Curtains up: local performing arts highlights in March

Curtains up: local performing arts highlights in March

Musicals, theatre, and dance productions showcase the country’s vibrant creativity and diverse voices.

Kamini Senthilathiban and Alfred Loh star in the Theatresauce production ‘No Particular Order’. (Jazzie Lee pic)
PETALING JAYA:
March arrives with a surge of energy across Malaysia’s stages, as theatres, studios, and cultural spaces come alive with bold new performances.

From intimate small shows to large-scale spectacles, be ready to gather, celebrate, and be moved by the talents of our local performers this month.

DANCE

1. Dance in Diversity

A competitive dance event, it aims to promote dance as a performing art and encourage the younger generation to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of it.

This competition features a wide range of dance genres, including classical ballet, contemporary, modern jazz, traditional and more.

dance
Spread across three days, this competitive event features performers from a wide range of genres. (Dance in Diversity pic)
  • When: March 6-8
  • Where: PJPAC, 1Utama Petaling Jaya, Selangor
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

2. Festival Tari Hua Wu Tai

Festival Tari Hua Wu Tai 2026 ignites the stage with a vibrant convergence of two powerful forces shaping the Malaysian Chinese dance scene today.

The evening highlights Inter-School Dance Competition Winners, representing the discipline and promise of a new generation, alongside a Spotlight on Local Creations, a dynamic showcase of original works by contemporary artists.

Audiences are also invited to dive deeper through the Dance+ Sharing Session, which pulls back the curtain on staged productions and the creative journeys behind them.

  • When: March 15
  • Where: PJPAC, 1Utama Petaling Jaya, Selangor
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

3. 2nd Malaysia Global Ballet Scholarship

This event, organised by the Malaysia Global Ballet Scholarship (MGBS), focuses on performances and masterclasses by talented young dance hopefuls aspiring to grow and make a difference.

  • When: March 20-22
  • Where: KLPAC, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

THEATRE

1. ‘Mati-mati (J’aime Ma Mère)’

Directed by Christopher Ling, ‘Mati-mati’ combines folklore with modern technology. (The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat pic)

Two brothers, Luqman and Hakimi, clash over the legacy of their abusive deceased mother and a controversial decision to preserve her consciousness through artificial intelligence.

In this Malay-language play inspired by folklore, director Christopher Ling and writer Arsyad Azrai present an enthralling tale about grief, obsession, and the quiet violence of wanting things to be different than they used to be.

  • When: March 4-8
  • Where: KLPAC, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

2. ‘No Particular Order’

A dictator’s rise to power tightens freedoms and casts suspicion over even the smallest actions, both online and offline.

As control deepens, ordinary people – soldiers, parents, teachers, and civil workers – quietly struggle to reconcile personal conscience with duty.

Theatresauce presents the Malaysian premiere of this acclaimed English-language play by Singaporean playwright Joel Tan (Wild Rice), previously staged in the UK (2022), Singapore (2023), and Australia (2025).

  • When: March 12-15
  • Where: KLPAC, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

3. ‘她和她的演出’ (Her and Her Performance)

These two plays, each featuring a solo performer, were birthed from a workshop and then shaped through audience feedback, mentorship, and experimentation. It is performed in Mandarin, Cantonese and Hakka.

“HELLO 50” is the story of a middle-aged woman’s lifelong pursuit of her dreams, while “Oi Jia” is a conversation with a grandmother, which explores how a narrative can collapse and reassemble within a single person’s heart and mind.

  • When: March 13-15
  • Where: Dou Houz, Kuala Lumpur
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

4. ‘Marupadiyum Karma’

karma
‘Marupadiyum Karma’ combines several stories into one thought-provoking narrative. (Fenomena Seri Pentas pic)

Karma never forgets. What happens when the past wants to be heard? And who really controls the final chapter?

Some truths are painful. Some are terrifying. Some… are oddly funny. But every one of them is unforgettable.

This Tamil-language play invites you to witness what happens when stories buried deep come knocking once more.

  • When: March 13-15
  • Where: Tan Sri K R Soma Auditorium, Wisma Tun Sambanthan, Kuala Lumpur
  • Tickets can be purchased here.

5. ‘Yel!’ or A Compendious Lecture on the Reign of Sultan Paduka Seri Mahadewa Rahmatullah Al-Bara’ III (1784-1834)

Described as a “mythic, apocalyptic fever-dream set in an alternate Perak”, this play tells the story of two men who cross into a palace at the world’s end to rescue their stolen women, taken as concubines.

When the king awakens, however, the night descends into a nightmare of riddles, desecration, and ritualised abuse.

Performed in English and Malay, “Yel!” is not suitable for those under 18.

MUSICAL THEATRE

‘In the Heights’

British International School KL presents ‘In the Heights’, the first full-length musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Set in New York’s vibrant Washington Heights, this acclaimed musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Encanto”) follows bodega owner Usnavi and his tight-knit community as they chase dreams, confront change, and navigate love, loss and identity.

This English-Spanish musical presented by the British International School is brought to life by the cast and crew of the BSKL Secondary Production Team.

Putting on a show? Email us at [email protected].

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