26/04/2026

theSunday Special IV ON SUNDAY APR 26, 2026

A stage for our own stories Using improvisation,

BY SUBHADRA DEVAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

C AN the ordinary become a piece of theatre, or even art? “We go to the theatre to watch a story. People naturally love stories, especially true stories, which can move us deeply and inspire us in many ways,” said theatre practitioner and show producer Kimmy Kiew. Attached to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre’s academy, Kiew and the fledgling Onion Theatre team are offering us not just any story, but untold ones from you and I, the audience. Come May 1, Playback Theatre shall be presented by Onion Theatre as its first ticketed show centred on the theme “Moments of Growing Up”. The production is helmed by Peggy Soo. Since its inception in the ‘70s, Playback Theatre has grown into an international movement, practised in over 70 countries for community building and conflict resolution. “When I first learnt about what Peggy Soo has been doing over the past 10 years, I was already very moved, even before I had seen a Playback Theatre performance. As I began researching Playback Theatre, which was created by an American couple (Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas) in the late 1970s, I felt a strong sense of calling. It was as if something inside me was saying: ‘I must do this’.”

“What makes Playback Theatre unique is that it is not only artistically engaging, but also carries an organic therapeutic element, for both the audience and the performers. “Audiences are not just entertained, they are moved by real stories. Some may resonate with similar experiences, feel a sense of connection or realise that they are not alone.” Bringing back memories Soo, founder of The Onion Theatre and co-founder of Rasa Sayang Playback Theatre, initiated one of the earliest Playback Theatre communities in Malaysia. Trained in Playback Theatre by teachers from Taiwan, the 52-year-old has over 10 years of experience practising and performing Playback Theatre, and has participated in international Playback Theatre camps and festivals in the Philippines, Batumi (Georgia) and Singapore. The Bidor native said she studied drama at the Malaysian Institute of Art when she was 18, and went on to earn a living with a variety of backstage jobs. “About 10 years ago, I went through a traumatic experience, and I couldn’t seem to find a way to heal myself,” she said candidly about her start in Playback Theatre. “I attended a Playback Theatre workshop, to fulfil in a way my desire to act. The teacher asked me to do a performance with her. An audience member’s story seemed close to mine. Playback Theatre promises to honour stories from the audience to see something magical happen

Soo has participated in international Playback Theatre camps and festivals in the Philippines, Georgia and Singapore. – PIC COURTESY OF KLPAC/ONION THEATRE

“It brought back memories, and when the event was over, I went back to my car and I cried. I felt so much better, and I started trying this form of theatre every month. “All along, my performances have been for charity, at cancer centres, old folk’s homes, leprosariums, schools and teacher groups. It seemed effective for them. It’s a good form of communication.” During the MCO period, Soo took part in online Playback Theatre performances with international collaborators, continuing to connect communities through storytelling across borders. “Only this year, I developed my first solo Playback Theatre performance, for Chinese New Year, with my family members. They seemed to enjoy it!” Soo credits her brother for egging her on to do what her heart desires, which is to act. “He was actually keen on music, and has composed songs for my performances, even one for ‘Moments of

Growing Up’. But he had to take over the family business. I must thank him for encouraging me to follow my passion.” Plenty of training Soo worked with Kiew on a solo show in Cantonese in March. “This is all part of training for the May 1 show.” She and her small team are gearing up for the performance. “Lots of training is being done. We must act properly, and in a respectful way. What was a hobby then is now a real job. Commitment is needed.” Kiew felt that the local theatre scene lacked a strong community for this kind of theatre practice. She said her work with KLpac’s The Actors Studio Academy saw requests to explore Theatre of the Oppressed. “Playback Theatre felt very relevant, and as I continued researching, I began to see it as an evolution of that form. “When Peggy and I started planning this performance about a year ago, it was both exciting and meaningful. We brought together a team, many of whom did not know one another initially. “Throughout the rehearsal process, something quite magical happened. We shared our personal stories while practising the different forms and structures of Playback Theatre. It almost felt like a ritual – very pure, honest and therapeutic for all of us. “Because Playback Theatre involves improvisation, we had moments of uncertainty and wondered if we might get ‘stuck’ during a performance. However, after testing our work with a real, small audience recently, it gave us a lot of confidence. It pushed us to trust ourselves and each other more deeply. “We often say we are ‘serving’ the audience with this form of theatre. We honour their stories (on the spot during the performance) and return them through performance.” The one-night only show will have neither grand props nor fancy lights. It is about real stories told by us, the audience, enacted on stage. Real. Possibly healing. It could well be theatre, where it is you who matters. Playback Theatre will be staged in Mandarin at Indicine, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), Kuala Lumpur, at 8pm on May 1. Visit https://www.klpac.org/shows.

The production is Onion Theatre’s first ticketed show on the theme of ‘Moments of Growing Up’.

The rehearsal process has been exciting and meaningful, making the performers trust themselves and one another deeply. – PIC COURTESY OF KLPAC/ONION THEATRE