Pre-Festival

Brought to you by Su e Giù Circus, Mesama explores the strange relationship between two persons with a rather peculiar table between them. In this surprise-filled adventure, Aitor Esteban Lorenzo and Victoire D’antino will wow and engage audiences from all ages with a combination of jaw-dropping theatrical and acrobatic stunts filled with circus fun!

Korean-born Lee SeokWon, popularly known as Performer 231, is a magician and a circus artist. He puts magic, pantomime and juggling together with his original ideas. The winner of Busan International Theatre Festival (Dynamic Street category) is set to keep audiences entertained with awesome magic tricks and mind-boggling juggling stunts that will leave audiences speechless!

Celebrating the World is a unique performance which allows audiences to experience the special connection between twin brothers, Emilio and Leandro Ponce from Argentina, through a spellbinding combination of circus disciplines, dance moves and live music. The well-travelled twins have explored South America, Central America, Mexico, Europe and Asia, learning languages, cultural nuances and diverse skills to create a one-of-a-kind performance for their audiences.

Berapit’s very own Teochew puppet opera troupe, Opera Yong Choon Pan is set to present ‘Three Scholars in a Family’, a classic tale detailing a woman’s hardship to be reunited with her husband and two sons in Beijing. Once a widely staged performance, especially during the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Teochew puppet opera is a slowly disappearing artform that needs to be treasured. Catch this unique Teochew opera performance only at Macam Macam Berapit!

The Penang Dhol Blasters promises a highly-charged traditional and modern Bhangra music for the crowd! Audiences can look forward to live drum beats as well as Irish-infused Dhol beats in After the Rain and Dhol beats in an upbeat Bhangra song in Kaun Nachdi. The homegrown performing group has been performing since 2006. In recent times, the group has performed at numerous stages, namely the Penang World Music Festival and Butterworth Fringe Festival.

Imagine the melancholic sounds of Er-hu, the strumming of Lang Tin Tang, the melodic rhythm of a Rebana coupled with gongs, and the interlocking beats of Gendang with a splash of Chinese cymbals, that’s the trademark performance of a homegrown multiracial group Culture Shot, also known as LA LA LI LA TAM PONG. There’s no better time to enjoy an evening of old Hokkien songs and other traditional tunes, served with a taste of Penang!