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Darth Vader's distinctive helmet-headed silhouette swoops in to seize control of a spaceship, but this is not the movies - instead his movements are being brought to life by a Malaysian shadow-puppet master behind a back-lit screen.
"Tell me, where are the plans that have been intercepted?," the puppeteer intones in the Malay language, drawing cheers from hundreds of spectators as they recognise Vader's baritone.
Traditional Indonesian and Malaysian shadow puppetry was once at the centre of Southeast Asian art and culture, but has steadily lost its appeal.
However, three Malaysians hope to breathe new life into the art by updating it with Star Wars and other pop-culture themes.
Watch: Star Wars quest to pull Malaysian art form out of shadows

Leading the effort is Chuo Yuan Ping, a designer and Star Wars buff who first crafted shadow puppets based on the movie for an art exhibit a few years ago.
His research for the project uncovered concerns about the state of the art, which is known as wayang kulit.
"At first it was all about Stars Wars, but later I learnt how wayang kulit was a dying art form after speaking to many master puppeteers, and I felt sad," said Chuo. "All of us felt a responsibility to do more for this part of Malaysian culture."
Chuo, art director friend Teh Take Huat, and master puppeteer Muhammad Dain Othman have performed a section of the original 1977 Star Wars film as a shadow play about a dozen times the past two years.

Star Wars was chosen as the theme due to its near-universal appeal, as evidenced by the frenzy surrounding the December release of the latest big-screen instalment, Stars Wars: The Force Awakens.
"Even my mom knows Darth Vader," Chuo said.
Traditionally based on Hindu epics, shadow puppetry was introduced to the region in the 15th century and promoted by Java's Hindu rulers. It spread throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and elsewhere as Muslim preachers used it as a way to spread Islam, the region's dominant religion today.
Puppeteers use sticks to orchestrate the movements of elaborately decorated leather puppets on a back-lit cotton screen, and voice the characters, backed by a traditional gamelan percussion orchestra.
Wayang kulit is on Unesco's list of "masterpiece" human art forms, but radio, TV, and digital entertainment increasingly relegate the genre to tourist consumption or the occasional cultural show.
Rising Islamism also has led to restrictions on the art in conservative areas of Malaysia, due to its Hindu themes.
Government efforts to promote appreciation of wayang kulit have gained little traction, but private groups are forging ahead, said Eddin Khoo, founder of a cultural non-profit that stages performances of the art. He said the Star Wars project was "helpful" for wayang kulit.
"It's a little thing I can do for Malaysian culture," Chuo said.


Malay the Force be with you: Star Wars fans bring epic science fiction story to the small screen with shadow puppet shows

Traditional Malaysian shadow puppetry, known as wayang kulit, is employed to act out scenes fromStar Wars. Photo: AFP

The space opera has been performed as a shadow play about a dozen times in the past two years. Photo: AFP 

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