Repeat, rinse and refined

Loh Kok Man’s award-winning Double Punctum returns after a decade, restaged by Pentas Project Theatre Production. Original dancers Ming Low and Wong Jyh Shyong step back into the spotlight, with more seasoned bodies breathing new life into the work. From 19 to 22 December 2024 at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac), the production is a convergence of different artistic forms, stripped to its barest, with original music by Ng Chor Guan, lighting by Loh Kok Man, and set design by Pam Lim.

Inspired by Pam Lim’s evocative photography of Xiapu and Jiuzhaigou, the minimalist dance-theatre performance explores “punctum”— piercing details that stir emotions – by igniting movement and choreography from photography of nature. White Paper, one of two pieces in the original iteration, now stands alone with a deepened voice, embracing themes of transformation across time. This “newness” makes the work look and feel distinct from its original production, making the offering new and exciting for both dancers and audiences alike.

The re-staging glimmers with new insights and restraint, inviting audiences to pause, to witness an exquisite interplay: of bodies, evocations from photographs of nature, paper, and space. It celebrates the quiet magic of slow theatre, where simplicity speaks the loudest. It is rare to see a re-staged work with the original cast, more so a revival with the intention to be more by doing less. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Double Punctum marks an exciting addition to a must-watch list of performances before the end of the year.

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Charissa Lee Yi Zhen (she/her) is a graduate student at Yale University, studying Christian theology, history, liturgy and art.

This preview was generated as part of the Artsee Networks Young Arts Writers’ Sandbox Programme.