Malaysians will be celebrating the nation’s 63rd Independence Day or Merdeka this coming Monday, 31 August.
In celebration of this, Liver & Lung Productions is releasing historical musical “Malaya Relived: Merdeka” for free streaming on YouTube for a whole week!
It is a recording of the live musical held on 20 April last year, which was done in partnership with GMBB, a creative hub in Bukit Bintang. It is part of Liver & Lung’s “Malaya Relived” series, a musical anthology based on iconic events in Malayan history.
Watch the trailer for the anthology series below.
“The musical explores freedom, fidelity and forbidden love,” said Hannah Shields, founder of Liver & Lung and writer of the musical, in a press statement.
“Last year, audiences travelled back in time with us to experience 1950s Malaya and relive Malaysia and Britain’s collective history. As a company with roots in both nations, exploring our shared past was something that felt authentic and necessary.”
Shields herself stars in the musical as Sylvia Graham, a British Foreign Correspondent who travels to Malaya and hopes to pen the article of her career, offering a fresh account on what the country's fight for independence will mean for the British Empire.
Little does she know that she's about to rewrite the plot of her own life when she meets Raj Veerasamy (“Ola Bola” star Prem Sagar), a formidable proponent of decolonisation, active member of the Malayan Indian Congress and staunch supporter of the rising anti-colonial Malaysian movement, Merdeka.
Shafeeq Shajahan, founder of Liver & Lung and director and co-composer of the musical, stated, “Malaya Relived is a love letter to my country. Merdeka is about belonging and togetherness. It’s important we remember this in our socially distant world and remind each other that we can still unite, even though we’re apart.”
Here’s the link to watch “Malaya Relived: Merdeka” on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHWSkF1b3pQ