On the 4th of April 2025, Pentas 1 of KLPAC gathered an eclectic collection of instruments on stage, of electric guitars, drum sets, cowbells, bamboo sticks, waterphones, xylophones, and most notably, a dozen variously-sized shigus, also known as ‘lion dance drums’.
These instruments, both modern and traditional, popular and niche, were placed in the hands of the pelapis waris, a collective of young drummers from Orang Orang Drum Theatre (OODT).
Over the course of two years, they had refined their crafts, guided by their mentors, to present seven shows in OODT’s third signature performance series, LaguKu 3.0.
“LaguKu 3.0 is an evolving concept, not yet an accomplished product,” said Project Producer, Damien Leow, “but has a solid process of exploration and open space for our young artists to experiment and have a taste of their originality.”
The seven performances were each created by different members of the pelapis waris, a group consisting of both full-time and part-time members of the troupe. Beyond being professional drummers with at least a decade of experience each, they are also baristas, street artists, bakers, and interior designers.The line-up of shows include: Dream-like Drum Song (by Jian Ru), Quartet (by Jia Her), Little by little (by Wai Kei), Rebecoming (by Chun Wai), Lean into The Wind (by Tee Vlin), 1N (by Hanson Lee), and Vibe Check, Vibe Check (by Nick Ng).
Global and Local Influence
The show displayed an impressive range of influences from everywhere, taking cultural inspirations from Java to West Africa.
Wai Kei’s Little by little featured an enchanting gamelan performance by the creator herself, playing the kenung and bonang, traditional Javanese instruments of small gongs. In this performance, the all-female drummers, dressed in batik designed by Cibabond, weaved in-and-out of each other in a beautiful dance as they played and shared nine shigu drums amongst the five of them.
With inspiration from further away, Rebecoming by Chun Wai had his raw abstract dance performance accompanied by the djembe, a goblet drum originating from West Africa. This was a more theatrical performance, where the shigu became an accompaniment rather than the main show.
The cross-cultural experiments didn’t just extend to musical and instrumental choices. Each show had an interesting and distinct aesthetic that made them notable and stand out in some way.
From the colorful tribal clothing of Dream-like Drum Song by Jian Ru, to the post-apocalyptic Mad Max-inspired garbs of Tee Vin’s Lean into The Wind, there was always something to notice and appreciate when it came to the shows’ diverse visual elements.
The Shigu Reimagined
What LaguKu 3.0 demonstrates, beyond all else, is the impressive range in which creatively-driven individuals can use a single instrument, the shigu, to present different ideas and concepts.
It can be loud and heart-pounding, like Jia Her’s Quartet, invoking the classic imagery of war drums and soldiers marching to battle. It can be communal and kinetic, as seen in Little by little and the hip-hop influenced Vibe Check, Vibe Check. It can even be haunting and isolating, such as with Chun Wai’s Rebecoming and Hanson Lee’s 1N.
In fact, I was a particular fan of 1N. There was something about its dystopian corporate aesthetic, shigu drummers in business wear, and impressive laser show that’s stuck with me. It was intense, hypnotic, and a bravely original piece of work.
The range of voices, stories, and settings within LaguKu 3.0 is absolutely inspiring. Orang Orang Drum Theatre is undoubtedly a force of potential within the performing arts scene in Malaysia, presenting brilliant and original ideas, polished with impeccable production quality, and mentoring young voices to take the stage.LaguKu 3.0, presented by the Orang Orang Drum Theatre, was shown at KLPAC from 4 – 6 April 2025.
Darren Tio is a KL-based writer who grew up in Pontianak, Indonesia, and has a degree in creative writing.
This review was generated by Artsee.net as part of its Young Arts Writers’ Sandbox Programme.
Image Credit: James Quah Dance Photography (@jquah.photography)
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