Award-winning theatre company Liver & Lung is getting into the spirit of Merdeka and celebrating Malaysia’s 63^rd Independence Day with a YouTube release of its critically acclaimed production Malaya Relived: Merdeka.

The epic musical whisks audiences back to 1957 Malaya during the height of anti-colonial movements, when British journalist Sylvia Graham arrives on the scene with high hopes to write the story of her career. She ends up meeting staunch anti-colonialist Raj Veerasamy, and her own life takes an unexpected twist that she must now untangle.   

Hannah plays Sylvia Graham who falls in love with political freedom fighter Raj Veerasamy who advocates for Merdeka

“The musical explores freedom, fidelity and forbidden love,” said Hannah Shields, founder of Liver & Lung and writer of the musical. “Last year, audiences traveled back in time with us to experience 1950s Malaya and relive Malaysia and Britain’s collective history. As a company with roots in both nations, exploring our shared past was something that felt authentic and necessary.”

Those who missed it last year will get the chance to watch a live recording of the production set to premiere at 2pm on 31 August on the theatre’s YouTube channel, with stars including Ola Bola’s Prem Sagar, Astro VBuzz’s Shangkharee Nadarajan and Hannah Shields.

Malaya Relived is brought to you by Liver & Lung, the company behind Sepet The Musical

Merdeka is brought to life with original music inspired by traditional Indian ragas and the dulcet tones of P. Ramlee in tribute to Malaysia’s cultural heritage and to celebrate what it means to be Malaysian.

“Malaya Relived is a love letter to my country,” said Shafeeq Shajahan, founder of Liver & Lung and director and co-composer of the musical. “Merdeka is about belonging and togetherness. It’s important we remember this in our socially distant world and remind each other that we can still unite, even though we’re apart.”

The third digital release in the company’s @Home series, Liver & Lung has also produced a sell-out live theatre revival of their BOH Cameronian winning show, Sepet The Musical. Read more about it here!

The musical is composed by Shafeeq Shajahan, recent winner of the Boh Cameronian Award for Best Direction in Musical Theatre

Make sure to tune in to the official Liver & Lung YouTube channel starting from this 31 August to catch the live recording of Malaya Relived: Merdeka and gain valuable insight into the cultural and political climate of the time.