KOTA KINABALU: When a group of teenagers just out of high school started a community theatre non-governmental organisation (NGO) almost 10 years ago, they didn’t imagine their passion project would perform on an international stage.

Founding member Hazli Bojili was emotional as he hugged his Green Leaf Theatre House members prior to their performance at the recent Asian Youth Theatre Festival in Singapore, where the group performed alongside nine other youth collectives from around Asia.

“This is it, guys. You’re the group that brought Green Leaf international,” he said, before the crowds filled in and the lights dimmed to make way for their performance of ‘Sandcastle,’ a play written and directed by Hazli himself.

Green Leaf Theatre House was founded in 2009 by Hazli and his friends, who enjoyed participating in high school English drama competitions and wanted the experience to continue.

From its humble beginnings performing at the Donggongon library and JC Woolley Hall at the State Museum, without much in the way of lighting or sound equipment, to performing at Republic Polytechnic in Singapore, the Green Leaf team was grateful its passion for acting and the arts brought not only Sabah but Malaysia to an international audience.

“The moment the Green Leaf team uttered its first few lines, it was surreal. We were speaking on behalf of Malaysia on an international stage,” said Hazli, recalling his most memorable experience from the festival.

“The festival had a great impact on me. It made me believe in the power of content and storytelling. No language barrier nor cultural differences could deter a story told maturely from the heart – theatre is that very platform,” he added.

Over the course of three days, groups from Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand staged performances in line with the theme of this year’s festival, ‘Accessibility and Inclusion.’

Audiences got a glimpse of each country via unique storytelling mediums, whether it was acting, movement pieces, song or dance.

With ‘Sandcastle,’ Green Leaf told the story of three friends navigating life after high school, where questions of belonging and acceptance were raised along the way.

Long-time Green Leaf member Valentine Joibi, who played one of the lead roles in ‘Sandcastle,’ said he was relieved and pleasantly surprised by the audience’s reaction to their play, not knowing what to expect from a crowd that probably was not familiar with Malaysian tropes.

“I didn’t know what to expect, honestly, because of an international audience. I was hoping that we’d at least get some applause so I was very surprised when we got a standing ovation. People could relate to the play and feel the actors’ emotions,” he said.

Valentine, who had been with Green Leaf since its early days, was proud to have represented Malaysia with the rest of the group.

The trip was especially memorable for him as he had not represented the country before, adding that it was an equally historic moment for Green Leaf that he was proud to be a part of.

Meanwhile, fellow actor Nickholas Justinus said he was enriched by the experience as it opened his eyes to the uniqueness of other communities and how they view the world.

The festival shed light on how people have different perspectives and that their perspectives should be respected nonetheless, he said.

“It helped me see how different parts of the world could unite if we all accept each other’s differences. The Festival showed me that through theatre, we could unite not only with a common interest, but a common goal.

“Bringing youths from all over Asia together to celebrate each other is the best way to open our minds,” he added.

For its third instalment next year, there are talks of bringing the Asian Youth Theatre Festival to Malaysia. Hazli welcomed the move as he believed the festival to be an effective agent of unity.

The festival encourages the community to dissect societal issues on a deeper level, he said, where people get emotionally involved and understand that though they may be different because they come from different backgrounds, they are in fact the same in so many ways.

“Understanding this is what would bring communities, people and countries together. The festival is an amazing platform for young future leaders to mature through the understanding of issues and equating solutions to these issues. Young fresh perspectives are celebrated through theatre as a medium,” he said.

He added that he was optimistic of the response if Malaysia played host to the festival, although strong support would be needed to lay the groundwork.

Part of it had to do with the prominence of art within the local community, which he observed was improving but still had ways to go.

“The art scene in Sabah or Malaysia as a whole has made moves and is certainly advancing, but its potential is still largely untapped.

“Support and acknowledgement from the right people, such as industry players and authorities, could propel art in the country and allow for widespread impact, such as with the Asian Youth Theatre Festival.

“We have ways to go in further developing arts in Malaysia but I believe we could get there,” he said.

Prior to the Singapore trip, Green Leaf staged ‘Sandcastle’ at Black Box Theatre in Suria Sabah as a trial run and received feedback from the audience to improve upon its performance.

Hazli was grateful that the local community was still very supportive of the group’s efforts after almost a decade. He believed it was their support and encouragement through the years that put Green Leaf on the map.

He also thanked the Asian Youth Theatre Festival for having Green Leaf as it was an experience that would only serve to nurture and strengthen the group.