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The Handlebards THE TEMPEST
PJ 25 – 31 Mar, 2020 |
| Cancelled due to Covid-19 and MCO closures. |
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Tall Stories THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD
PJ & Penang 19 Feb – 16 Mar, 2020 |
| One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. Tall Stories' magical stage adaptation of Donaldson and Scheffler's sequel to The Gruffalo, and despite the shortened run due to Covid-19, the show was loved by all those who came to see it. |
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Big Wooden Horse THE WAY BACK HOME
PJ 12 – 25 Nov, 2019 |
| The very popular Oliver Jeffers' THE WAY BACK HOME, originally adapted and directed by Big Wooden Horses' Adam Bampton-Smith, was restaged by Gardner & Wife Theatre with Junji Delfino and Christian Palencia. Now with a few Malaysian touches, it played to enthusiastic audiences for two weeks. |
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Pins and Needles THE BEAR
PJ & Penang 30 Sep – 20 Oct, 2019 |
| “One night when she's fast asleep, an enormous snowy white bear climbs into Tilly's bedroom. It has a big black tongue and a yawn as big as your head...” The much-loved storybook by Raymond Briggs was brought to life on the stage by UK's theatre company, Pins and Needles. 'The Bear' was a perfect introduction to theatre for little people. |
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Big Wooden Horse MONSTERSAURUS
PJ 6 – 19 May, 2019 |
| UK's The Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company returned again with Claire Freedman's very popular MONSTERSAURUS. Adapted and directed by Adam Bampton-Smith and performed again by Harrison Spiers (here earlier in The Way Back Home); and this time with Natalie Simone (here earlier in Aliens Love Underpants), and new to Malaysia, Adam Colbeck-Dunn. This very funny adaptation of the well-known book is just scary enough for our young audiences, but not too scary!! |
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Tall Stories THE GRUFFALO
PJ 25 Feb - 24 March, 2019 |
| Tall Stories' magical stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's THE GRUFFALO has been given an all-new production design to celebrate 20 years of stage performances all around the UK, Europe, North America, Asia and Australia – including London's West End, on Broadway and Sydney Opera House. "Tall Stories sets the benchmark for children’s theatre" Sunday Times |
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The Handlebards TWELFTH NIGHT
PJ 14-20 February, 2019 |
| The HandleBards, the world’s first cycling theatre company, return for their fifth visit - this time with their riotous all-male version of Shakespeare’s hilarious and heartbreaking comedy! With true HandleBards incredible energy, whirlwind physical theatre and some clever improv, every word spoken is Shakespeare - and they make every word work! |
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Big Wooden Horse & Nick Brooke Ltd ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS
PJ 12 November - 2 December, 2018 |
| The best-selling children’s book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort is brought to pant-astic life by director and adapter, Adam Bampton-Smith of Big Wooden Horse (Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus; Stuck; and Monstersaurus - coming here next year). A big favorite in the West End and on Broadway, it was fresh, funny and full of lots and lots of pants. |
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Edinburgh State Puppet Theatre THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES
PENANG September 27 & 28 • PJ October 8 - 13, 2018 |
| Exactly ten years after Edinburgh's Puppet State Theatre made their Asia debut here, Richard Medrington & Rick Conte returned with their wonderful story of THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES (with much assistance from Dog). This time we took them to Johor Bahru - our first time to take a show there - as well as Penang, Publika, and PJ Live Arts. |
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Big Wooden Horse DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!
PJ May 1 - 21, 2018 |
| UK's Big Wooden Horse returns with the show that's full of “fun, feathers, and laughter”. Combining three of Mo Willems’ award-winning books: Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog and Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late!, it's adapted and directed for the stage by Big Wooden Horse’s artistic director, Adam Bampton-Smith. Remember: "DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!" |
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Little Blue Monster Theatre LOST AND FOUND
PJ March 5 – 25, 2018 |
| Bill Davies and his brand-new theatre company, Little Blue Monster Theatre, brought us his beautiful adaptation of Oliver Jeffers' LOST AND FOUND. “Once there was a boy and one day, he found a penguin at his door. Lost! So, the boy decides to return the penguin to the South Pole”. And so begins this simple story of true friendship all told with puppetry, songs and music. |
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The Handlebards AS YOU LIKE IT
PENANG January 29 & 30 • PJ February 1 - 10, 2018 |
| For the fourth time back here, The Handlebards' all-female, high-energy AS YOU LIKE IT added Penang, Petaling Jaya and a number of schools to the already 500 miles they pedal up and down the length and breath of the UK. Now almost a Malaysian institution, audiences loved them yet again as they performed their trademark adaptation at breakneck speed of Shakespeare's classic. |
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Blunderbus Theatre DOGS DON'T DO BALLET
PJ 1 – 23 November, 2017 |
| This marked the EIGHTH time Blunderbus Theatre has brought their shows to us – and even with an extension of several days, this wonderful adaptation of Anna Kemp's book packed the theatre. Told with Blunderbus' customary blend of story telling, puppetry, songs, dance and audience involvement, several thousand primary-aged children joined the cast in pirouettes, jetés and arabesques! |
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Big Wooden Horse STUCK!
PJ May 8 - 28, 2017 • PENANG May 10 & 11, 2017 |
| After STUCK's successful run here in 2014 - and many requests for it to return, we created a local-cast version we can present "on demand"! STUCK's creator and director Adam Bampton-Smith (UK's Big Wooden Horse) came out to audition and rehearse Safia Hanifar and Aaron Teoh as Mum and Floyd with choregraphy by Farah Sulaiman. We'll look forward to getting STUCK again...! |
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Tall Stories Theatre EMILY BROWN AND THE THING
PJ February 20 - March 12, 2017 |
| Our third production by UK's Tall Stories, this beautifully crafted three-hander uses dance, music and puppetry to tell Cressida Cowell's much loved tale. With Isla Shaw's imaginative interlocking set, and Olivia Jacobs direction, her adaptation whisks Emily, her rabbit and the spellbound audience through all the book's different adventures - and took our young audiences with them! |
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The Handlebards ROMEO & JULIET
PENANG February 24 • PJ February 27 - March 10, 2017 |
| Handlebars returned to Malaysia with their four-person ROMEO & JULIET in their now-trademark comedic, at break-neck-speed style. As one audience member Twittered: "I'll say it again.. @HandleBards is EXACTLY how Shakespeare should be done! Another incredible show. Well done #HBGirls!" They're back in February, 2018, with their all-female As You Like It! |
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Big Wooden Horse MONSTERSAURUS
IPOH November 1 • PJ November 2 – 20 • PENANG November 11, 2016 |
| UK's The Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company returned with Claire Freedman's MONSTERSAURUS. Adapted and directed by Adam Bampton-Smith and performed by Harrison Spiers (here earlier in The Way Back Home); Mark Collier (here earlier in Owl Who Was Afraid of The Dark); and Sophie Steel. A very funny adaptation of the well-known book, it toured to Penang, Ipoh and several schools. |
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The Handlebards MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
PJ 11 - 21 October • IPOH 12 October • PENANG 23 & 24 October, 2016 |
| Once again, with the support of British Council Malaysia, UK's Handlebards brought us our second Shakespeare - MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. For the first time we included a tour to ACS Ipoh, marking 100 years since the school presented Malaya's first ever Shakespeare production! Here's hoping we won't have to wait another 400 years before they're back! |
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Gardner & Wife Theatre's NUNSENSE
PJ
13 July - 7 August, 2016 • PENANG 27 – 31 July, 2016 |
Fifteen years after its original KL production, we brought NUNSENSE back with Shanthini Venugopal reprising her original role as Mother Superior, plus the wonderful talents of Junji Delfino, Elvira Arul, Nicole-Ann Thomas, Teresa Goh with Llew Marsh as Musical Director, and Dr. Joseph Gonzales as choreographer (just before taking up his new position as Head of Academic Affairs at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts). We will miss him!
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The Handlebards A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
KL February 28 – March 13, 2016 • PENANG March 10 & 11, 2016 |
| With the support of British Council Malaysia, UK's Handlebards brought us our first Shakespeare! A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM was enormously successful, with some audience members returning to watch it twice! Four young men played 22 characters – both male and female – with the entire play done in 90 breakneck minutes! We'll look forward to them coming back! |
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Blunderbus Theatre THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK
KL February 25 - March 23, 2016 • PENANG March 11, 2016 |
| UK's Blunderbus Theatre Company made their sixth visit to KL, returning with their wonderful production of Jill Tomlinson's best-selling classic book. Used to reassure generations of young children about the "scary" dark, this charming stage adaptation continues to show children that "the dark is fun" as they follow Plop, the baby barn owl, on his journeys into the night-time world of campfires, fireworks and moonlit adventures!? |
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Les Ballets Eloelle presents THE NUTCRACKER
KL December 2 - 13, 2015 • PENANG November 26 - 29, 2015
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| For their fourth visit to us, Men In Tutus brought us Go For Barocco, The Harlequinade Pas De Deux, a whole flock of of swans, including dueling Dying Swans, with the program culminating in Tchaikovsky's THE NUTCRACKER with Artistic Director Victor Trevino as Clara! |
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Big Wooden Horse THE WAY BACK HOME
KL October 19 - November 8, 2015 • PENANG October 30, 2015
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| UK's The Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company returned with Oliver Jeffers' THE WAY BACK HOME. Adapted and directed by Adam Bampton-Smith and performed by the original UK Alien, Charlotte Cooper, with Harrison Spiers as The Boy (both direct from the West End's Aliens Love Underpants), The Way Back Home toured both Penang and PJ as well as several schools! |
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Gardner & Wife Theatre SHEAR MADNESS KL
KL May 10 - June 28, 2015 |
| The SHEAR MADNESS Hair Salon, where YOU get to solve the murder, returned for its third round of baffling the audience. Produced for Malaysia and performed by Phoon Chi Ho, Qahar Aqilah, Marina Tan, Junji Delfino, Na'a Murad, Alfred Loh, and Jason Leong, and directed by Richard Harding Gardner, it had audiences returning yet again - just to see their favorite murderer get his/her just desserts! |
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Tall Stories Theatre THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE
KL March 9 - 29, 2015 • PENANG March 20, 2015
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| A tiny snail longs to see the world, so she hitches a lift on the tail of a humpback whale... all the way to Kuala Lumpur and Penang! Tall Stories Theatre UK brought us another wonderful show, which like The Gruffalo, was based on a much-loved book by Julia Donaldson. Adapted for the stage by Toby Mitchell, co-founder and joint artistic director of Tall Stories. |
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Gardner & Wife Theatre SHEAR MADNESS KL May 30 – June 14, 2014,
KL November 26 - December 7 • PENANG December 12 - 14, 2014 |
| The SHEAR MADNESS Hair Salon, where the audience gets to solve the murder, is now located right here in Petaling Jaya! Produced for Malaysia and performed by Phoon Chi Ho, Qahar Aqilah, Marina Tan, Junji Delfino, Na'a Murad and Jason Leong, and directed by Richard Harding Gardner, it had some of the audiences returning for a second or third time to play arm-chair detective! It will return! |
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Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! September 20 - October 19, 2014 |
| UK's Big Wooden Horse returns with Mo Willems’ award-winning book with a show full of “fun, feathers, and laughter”. The friendly bus driver leaves us with one simple instruction: "DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS!" However, the Pigeon is very clever and whines, bribes, pleads and even sings a song to get his own way… Beautifully adapted and directed for the stage by Big Wooden Horse’s artistic director, Adam Bampton-Smith. They’ll be back in 2015! |
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Big Wooden Horse STUCK! February 20 - March 16, 2014 |
| The Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company's beautifully simple but totally engrossing version of Oliver Jeffers STUCK! Adapted for the stage by Adam Bampton-Smith and performed by the original UK cast, Sam Hoye and Grace Alexander-Scott, it entertained school audiences for three weeks both in Penang and PJ! The Big Wooden Horse's first show with us, but not their last! |
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Jim West Puppets AESOP'S FABLES November 18 – December 15, 2013 |
| One of Gardner & Wife Theatre's favourites, New York City-based Jim West Puppets returned to Malaysia with their AESOP'S FABLES. Originally coming to us in 2007, a new generation of children sat fascinated as 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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Tall Stories THE GRUFFALO October 7 - November 3, 2013 |
| A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood... and arrived in KL, PJ and Penang! Next stop: London's West End, where the three actors will perform THE GRUFFALO for six weeks over Christmas. Tall Stories flagship show has wowed thousands of children since its 2001 debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. Directed by Olivia Jacobs, it wowed 'em here, too! Watch for their return! |
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Les Ballets Eloelle's MEN IN TUTUS June 2 - 23, 2013 |
| What was once Gardner & Wife's first ever ballet has become one of their most "when are they coming again" shows! Now back under the artistic guidance of the great Dying Swan, choreographer Victor Trevino, and with a brand-new name - Les Ballets Eloelle - they wowed audiences both in KL and Penang. |
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Blunderbus' HOW TO CATCH A STAR March 6 - 31, 2013 |
| UK's Blunderbus Theatre Company made their sixth visit to Malaysia with HOW TO CATCH A STAR. The inspirational story of a boy who loved the stars so much, he decided to catch one of his very own was beautifully directed and adapted for the stage by artistic director, Bill Davies with music and lyrics by Frank Goodhind from the bestselling children's book by award-winning author and designer, Oliver Jeffers. |
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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. 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! |
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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. |
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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 Puppet State 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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