骨仔 Massage Boy – Solo Theatre at IBOX Theatre Penang 2026

骨仔 Massage Boy is a solo theatre piece that has just finished a sold-out-heavy run in Kuala Lumpur and now closes in Penang with two shows at IBOX Theatre in Gelugor on Saturday, 31 October 2026. "骨仔" is the slang for a male massage therapist, and the play follows HoHo, a masseur opening a new shop, as he works out how to sell himself to the customers in front of him.

The twist is that the audience plays those customers. Expect improvisation and direct interaction – the show invites viewers to choose, vote and bargain, and it uses that set-up to poke at masculinity, queer identity, intimacy and what it means when your body and time become things with a price tag. It runs about 90 minutes without an interval, in Mandarin and Cantonese, with English and Chinese surtitles, and is directed and produced by William Yap.

Because of its themes and the hands-on format, admission is strictly 18 and above. Seating is free seating, so it pays to arrive when doors open half an hour before curtain if you want a good spot – and if you are shy about being picked on, sit further back.

This is ideal for regular theatre-goers, fans of fringe and experimental work, and anyone who enjoys Cantonese-Mandarin comedy with a sharper edge. Sunny Point is close to USM and the Batu Uban area, so you can grab dinner at the food court or nearby kopitiam before the 8:30pm show.

Highlights

• Audience members become the masseur's "customers"
• Mandarin and Cantonese with English and Chinese surtitles
• Final stop after the Kuala Lumpur run

Penang show times

How to get there

IBOX Theatre, Penang, 8-2-8, Sunny Point Complex, Jalan Batu Uban, 11700 Gelugor, Pulau Pinang. Open in Google Maps or open in Waze.

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