music Development Centre (Music School) at Jaya One.
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Fork's ROCKAPPELLA October 12 - 28, 2012 |
| Fork's blockbusting show has been playing to sold out houses in Scandinavia, Russia, Edinburgh, the US - and rocked the house when they came to us! One of the very few shows finishing with a standing ovation
EVERY night, Fork was supremely polished, royally confident, and very funny! Returning to us in 2013 with their new show, Electro Vocal Circus - don't miss them! |
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Those Indian Guys' D'ARRANGED MARRIAGE May 10 - 13, 2012 |
| What can you say about a show which returns
to Kuala Lumpur time and time again - and fills the theatre! This time
it was the turn of co-creator, Raj Varma, to delight audiences which his
one-man tour de force. Raj flew from New York, where he now
lives, to KL for a short run, and then on to his home country, New
Zealand, to star in a brand-new TV series. Success couldn't have
happened to nicer man! |
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Blunderbus' THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK March 8 - April 1, 2012 |
| UK's Blunderbus Theatre Company made their fifth visit to KL, and their first visit to the brand-new Performing Arts Centre of Penang, with their production of Jill Tomlinson's best-selling classic book. Used to reassure generations of young children about the "scary" dark by joining Plop, the baby barn owl as he journeys into the night-time world of campfires, fireworks and moonlit adventures! |
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Jim West Puppets DINOSAURS! November 23rd - December 11th, 2011 |
| Master puppeteer Jim West, along with "Puppet Man" Jeremy Wingle, returned to delight us with classical music, dino-puppet making ideas and fun facts about dinosaurs - and with nothing more than a few old cardboard boxes and some great music, kept our young audiences enraptured! He and Jeremy held several - totally full - workshops for children and their parents, and taught them THE best way to recycle cardboard! |
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Blunderbus Theatre THE SELFISH CROCODILE October 4th - 22nd, 2011 |
| UK's Blunderbus Theatre for children returned with the very first show they brought out to us in 2008, but this time completely rewritten and redesigned. Yet again, the Faustin Charles adaptation got rave reviews and saw audiences of all ages respond enthusiastically to their giant puppetry, catchy songs, comedic characters - and above all, the company's tremendous ability to imaginatively interact with their young audiences. |
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Bunk Puppets STICKS, STONES, BROKEN BONES May 10-15 May, 2011 |
| Wining awards at both Adelaide and Edinburgh Festivals, Jeff Achtem has rethought both the tradition of puppetry and shadow puppets by allowing the audience “backstage”. Telling a series of stories, he transforms the assorted junk hanging around the stage into art. Literally drawing gasps from his audiences, he finished his short run here with a standing ovation! He'll be back. |
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List Operators MORE FUN THAN A WII! May 3 - 22, 2011 |
| Gardner & Wife's first show to blatantly advertise itself as “guaranteed non-educational” was a tremendous hit with both parents and teachers. Coming fresh from sell-out shows and awards at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the 2010 Melbourne Comedy Festival, the Australian duo wowed Malaysian audiences with their "raw, raucous and ridiculously cool show for cool kids”! MORE FUN THAN A WII was exactly that! They'll be back (in May 2012) |
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Blunderbus' ELMER THE ELEPHANT March 3 - 20, 2011 |
| UK's Blunderbus Theatre Company made their third visit with their production of David McKee's children's classic ELMER THE ELEPHANT. Student groups from over 20 international schools, learning centres and kindergartens based in the Klang Valley and beyond joined their favourite patchwork pachyderm in his journey to self-discovery. Julia Gabriel Centre for Learning sponsored one performance and treated the audience to special pre-show activities. |
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Those Indian Guys' D'ARRANGED MARRIAGE February 14 - 20, 2011 |
| Those Indian Guys' co-creator Tarun Mohanbhai returned for a one-week reprise of his one-man tour de force - starting his run, appropriately enough, to a capacity audience on Valentine's Day. Since making its 2005 Asian debut in Kuala Lumpur, D'ARRANGED MARRIAGE has now been performed in five continents, including sold-out seasons in New York and London. |
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Pluck's MUSICAL ARSON: REIGNITED October 6 - 23, 2010 |
| Gardner & Wife's most "when-are-they-coming-back-again" requested show, came back for another three-week run with their two new cast members, Kit Massey and Flora Allison, and led by the very able Jon Regan. On Monday 11th Y.A.M. Tunku Naquiyuddin ibni Tuanku Ja'afar and Haji Abd Jalil Hj Borhanuddin hosted a charity performance to raise money for The NS Wanderers Rugby Club. Pluck is back and oh, how I have missed them. The Star 10 Oct 2010 |
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GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE March 8 - 20, 2010 |
| Gardner & Wife's first production at the newly-established PJ Live Arts theatre welcomed the return of Blunderbus Theatre Company to Malaysia. With flights sponsored by Gulf Air, GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE performed to almost 5,000 children from over 20 schools. Its success also extended to bookseller partner Roving Books selling out its entire stock of GIRAFFES CAN'T DANCE storybooks & activity books during the two-week run. |
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Les Ballets Grandiva's MEN IN TUTUS January 8 - 17, 2010 |
| In January 2010, Gardner & Wife took Les Ballets Grandiva's Men In Tutus on a three week, three-country tour - to Dr. Sun Yat Sen Hall in Taipei, KLPAC in Malaysia and The Esplanade Theatre in Singapore. Where, this time under the guidance of their new Artistic Director, Brian Norris, they yet again performed to full houses and enthusiastic audiences. |
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Dr. Bunhead's VOLCANO HEAD May 20-30, 2009 |
| With support from Mox-Linde, the resident scientist of the UK Sky TV's "Brainiac" and "Blue Peter", returned to delight and terrify both children and adults with his combination of science & stage comedy. This time the emphasis was on rocket science which generated explosions and rocked the theatre! |
Click logos to read reviews  |
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Les Ballets Grandiva's MEN IN TUTUS May 8 - 17, 2009 |
| Gardner & Wife's first ever ballet proved again that genuine artistry mixed with comedy is irresistible! Generating standing ovations and encores the dancers performed five ballets in two acts, including the company's signature piece, the parody of Fokine's The Dying Swan. They will return to KL in January, 2010. |
Click logos to read reviews     |
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Barry & Stuart's WICKED WIZARDS March 3 - 15, 2009 |
| Barry and Stuart's Wicked Wizards in their Asian premiere, wow-ed, perplexed, and offended our audiences in exactly the correct ratio as they performed wonderfully weird, dark magic, and collected a few thousand more fans! Check them out on YouTube if you want a taste - and convince friends they're psychic! |
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SOUVENIR December 19, 2008 - January 4, 2009 |
| Canadian singer Gabrielle Maes made her Malaysian debut in Stephen Temperley's award-winning SOUVENIR: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins. Directed by Richard Harding Gardner, the two-man Broadway
comedy also starred Llew Marsh as the faithful pianist-sidekick, Cosme
McMoon. |
Click logos to read reviews  |
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AESOP'S FABLES 2 November 28, 2008 - December 14, 2009 |
| New York's Jim West Puppets returned with AESOP'S FABLES II. Once again, Moral the dog was a favourite among children and their parents as he
told the stories of The Goose that Lay the Golden Egg, The Oak and the Reed,
The Boy Who Cried Wolf, The Lion and his Councillors, and The Stargazer. |
| Click logos to read reviews |
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THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES Oct 7 (Penang) & Oct 9 - 19, 2008 (KL) |
| Award-winning Edinburgh State Puppet Theatre made their Asian debut with performances of Jean Giono's classic story. The show received rave reviews from critics and audiences of all ages. |
| Click logos to read reviews |
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GAMARJOBAT'S WESTERN September 30 - October 19, 2008 |
| On their third visit to Kuala Lumpur, the mime duo presented their new shows "Rock 'n Roll Penguin" and "Western" to both critical acclaim and box office success. Their now annual appearances have now led to a fast-growing fan base here in Malaysia. |
| Click logos to read reviews |
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THE SELFISH CROCODILE April 15 - 27, 2008 |
| Our first season of theatre for young audiences kicked off with the Blunderbus Theatre Company's stage adaptation of best-selling children's book by Faustin Charles. The show received rave reviews and saw audiences of all ages respond enthusiastically to their giant puppetry, catchy songs and comedic characters. |
| Click logos to read reviews |
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A NIGHT ON BROADWAY February 14 - 24, 2008 |
| Melbourne-based ensemble Pot Pourri was Gardner & Wife Theatre's first show from Australia. The
repertoire of opera and musical theatre favourites quickly
produced an excited following and full houses, with some
fans returning more than once to catch the four singers and their pianist. |
| Click logos to read reviews |
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AESOP'S FABLES December 6 - 24, 2007 |
| New York City-based Jim West Puppets debuted in Asia with a three-week run. Master puppeteer and author Jim West presented seven of Aesop's tales and delighted young audiences and their families with his unique combination of puppetry, humour, classical music and the hilarious antics of Moral the dog! |
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D'ARRANGED MARRIAGE December 4 - 23, 2007 |
| The return engagement of D'ARRANGED
MARRIAGE was performed by one-half of "Those Indian Guys" - Rajeev Varma - and played for three weeks. This popular one-man show continued to receive rave reviews from both critics and audiences alike. |
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MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL June 27 – August 5, 2007 |
| This return engagement saw an unprecedented 6-week run, making its 44 performances Malaysia's longest-running show. It opened the inaugural Putrajaya Arts Festival and played to large enthusiastic audiences at the 600-seat Auditorium Perbadanan Putrajaya in the country's administrative capital. |
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GAMARJOBAT -THE BOXER January 30 - February 11, 2007 |
| Since their first visit, Ketch & Hiro-pon are one of Gardner & Wife's most requested shows. Winning several new awards, including Best International Act 2006 at the Brighton Fringe Festival, they returned to Malaysia directly from another successful season at the World Buskers Festival in New Zealand. |
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PLUCK - THE SPECIALISTS October 24 - November 12, 2006 |
| "The Specialists" saw the return of UK string trio PLUCK back in Kuala Lumpur for a three-week engagement. The award-winning Edinburgh Fringe favourites delighted old and new fans with their unique combination of classical music skills and contemporary comic talent. |
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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST LUKE September 12 - October 1, 2006 |
| This show was a departure from Gardner & Wife's traditional comedic genre. Bruce Kuhn's remarkable dramatisation of the Biblical chapter created a unique theatrical combination of sacred literature and acting prowess. |
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BROADWAY AH BENG! July 4 - 16, 2006 |
| Gardner & Wife's second co-production with Singapore-based The Dream Academy, and our first non-English language show. Sebastian Tan and his three "chio bu"s (chorus girls) performed mostly in the Hokkien dialect. |
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WANTON ME! March 16 - 28, 2006 |
| This Singaporean cabaret performed to enthusiastic fans of Hossan Leong and Selena Tan – winner of Best Comedy Actress at the Asian Television Awards in 2004 & 2005. This was Gardner & Wife's first co-production with Singapore-based The Dream Academy. |
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GAMARJOBAT -THE BOXER March 3 - 19, 2006 |
| Gardner & Wife's first show from Asia created tremendous word-of-mouth excitement, playing to frequent standing ovations thus proving why this "shut up comedy" won top comedy awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival two years running – Best Dubble Act 2004 and the Tap Water Award 2005. |
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D'ARRANGED MARRIAGE June 7 - 12, June 27 & 28, 2005
FROM INDIA WITH LOVE June 14 - 26, 2005 |
| Our first kiwi show from New Zealand, was also the first to extend its run! Direct from a sell-out season
at the New Zealand International
Comedy Festival, "Those Indian
Guys" - performed D'ARRANGED
MARRIAGE to packed houses for one week, followed by two weeks
of its prequel, FROM INDIA WITH LOVE. |
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DR BUNHEAD's RECIPES FOR DISASTER October 8 - 23, 2005 |
| The "resident scientist" of Sky TV's "Brainiac" television programme, Tom Pringle aka Dr Bunhead, delighted both children and adults alike with his unusual combination of science trivia & stage comedy. He also re-created his Guinness World Record-winning stunt of making the fastest potato chips in town! |
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ALONE IT STANDS April 5 - 16, 2005 |
| This rugby comedy in co-production with the Embassy
of Ireland received a standing ovation at the
Irish Ambassador’s Gala and a very enthusiastic response during
its two weeks run. Its award-winning writer-director John Breen also conducted
a Q&A for a school audience in the first week. |
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LITTLE VIOLET AND THE ANGEL December 9 - 30, 2004 |
| The first three performances of this show were charity fundraisers for Calvary
Life Ministries. With original music and lyrics composed by Patrick
Jonathan plus 3 Romanian-made puppets courtesy of London’s Theatre
Centre, this local-cast production played for more than three
weeks over X’mas. |
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PLUCK - MUSICAL ARSON September 7 - 19, 2004 |
| Coming directly from their third sell-out season at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, PLUCK performed "Musical Arson" for
two weeks to packed houses. This winner of the prestigious Tap Water Award at the
2003 Edinburgh Fringe Festival premiered as a charity performance
for the National
Cancer Society. |
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MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL July 5 - 25, 2004 |
| The U.S. cast of our second
co-production with The
Embassy of the United States of America raised over RM400K for the Tunku Nurul Hayati Foundation at the
royal charity premiere graced by the Yang DiPertuan Besar of Negeri
Sembilan, HRH Tuanku Ja’afar and his consort, HRH Tunku Najihah. |
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COMEDY FOR KIDS February 11 (Penang), February 13-15 (Kuala Lumpur),
March
17 (Petaling Jaya), March 20, 2004 (Singapore) |
| Gardner & Wife's first production for children came directly
from two seasons in London's West End. The “universe's first stand-up comic
for kids” was our first South-East
Asian tour of Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Singapore. |
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SYLVIA August 8 - 23, 2003 |
| Co-produced by Gardner &
Wife and Singapore theatre company, I
Theatre whose parent company, Imaginarts has been entertaining and educating Singaporean schoolchildren since
1999. The cast included Chae Lian as the feisty dog, Sean Yeo, John
Faulkner and Bridget Therese. |
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AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' June 22, 2002 (Penang) & June 26 - July 6, 2002 (KL) |
| The all-American cast for the three-time Tony Award-winning
Fats Waller musical AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' filled Dewan Sri Pinang as part of the YTL-Penang
Arts Festival before returning to The
Parkroyal for a ten-day run. The cast were also invited
to sing at the U.S.
Embassy's Fourth of July celebrations. |
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A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO FORUM April 19 - May 11, 2002 |
| This Stephen Sondheim show starred the irrepressible Chef Wan
and a cast of seventeen.
Despite competition from the mega-musical Fame,
the show drew favourable reviews for British musical director, Simon
Grey, and his excellent work with the nine-piece orchestra. |
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CHARLEY's AUNTIE October 26 – November 17, 2001 |
| Restaged with an
entirely new cast, including Louisa Chong (2+1, Jangan Ketawa),
Zaibo (Under One Roof, Spanar Jaya), Manomaniam (Kopitiam,
Anna and The King), Manesh Nesaratnam (All Mixed Up)
and Taj (pop group Innuendo). Rashid
Salleh returned to the cast but this time playing the lead. |
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NUNSENSE August 24, 2001 – September 15, 2001 |
| For this musical comedy, American musical director, Holland Jancaitis was brought in.
With choreography by Joseph Gonzales (Head of Dance, Akademi Seni
Kebangsaan), it broke every then-existing box-office
record by playing to 6,500 people over the course of three-and-a-half-weeks. |
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RELATIVELY SPEAKING March 23, 2001 - April 14, 2001 |
| Alan Ayckbourn's RELATIVELY
SPEAKING starred Malaysian film star Sofia Jane and West
End actor Nick
Barnes. This production represented several firsts: the
first sale of theatre tickets online and the first West End actor to
be hired by a local theatre company |
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CHARLEY's AUNTIE date, 2000 |
| The first show produced and directed by the future Gardner & Wife, CHARLEY’S AUNTIE! was completely rewritten and updated from Oxford University 1892 to Malaya circa 1965. Starring film and TV actors Azean Irdawaty, Indi Nadarajah, Joanna Bessey, Rashid Salleh and Benji. |
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