By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 27: Sarawakian actor Elwyn Jung has made the nation proud when he earned a prestigious international nomination at France’s Avignon Theatre Festival for his performance as the lead actor in the original physical theatre piece ‘Huai An Dream’.
Jung, who is from Kuching, also holds the remarkable distinction of being the only student from Sarawak admitted to the Central Academy of Drama in China in recent years— China’s top institution for theatre, film, and television arts, which carries a century of artistic heritage and ranks among the world’s most prestigious performing arts schools.
According to a report from the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (Ukas), he has spent his summer travelling to France alongside faculty from the Directing Department of the Central Academy of Drama to star as the lead actor in the original physical theatre piece ‘Huai An Dream’ at the Avignon Festival, one of the world’s three major theatre festivals.
Adapted from the classic ancient Chinese literary tale ‘The Governor of Nan Ke’, Lai Xueyang serves as screenwriter and director; Zhao Miao, a renowned Chinese physical theatre director, acts as artistic director while Wang Chenbin serves as stage and visual designer with Huang Tiange, Liu Xinyu, and Dou Baiyi as Jung’s cast members.
In addition, ‘Huai An Dream’ earned a nomination for Best Emerging Production at France’s Avignon Prix Lueur.
Competition for this year’s Prix Lueur sees over 500 outstanding productions from all continents submitting entries, with a jury panel consisting of senior theatre scholars, professional directors, art critics, and industry specialists from France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, China, and South Korea.
Jung said the opportunity to represent Sarawak’s young voices at a world-class theatre festival and be recognised with an international award nomination was a deeply meaningful honour and an invaluable experience for personal and artistic growth.
He added that moving forward, he hoped to apply all expertise gained to bring the local stories and diverse cultures of Malaysia and Sarawak to more international stages, sharing them with audiences worldwide.
“I also aim to serve as a modest cultural bridge, helping build artistic connections linking Malaysia, China, and the rest of the world.
“I hope more international audiences will come to know and appreciate the beautiful Sarawak, Malaysia, and support my hometown’s local culture to shine brightly on the global stage,” he said. — DayakDaily
