Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates. If you’ve ever found yourself down the TikTok rabbit hole and somehow landed on #PeranakanTok, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Wee Shyre May pop up on your FYP. She’s the one rocking colourful vintage kebayas, chatting about Nyonya food, theatre rehearsals, and sharing cultural gems your Sejarah textbook totally skipped, like: @shyremayy Replying to @eyezyes Baba Nyonyas are the real old money of Asia 💲 The rich are really rich but there are middle class Peranakans too. Here's a look at how rich they are and what happened. Source from @National Geographic Asia #crazyrichasians #babanyonya #peranakan #history #culture #art #porcelain #vintagestyle #richasian #nyonya #bestnyonya #nyonyagurl #kebaya ♬ Metamorphosis – Danilo Stankovic But Shyre isn’t just playing dress-up for clicks. This 32-year-old is a full-on theatre director, storyteller, and the founder of KRATE — a cool cafe-meets-theatre space tucked away in Bukit Beruang, Melaka, that’s quietly become one of the most happening cultural hubs in town. KRATE started back in 2016 as a bit of a “why not give it a try?” sorta thing when Shyre rented a beat-up terrace house and turned it into a stage for drama classes and free-spirited theatre. No rules, just vibes. “I always wanted to be an artist,” she shared, reflecting on her love for painting and storytelling, but ultimately discovered her true passion in theatre. But Shyre never planned on becoming THE “Peranakan Princess“. She just wanted to tell stories that felt personal. But that changed in 2022 when she produced Rosie’s Diaries, a short film about a young Nyonya bride. She later started digging deeper into her own Peranakan Chinese roots and found a treasure trove of history and heart. So naturally, she turned all of that into theatre. The more I learned and researched, the more fascinated I became. The Peranakan culture is so rich and colourful. Wee Shyre May. One of her first major hits after her Peranakan-soul-searching journey was The Best Nyonya — a delightful musical comedy filled with laughs, drama, and emotional moments that celebrate Baba-Nyonya culture and blends classical charm with contemporary flair. First debuted in 2022, it’s already sold out shows in Melaka and KL — and that was before Shyre even jumped on TikTok. Then, boom — she became TikTok’s very own “Little Nyonya”. @shyremayy A clip of a life for a Little Nyonya. There's honestly not much to do. #missingdiamonds #culture #peranakan #babanyonya #crazyrichasians #asians #funny #relatable #peranakan #littlenyonya #trending ♬ original sound – shyremay Before long, her TikTok turned into a whole stage of its own. And these days, she’s got thousands of followers and counting, turning all that cultural goodness into fun, bite-sized content and making Peranakan culture accessible to everyone. I posted about kebayas and my creative process just for fun. Then people started asking questions, wanting to learn more. Wee Shyre May. And now, for the first time ever, Shyre and the KRATE crew are packing their props (and their prettiest kebayas) and heading up north to Penang! This May, they’re teaming up with Nyonya Palazzo to bring The Best Nyonya to Georgetown Mansion — and it’s gonna be a whole experience with good music, big laughs and juicy drama. The show’s mostly in English, sprinkled with a bit of Peranakan lingo for flavour — but no stress, got English and Chinese subtitles so everyone can follow along. Plus, audiences also get to makan kuih and even try on some kebayas too So if you’re in Penang, don’t miss it. Butttt if you can’t make it? No worries. You can still follow Shyre on TikTok, where the culture, comedy, and kebaya content never stops. @shyremayy ✨ THE BEST NYONYA, AN IMMERSIVE MUSICAL ✨ For the first time ever, @krate.my is bringing its most iconic show to Penang! In collaboration with @nyonyapalazzo, The Best Nyonya is an interactive theater that is filled with cultural gems, and nostalgic songs that will leave you laughing, gasping, and wanting for more! Set in the stunning Georgetown Mansion, our stage is no ordinary theatre—it’s a living, breathing heritage home. And yes, the kueh is served! Dress up. Dive in. Mingle with our characters. Become part of the drama. Only for the month of May 2025 Limited seats. Limited shows. Book now! 📍 Link in bio for tickets! hurry! #TheBestNyonya #KrateLive #PeranakanTheatre #PenangEvents #ImmersiveTheatre #GeorgetownMansion #NyonyaCulture #KebayaAndDrama #WhereHeritageComesAlive #NyonyaInPenang #viral #whattodoinpenang #whattodoinpenangatnight ♬ Old Disney Swing Jazz – Nico Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.