Celebrating similarities across the Straits

WHEN George Town Festival director Joe Sidek wanted to produce a site-specific play for this year's festival, he commissioned Singapore actor and long-time collaborator Tan Kheng Hua to produce it.

The original concept and idea was a play about old rich Penang Chinese pioneers, their families, how they came into power and how they have contributed to the growth of the city. The clincher was that the play had to be situated in a grand old mansion along a road once dubbed as "Millionaire's Row" because the rich of Penang had mansions in it.

Tan roped in Lim Yu Beng, her other thespian half, to write and direct the piece because he had the technical know-how and the interest. Lim's father was from Penang after all.