EDWIN SUMUN

By the age of 20, Edwin was a critically acclaimed actor. His portrayal of Hamlet made the German Press stand and take notice of the only Asian on stage. While in Germany, he went on to play numerous Shakespearean roles, the most demanding being the Scottish king, Macbeth, at the tender age of 22. Edwin also was made Director-In-Residence. At 23, he graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Theatrical Arts. He was presented with an ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Theatre’ for his work in 1996 and 1997. At the end of that year, he returned to Malaysia. Initially, it was supposed to be a yearlong sabbatical from his work in Germany. However, the temptation of work got the better of him. He became a member of the Instant Café Theatre Company immediately on his introduction to Artistic Director Jo Kukathas. Then, as fate would have it, the local press labeled him ‘the next big thing of theatre’ and went on to work with Five Arts Centre and The Actors Studio. Edwin decided it was an opportunity not to be missed.  Having appeared in only a few feature-length films and various TV programs, Edwin remains a theatre purist. On April 1, 2004, his passion for theatre led him to establish his own company, Sumunda. Just a little over a year old, Sumunda won several awards at the 2005 Cameronian Arts Awards for it’s maiden production, Five Letters from an Eastern Empire.