Mark Beau de Silva, Wong Oi Min
Published : 30-6-2026
Abstract :
Known as the First Lady of Malaysian Theatre, Faridah began her career acting in plays written in the post-independence era. As a pioneering member of the modern theatre community in the 1960s, the plays she was involved in were instrumental in creating dialogue on postcolonial themes of identity, nationalism and social justice. She later became one of the first female theatre directors in Malaysia, and has challenged patriarchal norms, created inclusive performance spaces and adapted western works to Malaysian perspectives. Through readings of journals and articles on her productions, observations of her rehearsal process, and conversations with selected people, this paper discusses her career trajectory through components of postcolonial theory, and in doing so, provide an evidence-based account of her contributions to acting, producing, and directing within Malaysian theatre.
Keywords: Malaysian theatre, Faridah Merican, The Actors Studio, cultural identity, Postcolonialism theory.
Muat turun artikel penuh : 2289-5051_iJACH_Vol 15_Issue 8_Jun 2026