GEORGE TOWN: The iconic Eastern and Oriental Hotel (E&O) was the backdrop last night to a George Town Festival (GTF) 2016-comissioned play, Pearl of the Eastern & Oriental.
The promenade-style performance opened to a full house with tickets sold out a month before the festival, which opens officially today.
"For weeks, people have been clamouring to get tickets to the show set in Penang’s elegant E&O Hotel,” said GTF director Joe Sidek.
On its opening night yesterday, Pearl transformed the E&O Hotel into a theatrical setting, where patrons took a promenade-style jaunt through the heritage hotel.
The audience also got to see the nooks and crannies of the hotel in ways they were not ordinarily exposed to, and a chance to come up close and personal with the actors as they played out scenes, many from just an arm’s length away.
Malaysian actors in the play included Susan Lankaster, Chacko Vadaketh and Lez Ann Chong.
Sidek said the GTF seeks to make the arts movement an inclusive one, in which everyone can participate, irrespective of social or economic divides.
“It is always GTF’s vision for the festival to continue evolving every year to bring in more festival-goers from all walks of life.
“A fun-filled and enriching artistic experience is no longer just for culture vultures. This year, we have astounding line-ups from opening week all the way to the end of the festival that is not only artistic but also enjoyable and stimulating at the same time.
There will be a wide spectrum of high-quality engaging performances, exhibitions, installations and workshops that each individual can experience on their own,” he added.
The festival opens tonight with a show called `Svara Bhumi’ (Songs of The Earth) at Dewan Sri Pinang.