Thicker Than Water

It's been a number of years since I last attended a TerryandtheCuz workshop production (Klue, Doh!, the ending I didn't get until someone in the cast thankfully told me who did it), so going into The Bee at Publika, I knew that it wasn't going to be your average theatrical show or play. 

In countries all over the world, very different people share the same dream: The American Dream. They don’t just want to live like Americans: they want to BE AMERICAN.

After decades of absorbing American pop culture, two Malaysian screenwriters set out to write the perfect American film but which is it? The liberal-arthouse-movie which America needs or the white-saviour-summer-action blockbuster movie which it wants?

Low on sleep, high on caffeine and short on time, these two dreamers must find common ground quickly if they are to achieve their pursuit of identity, fame and fortune.

Can these two Malaysians convince America that they are more American than apple pie? It’s go time! Take me out to the ball game and bring the rain! USA! USA! USA!

Thicker Than Water will premiere at Joe's Pub, The Public Theater, New York City in May 2018. This version in Kuala Lumpur will be part of a month long creative development culminating with 8 showings where audiences will be invited to give their feedback after each show.

The ticketing is such that you get a meal and drink or just a drink only with your ticket. Because I went with the drink-only option (either Tiger, Coke or Sprite), it was the bleacher-type seating at the back of The Bee. Three older people moved to more comfortable seating (and better view) in the dining area, but I laughed when I saw their reaction to how close to the show they really are. 

I was not joking about the seats

The audience and the performers were all seated in the dining area so from first glance you can't really tell who's performing or watching until you spot the mics on their heads as they moved around the room. I didn't even know the show had already started when the first lines of dialogue were uttered. 

The show is such that Gavin and Douglas are Malaysians pitching the all American movie script in America and that everyone else (Anne James, Chacko Vadaketh, Nikki Palikat, Julie Wee, etc...) are characters in their script come to life, doing the most ridiculous things as the two protagonists edit and revise their script before their next pitch meeting. 

As someone who hates audience interaction, I was kinda glad to be in the back of the room because the show was happening away from me. 

Because this run is them workshopping and developing the show, each audience was given feedback forms after each performance. The questions on that form felt more like an exam. I answered the best I could and skedaddled. 

Break a leg for next year.