Cluedo

Disclaimer: This was last month, so... whoops?

I only know of the board game, but have never played it, never saw the movie, etc.

So I basically went in blind as to what the show could be about, besides that it's gonna be a humourous murder mystery.

Limelight Theatre Presents:
Cluedo: A Murderously Funny Night at the Theatre!

Get ready for a laugh out loud, fast paced whodunnit where nothing is quite as it seems! Based on the iconic board game, Cluedo brings the classic mystery to life in a high energy comedy packed with twists, secrets, and outrageous characters.

When six suspicious guests arrive at a remote mansion, they quickly find themselves entangled in a web of blackmail, deception, and murder. As bodies start to drop and tensions rise, everyone becomes a suspect. Was it Miss Scarlett in the library? Colonel Mustard in the study? Or someone far more unexpected?

With doors slamming, accusations flying, and chaos unfolding at every turn, the characters must race to uncover the truth before it’s too late. But in a house full of secrets, nothing can be trusted and the truth is never quite what you expect.

With sharp comedy, larger than life characters, and a thrilling mystery at its core, Cluedo delivers non stop entertainment from start to finish. Keep your eyes peeled, your mind sharp, and your suspicions ready…you might just solve the crime before the final reveal!

Don’t miss out…this is one killer comedy you won’t want to miss!

How else to fit the board game on stage?

Went on the last night of the 3 night run, and it was packed (friends and family night? Dunno lah). Didn't help that I was running late (it started at 8 p.m., but IIRC it started about 20 minutes later...), and didn't have much choice in seats left (free seating), so whatever. Not as many young kids this time round? Just older ones. 

All the gameboard rooms on stage were mobile, so we the audience could see what's going on inside. A lot of visual gags, double entendres and puns. Like their previous production, they also made a trek through the audience, going off stage, up and down the stairs... which I kinda braced myself for.  

It was funny enough for some people, but I wasn't really feeling it at the time, cos I had a busy day on the day I went, and I was feeling kinda tired by the time I got there. 

I guess they had to clear out by 11 p.m. or something, cos for how long it was, the show ended around 10 p.m.?

Shamaine Othman - Oh No She Didn't

New week, another comic doing their hour long special. 

This week, it's Shamaine Othman's turn with her first hour (after so many years doing standup), "OH NO SHE DIDN'T", a one-night only show happening at DPAC. It's been YEARS since I was last there (last I was there was in the before-times) and even longer since for a comedy show. Luckily I got a ticket when I did, cos it sold out pretty quickly afterwards. If nothing else, at least it wasn't somewhere dingier - go big or go home.

Because it didn't rain, I got there in under 20 minutes, just as the doors are finally open and and people are streaming in because it's free seating. (Also didn't want to pay through the nose in parking cos it's still hourly parking on weekdays there, so I was erm, fashionably late)

So instead of wasting time in the foyer (not many makan options open at this time of night these days cos of the pandemic, I think, so it was just as well that I already had dinner beforehand), I joined the queue and sat in my favourite/default space.

 

It's all kind of interesting watching the who's who of local stage and screen showing their support - thespians, reality show contestants, fellow standup comics (who didn't have to be on stage themselves that night) and artistes... I don't know what percentage of the audience she was friends with, but I imagine it had got to be at least 60%? I'm still firmly in the minority "rando" demographic that I'm okay with. 

Being Malaysia, of course the show started at "Malaysian 8.30 p.m." aka after 8.45 p.m. 

Riezman was the opening act. Personally, I have nothing against Riezman, but I'm sure I would be more amused by his 10 minutes (?) set if I hadn't already heard it (or at least, most of it) most recently a few nights before, so that's on me. Everyone else laughed at some of the punchlines. 

I'm just hoping he also doesn't announce his own hour long show soon.

Shamaine's set was not bad. She mentioned that her parents are in the audience (who had never seen her do standup)... after she asked everyone if they wanted a clean set or not and the joke being that she never had a clean set to begin with. Knowing that she had this show to prepare for, I kinda avoided the open mics and shows she was doing in the weeks leading up to this, because I know if I went, I would just be stone faced from ennui. But I (or most of the audience) knew going in that the material was gonna be risque AF. 

A lot of the material I've heard before (there was boob, vag and sex talk), but still kinda funny so I can't complain. Her closing bit about trying to dispute a certain "hub" charge with "Siti from CIMB" over the phone was still hilarious AF.

Got a bit of everything - crowd work, prop comedy... 

Woman of the hour

Nick Payne's Constellations

Caught the local debut of a modern play (I mean 21st century modern as it premiered in 2012), Constellations by Nick Payne, by Rabbit Hole Productions for their debut production. Got a ticket pretty late (the first weekend of performances had come and gone) in the run (didn't know about it until I heard about it on BFM a few days before) - the penultimate show on Saturday night. Finally, a contemporary play (for me)! 

One relationship, infinite possibilities.

Constellations by Nick Payne was described by the New York Times as the most sophisticated date play Broadway has seen. This September 12th, the play is making its Malaysian debut. 

Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, meet at a party. They hit it off, and go for a drink. Or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. Perhaps Marianne is engaged to someone else, perhaps Roland is. Maybe she breaks his heart, maybe he breaks hers. Perhaps they come together and their love story can finally take root and grow, or perhaps it will be tragically cut short.

Constellations explores how even the smallest change in our lives can dramatically alter the course we take. It is a spellbinding exploration of love, science, quantum multiverse theory, and infinite possibility for heartbreak or for hope.

It was pretty full when I was there, which is not bad for a penultimate show (I think)? I also recognised some fellow audience members, performers coming to support their colleagues. It was also free seating, so it got a little nuts when the doors to DPAC's Black Box space upstairs were finally opened. The set was (I'm guessing) set in one corner of the space, with the audience split in two blocks of seating in different corners so they were watching the show from different angles. Not your usual theatre seating arrangement. 

It's the story of Marianne and Roland (played by Amelia Chen and Dominic Lucien Luk, respectively), but with different outcomes based on the decisions they made and directions they each take, but the basics remain the same. Reminded me of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. It's a lot of quick conversations and scenes as they go through the different permutations of their relationship, punctuated by the audio and light cues. 

If you don't like the movie Groundhog Day (or anything like it), then this might be bordering on annoying. It's about 70 minutes long, which was tolerable. Don't think I can tahan if it went on any longer. But I don't regret catching this one. I would say go watch it if there's a production near you. 

PS.

• I thought this was an interesting choice for a debut production. Considering it's a two hander play... it was probably easier to stage than a full blown, ensemble production? Maybe?
• I would've put this post out sooner, but life got in the way. Better late than never? 

Nassim Soleimanpour's BLANK, DPAC

Got a ticket to the Saturday night performance of BLANK, for the usual reasons. There were a number of both famous (and infamous) faces in attendance. 

Continuing the formal experiment that marked White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Nassim Soleimanpour brings us BLANK. In a joint effort between audience and performer, the gaps in the script are filled in to reveal a story that celebrates the human imagination. As formally inventive as it is engaging, Blank reverses the typical theatre experience: A script riddled with blanks leaves the audience in charge of how the story will unfold. The concept might be simple, the result is nothing short of empowering as a random audience member sees his or her future determined by the imagination of others.

Known for plays without directors, sets and rehearsals, the acclaimed Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour takes it to new extremes. Each night Nassim’s play full of blanks is to be completed by a new performer before a live audience. The play becomes a story machine to share the life-story of the playwright, the performer and a random audience member.

It's similar to White Rabbit, Red Rabbit (WRRB) (no rehearsal, etc), that much I knew going in. Like WRRB, each show in the run is done by a different performer. The performer for this night was Sharifah Amani, who I suppose did oh-kay, all things considered? She missed her place in the script a few times and had to rewind, but what to do?

Jo Kukathas kicks things off by introducing the concept (conceit?) of the show and the performer for a few minutes (all this is in the script). If we the audience don't know what's going to happen, the performer lagi dunno what's gonna happen.... in theory. 

Long story short: it involves a marker, stack of paper and having to be open to have a theatre full of randos know random bits about your life. It's like a game of Mad Libs with someone's life and a live theatre audience. She picked this lady in the front row who REALLY didn't want to be on stage to be the "protagonist" of the crowd sourced "story machine". I'm sure when she came to the show, she wasn't expecting to BE the show. My introvert self feels terrible for her.

Rest of the audience wasn't any better at the improv than she was when told to fill in the blanks for her post-show future (everyone had to fill in one blank at a time, passing the mic along). Luckily it didn't get to where I was. There was even a mock funeral at the end for the "protagonist" where everyone (except a certain someone) stood up for.

If you hate audience participation in your theatre-going as much as I do, don't go to this. Or do, but make sure you sit towards the back of the house. There's only one show left as this goes up, but if you want a different theatre experience... 

• Everyone was wearing those beige head mics, which didn't do much for sound, honestly. Chew Kin Wah (who was seated in the row in front of me) loudly asked why wasn't she projecting (which she could as a stage performer) her voice. She gestured that it wasn't her choice. But I think they killed her mic afters so that she could...? I mean, these are professional stage actors lah, they can PROJECT one.  
• It takes most people longer to think up of a lie on the spot than it is to tell the truth.... unless you're a sociopath.

Jit Murad's Gold Rain and Hailstones (2019 Production)

The Instant Café Theatre Company presents
GOLD RAIN & HAILSTONES
by Jit Murad

Outspoken and liberal Amy had always felt like a mutant back in Malaysia. So when her best friends Nina, Jay and Man returned home after studying abroad Amy stayed on. But now Amy’s beloved Bapak is dying and she hurries home. Amy’s homecoming causes chaos as she annoys, infuriates and exasperates her old friends. As she reconnects with them, Amy soon discovers she is not the only one struggling to belong. Successful 'Melayu Baru' Man, feisty upper-class wife and mother Nina, as well as fabulous celebrity make-up and beauty guru Jay, have all made difficult choices and compromises to belong in their own country. But can they accept each other’s Malaysia? And can they learn to love the hailstones?

Gold Rain and Hailstones by Jit Murad is a hilarious and often poignant tale of home, identity, friendship and family.

Directed by Gavin Yap
Featuring Ghafir Akbar, Sharifah Amani, Redza Minhat, Farah Rani

To be frank, when I had to exchange my ticket (from Saturday night to Tuesday night), I thought it was going to be a quiet, not full house, average middle of the run Tuesday night performance.

Good call having the book on sale.
Only got a programme and mug because they were RM 5 each.

Mana tau it was the totally opposite situation, and Jit was actually in attendance. Okaylah, the post play discussion might have something to do with why he was there. Him being there opening night is one thing, but the middle of the run?

One of the things I couldn't believe was that the play was going to be an hour 50 minutes without intermission. Which was an improvement over the 2.5 hours I sat through all those years ago.

To be fair, this production has 4 different actors playing the dozen or so parts between them, so the load is a little lighter, maybe?





This production got bigger budget than the previous ones, and it shows...

Check. out. this. stage. If it was me, I'd be bruised up going up and down those stairs. 

All I can say is: so that's what this play would look like if they had more money. I think some of the text was taken out. (Had to quickly skim through the book). Also, a lot of people didn't stay for the post show thing cos it was almost 11 p.m. when it all finished.

Post play making-of discussion, moderated by producer Jo Kukathas

If you can still get tickets you should go..(heard it sold out)

ProGRes - Alfian Sa'at's The Optic Trilogy, Iswadi Pratama's Sebuah Kenangan Antara Kita

It's been months since I was last at DPAC for a play, but when one of the productions is an adaptation of an Alfian Sa'at play, I had to go see. 

I would've gone on Friday night, but I remembered that parking on Saturdays and Sundays was a flat RM2, so Saturday night it was. 

THE OPTIC TRILOGY

The Optic Trilogy asserts that some acute level of self-understanding is a requisite if at least the possibility of real love, real relational connection, can transpire.

A play in three parts, the first part deals with a woman who is alienated from her homeland, and who hires a male escort as a misguided means of dealing with this alienation. The second part examines the long-standing desire of a male photographer for a woman he had fallen in love with when they were both teens. The last part looks at the attempt by a heterosexual woman to partner a gay man so that she might have a child - with the complication that they have actually shared the same lover, who had planned to marry her, but who in the end committed suicide.

I've tried to re-read the text after buying a ticket, but I only got as far as the second play before life got in the way. 

First half of the show I had no problems with. Alfred Loh and Amanda Ang were pretty good as Man and Woman. The overall theme hit close to home. They even got me to shed a tear towards the end. I don't know why they bothered with the Malay subtitles for this, but there were a lot of Malay people in attendance, so maybe it's for them? 

When intermission was announced, we were told to clear the space so that they could set up for the second play, Sebuah Kenangan Antara Kita (A Memory Between Us) 

This is an original Indonesian script won Best Playwright in 2003 at Alternative Theater Festival GKJ Awards (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta) and have been adaptation into German at Theatre Koln, Germany in 2009. Now, its a new interpretation by local and young director, Remy Eldhani to staging in new perspective within our contacts in Malaysia. It a story about of memories three couple when their come back to the city where they have meet before. However, memories remain a memories for them self. - this is the copy I got off the website, very powderful England. 

This is what we came in to after the intermission... 

They were going around in circles

Until intermission, I had no idea that a pair of idiots brought their toddler along. TO A 2 HOUR LONG THEATRE PRODUCTION. WTF IS THIS BULLSHIT. YOU DON'T DO THAT TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID GOOD MONEY TO SEE THE SHOW!! THAT'S JUST RUDE AF!!

You know you're not invested AT ALL when all
you notice is this guy has too much highlighter

It's presented in Bahasa Malaysia, Indonesia and English and people weren't getting it, but the toddler was starting to get antsy, so they moved to the back (like it was a good idea) and she started crying about maybe 20 minutes in. Her parents actually let her distract the place for almost 10 minutes with the crying until one of them took her outside, WHICH THEY SHOULD'VE DONE FROM THE START. I don't blame the child in this situation, I blame those two for bringing her there. In retrospect, I should've confronted them outside after the show about this, but I was just ready to go home. Or perhaps I should've just left during intermission. 

It was also laughable that the director of this production thought it didn't warrant English subtitles for those of us who aren't entirely fluent in either Bahasa Malaysia or Indonesia. But apparently someone thought it was a good idea to have (Malay) subtitles for the English play, which was projected unto the wall behind the action, which I noticed that it was being  projected faster than what was going on on stage. What happened to equal opportunity subtitling?

I don't know if it was the direction, script or the structure of Indonesian plays, but it seemed kinda messy to me. It was literally too much song and dance for me.

As far as double billed productions go, I would never have put these two together on the same bill. Production value pun tak sama. I don't know how they relate to each other. My guess was that people would've been upset if it they were paying to watch an hour long play, so they just add on another one to make it worth the price of admission? That's just my theory. 

TL;DR version: 

The Optic Trilogy - Thumbs up

This particular production of Sebuah Kenangan Antara Kita - Thumbs WAY DOWN 

There's still a couple more shows if you want to catch this. If you're not a masochist, maybe you don't come back after intermission je... 

Laman Artisan's Kelas Tambahan, DPAC

Got a ticket to the preview performance to new theatre company Laman Artisan's first public production, Kelas Tambahan, at DPAC's Black Box... mostly because it was RM25. Which I'm guessing was why it was sold out and pretty packed on an opening night, which is rare in my own experience. My guess is that everyone else are like friends and family of the cast and crew or something, so it was a little awkward for me as some rando just there for the lolz. 

Kelas Tambahan revolves around the brief life of Ikmal and the moments leading to his unfortunate demise. It made little sense to many as to why the body of a seventeen year old was found somewhere as innocent as a school. As investigation were being carried out, it was found that Ikmal's classmates from the extra class were the last few people who saw him alive. However, as the students were being interrogated, the students were not as innocent as they appear. Was there more to Ikmal's death than it seems.

Set in a high school after school class, it's about an investigation into the death of a top student. So there's a lot of flashbacks because half the plot is set in a police station where everyone is giving their statements. If you're familiar with school bullying (one way or the other) and the resulting deaths, it's a nerve touching issue all around because most of us went to school and have either heard of or experienced it in one way or another. It's also in both Malay and English, ratio of 70:30, so I don't know if angmo can watch this or not. 

Luckily the cast is young/youthful looking enough to pass off as high school students, so no complaints from me there. (Also, how'd they find uniforms that fit?). The only name I recognise was Timmy Ong, whom I remembered from the Tales from the Bedroom series.  

It's two hours long with a 10 (?) minute intermission (we had to leave during intermission, which I get if they were changing the set and didn't want the audience to see, but it didn't look any different when we came back in). It did get to the point I was wondering whether it was winding up or not. The ending made sense, I guess, but we as the audience were told afters not to spoil it. 

Honestly, the whole play just reminded me of the RTM1 afternoon dramas that my grandmother (probably still does, to this day) would watch. Or American after school specials.  But don't let me stop you from watching if you so desire. 

If you want to catch it, it's only happening for 4 more performances this weekend. 

Pitapat Theatre's An Enemy of the People. At the Moment

Living in the Klang Valley, you kind of take it for granted that you're never too far away from the performing arts in one form or another as it's the epicentre of the local arts scene. So when a theatre company from KK comes all the way to this side of the country to put on three performances over the weekend, the curiousity is piqued. So I plonked down RM45 to see this on their opening night on Saturday. 

It is an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People. The intention is to experiment an original theatre language that can identify who and where we are, what we are encountering with, through a classic play. Inspired by Bertolt Brecht and minimalism of Asian traditional form (Beijing Opera, Noh Theatre etc), this production will turn the original naturalistic play into a stylized interpretation. It will be performed in multilingual (English, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka).

Had forgotten my wallet (again) and by the time I double backed and got to DPAC's Black Box, I was cutting it real close but the doors weren't closed yet as I got there before Malaysian 8.30 p.m., aka 8.45 p.m. Sat right in the back this time because everyone else got the more plum seating, which I didn't mind too much. Was kinda surprised to see nearly a dozen white people in attendance. 

Between how I haven't had any coffee that day AT ALL (at least, until the 10-minute intermission) and how my body's telling me to rest to fight off this cold/flu bug, I really wasn't in the head space for this weird spectacle of a theatre performance. The first 15 minutes (them "getting into character") already baffled/annoyed me, but my inner sucker stayed on to see how it panned out, and the ROI was not great. I probably should've cabut-ed during intermission like some people clearly did, but I didn't. I dunno if the applause at the end was even genuine or out of politeness. 

I was so under the weather/annoyed by the show, I left an anonymous, confused feedback (they gave out forms at the door), and left as quickly as I could before the Q&A session started because I really wasn't in the mood for that. 

It wasn't for me, but also, if you're reading this now, there's one last performance on Sunday night. 

Huzir Sulaiman's The Weight of Silk on Skin

It's been about 12 years since there was ever a local production of Huzir Sulaiman's plays (that I was aware of, anyway), and about 13 years since I first saw the production of Atomic Jaya way back when. 

I had read the play when I got a copy of his latest compilation of plays, Huzir Sulaiman: Collected Plays 1998 - 2012 at the main Kinokuniya store (the one on Orchard Rd) in Singapore last year (I have no idea where to get a copy if you're outside Singapore). So I had a pretty good idea going in what it's about. 

I couldn't pass up a production of a Huzir Sulaiman play and I lagi couldn't pass up a erm, RM4 early bird discount by Theatrex Asia (RM45 instead of RM55; even DPAC members had to pay RM49) which involved a Google Docs online form, a Whatsapp convo and having to bank in money to the production company's Public Bank account... Like so dodgy liddat. 

I almost forgot that I was going opening night. Got there long enough so that I would only have to sit outside in the balmy weather for less than 10 minutes. The audience makeup is a bit odd in that there were a significant number of Mainland Chinese people (ehh??) for the show. Maybe they were students there for extra credit or something. I don't know, I'm just guessing. But it was a full house.

Previously performed by Ivan Heng (in 2011) and Adrian Pang in Singapore just last year, Dominic Lucien Luk is the youngest person in the role of John Au Yong. If I already didn't know that the character is in his late 40s and Dominic IRL is only a year older than yours truly, then I might be able to buy that. But I kind of didn't. If nothing else, I really felt the emotions in Dominic's delivery of the last lines and almost shed some tears myself. I also have to give the guy props for not being thrown off by the weird yips and out of place laughter. 

Reading the text, I hadn't expected the play to be so long that there would be a need for intermission. Which was just as well, as it felt stuffy inside the Black Box and the weather outside wasn't any better either.

Between the sinus headache, forgetting my wallet (stressing about how to pay for parking), and the random vocal tics from that one person, I had a tough time getting into John Au Yong's world. I suppose I should be glad I can always read the text.

• I don't know how many parents realise that how racy the text is. I can't imagine going to this show with my parents. Someone even brought 2 little girls to the show! 
• When the play first started, I heard the Chinese girl behind me go, "hao shuai" ROFL But didn't appreciate feeling her knees digging into the back of my seat later...
• BFM's resident theatre critic was also in attendance.
• Some person with Tourette's was in the audience. I don't know if it's the same person I've only ever heard when I go to certain shows (noticeably on opening nights). At least her vocal tics aren't coprolalic. But it's hard to get into it when you don't know when the next vocal tic (and resulting laughter from the audience reacting to that) is going to happen. 
• Having Tourette's suck, and the people who laughed should be ashamed of themselves.
• Anyone who's seen or read Atomic Jaya might recognise the name David Nussbaum, who gets name-dropped in this play too (I checked). I think I might be the only one who recognised this name.

Show started around 8.45 p.m., and ended around 10.30 p.m.

There's only 3 shows left in the run. If you can still get tickets, you should check this out. Perhaps you'll get more out of it than I did. 

Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika

Fifteen months since the staging of Part 1, they finally did the full six, seven hour production of Angels in America at DPAC. You have a choice of either watching them both on the same day on the weekends (Part One in the afternoon, Part Two in the evening), and either one on the other weeknights. Since I can't be arsed to sit through Part One again, I opted for just Part Two that I saw on the first night of this run on Saturday.

Anticipating that it would be freezing cold inside, I went and had tom yam for dinner downstairs. Then I had to deal with the humidity while waiting outside the Black Box space. Oy vey. 

Heard that the numbers for the evening performance doubled the matinee attendance. Which wasn't saying much, because it wasn't really a full house to start with. Went with a friend who saw the matinee earlier and suggested we sit in the middle because there were things happening on the sides that you might not be able to watch if you sat in either side. 

Yep, that's the cast, just sitting there.

So the roles of Louis, Belize and one of the minor characters got recast since the previous production, and I kind of missed the previous guy (Jon Chew) who played Louis. Everyone else came back to reprise their roles. Dunno whether to laugh or cry at Qahar Aqilah who spent most of the play as a dying Roy Cohn, only to move and dance like a crazy person in the last third of the play. While there might have been pretty negligible fuck ups, but nothing that would make anyone want their ticket refunded. 

Tickets have gone nearly double since the previous run - even as a DPAC member, I had to pay RM60 for my ticket. 

We were told that Perestroika would be three hours long with two 10-minute intermissions. I'm just glad there wasn't applause every time an act came to an end. It ran so long, it was past midnight by the time I got home. 

While it was nice to finally see how the play ended and tied up most of its loose ends from Part One, but I don't think I could stand (haha) to watch it again. With everyone playing multiple characters, this play being "complex" is a complete understatement. I didn't hate it, but wouldn't watch it again. 

Stray observation: 

• As a sucker for outerwear (as someone who lives in the tropics, I can't be the only one), I can't help but wonder where Dominic got his long hoodie sweater :P 

W!ld Rice's Another Country

Got myself a seat to the local (Malaysian) production of W!ld Rice's Another Country at DPAC on last night, which was also opening night.

Basically, the Malaysians perform text excerpts from Singapore (curated by Alfian Sa'at, directed by Jo Kukathas) and Ivan Heng directs the Singaporeans as they perform the excerpted texts from Malaysia (curated by Leow Puay Tin). 

The show was about 2.5 hours long with intermission. The Malaysians (Ghafir Akbar, Sharifah Amani, Anne James, Alfred Loh and Iedil Putra) had the first 90 minutes as they travelled through time. Some of the pieces I liked, others I could've done without. 

Before they let everyone out for intermission, the Singaporean cast (Sharda Harrison, Gani Karim, Lim Yu-Beng, Janice Koh and Siti Khalijah Zainal) played the "tikam-tikam" game with the audience, a game of chance that determines which pieces get performed in what order, with the first and last pieces already predetermined. I don't think I was the only one in the house happy to see that Jit Murad's Gold Rain and Hailstones was the first one drawn (Jit was also present, but I think he left before or after his play was covered).

They have to do as many as they can within ONE HOUR. Some of the titles I recognised (Gold Rain and Hailstones I saw back in 2006 and I caught the most recent run of Emily of Emerald Hill, others sounded vaguely familiar to me). They only got as far as #20 (Who's Bad?) before time ran out. I probably would've liked to see the remaining pieces, especially Poultry Tales: The Chef's Secret, but oh well.  They have the entire list in the programme (RM5), which was the only reason why I caved and got one during intermission.

Show ended pretty late, a little after 11.30 p.m..? All in all, I thought it was okay. though you might need some caffeine before you go in to it. 

Managed to snap this during intermission

They have to do as many as they can in ONE hour.

It runs until the 14th, and then the production moves on to Singapore, which starts there June 25th to July 11th. 

• One of the (small) perks of going on opening night is the who's who of the local arts scene that turn up to "support" the production, people whom I've seen and heard over the years on various mediums. If I name dropped everyone I saw, it would take too long.  
• It rained during the evening rush hour, but had receded by the time I left the house. For the time I left the house, I was glad that I made it okay and early enough. 
• If you can get to the restrooms fast enough, DO IT!!
• They finally started charging for parking at Empire Damansara: RM1 for first hour, RM1 an hour after that on weekdays; on weekends, the first hour's RM2. 

Angels in America: Part One - Millennium Approaches

Only found out about it because someone wanted to go see it and because there was flat rate admission. I will freely admit that I didn't know too much about it going in. 

From the Facebook event page... (mostly because I can't be backside-d to explain what it's about)

theatrethreesixty presents the Malaysian premiere of

ANGELS IN AMERICA: PART ONE - MILLENNIUM APPROACHES 

Written by Tony Kushner

Directed by Christopher Ling 

Featuring: Alexis Wong, Azzad Mahdzir, Belinda Hon, Dominic Lucien Luk, Jon Chew, Nicole-Ann Thomas, Qahar Aqilah, Sandra Sodhy & Tan Meng Kheng 

It is 1985. Prior Walter is HIV positive. His partner leaves him for a Mormon. Then he gets a visit from an angel who says it is up to him to save mankind. Meanwhile, love/hate, heaven and earth, past and future collide. 

In honour of the 20th anniversary of its commission, theatrethreesixty presents the Malaysian premiere of Tony Kushner's epic Pulitzer and Tony award-winning comedy directed by Christopher Ling, featuring an ensemble led by Qahar Aqilah, Dominic Lucien Luk, Jon Chew and Sandra Sodhy.

One of the most honoured American plays in history, ANGELS IN AMERICA was awarded two Tony Awards for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was made into an Emmy Award-winning HBO film in 2003 and has received hundreds of performances worldwide in more than twenty-six languages.

I wasn't expecting so many people in attendance for a Sunday matinee performance (about 80 - 90% full house?). Which made me wonder if the flat rate ticket price was a factor (most likely), and also that some of the fellow attendees were media types and friends/family of the director and cast. 

You've been warned.

The set was pretty elaborate but made a butt load of sense for the script. What I appreciated was the projections that tell you the act number, date and place so you know what's going on. They were also not kidding about potentially offensive themes and language. Some people gasped when two dudes kissed, to which I thought, "what did you think was gonna happen?". Or when one of the guys dropped trou (but not totally butt naked, this is Malaysia). 

For a play that's about 3 hours long (not including the 15 minute intermission) that's pretty heavy, it has its light moments, but I was tired, overheated and out of it to laugh. I was also (but not the only one) distracted from the random yips, yelps and exclamations which I'm not entirely sure was from someone in the audience or if it was part of the play's design. I was so out of it, I didn't know the play had ended when it did. I was just glad I went for matinee and not the evening performance because it almost 6.30 p.m. by the time we were done. I don't know if Part 2 is ever happening, but if it does, I'll go because of the completist in me will want to. If you're looking for light entertainment, this is not it. But if you're looking for something provoking, then you're welcome to check this out. I thought it was okay, but I'm okay with just watching it once.

Tickets are RM38; there's a mid week and Sunday matinee flat rate admission for RM28, but free seating. There are concessions and other ticketing promotions, and running until the next weekend. Find out more here. The online programme is here. 

PS. Had to appreciate that one of the partners was Cat in the Box, who of course was selling food and drink outside the Black Box.

PPS. No wonder I had mild deja vu - I had seen Jon Chew and Qahar Aqilah on stage together over a year ago when they did Philadelphia, Here I Come! at klpac.

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• Philadelphia, Here I Come!

Kuah Jenhan: Good, Bad, Nasty!

Dinner started so late that by the time I got to DPAC for the second show of the run (out of four), I only had time to collect the ticket (and get the RM3 cardholders' refund; therefore recouped the cost of the card, woo!), get upstairs and in line (free seating) in the sweltering heat with everyone else outside the Black Box space. They only decided to let the cattle in close to 8.30 p.m.

Show started at 8.45 p.m. on the dot (haha) with little "Jacinth" (sp? played by Charmaine Koh) singing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Mis, which was a pretty good rendition. Then came the "flash back" sketch with young Jenhan (played by Marcus Chan), losing Jacinth to a "bad boy" (Bailey Martin) which was pretty cute, but also thought: CHILD LABOUR! I kid, I kid. (Geddit?) 

Getting bright lights shone right in your face in a small, darkened, enclosed space is about as pleasant as strobe lighting (which I also detest). If you saw this year's MACC show, that was a sneak preview for this show. Jenhan made his entrance on a motorbike, in the shadows. The lighting design was used to good effect. All I can say is that he looks like post-accident Harvey Dent (but less yong sui; even the pants are two different colours!). I give the dude props for the dedication to pulling the look off, and I totally get now why only 4 shows :P

His set was how after being a nice, confused guy and also friendzoned by the female species, he goes on about how being a "bad boy" has turned his erm, dating life around. I could totally relate to the friendzoned part #storyofmylife I was so tired that the most I could do is #facepalm and laugh ruefully.

For some inexplicable reason, there was also a brief Q&A session (maybe because the show was only 45 minutes long?) which went a little south towards the end, which made me realise that there were kids in the audience. Give the grown ups props for bringing them, but they might have some 'splaining to do. I would give them more credit as kids these days are precocious, whether you want to admit it or not. And obligatory (at this point) poster signing. 

There might be some tickets left for the matinee show tomorrow, but the last show is totally sold out. Try your luck: Got song, got kids, got laughs. But don't bring the kids.

Stray observations: 

• Also glad to see that he bought the panties used on stage (and are not donated), but I would like to know what's gonna happen to them after the run, haha. 
• Inner Circle's Bad Boys is going to stick in the head now, in between the Taio Cruz and Kylie song, Higher and the Snow Patrol ballads. Kanasai.
• I hope those kids are getting adequate compensation, haha.
• Luckily for #foreveralone yours truly, the WiFi works while waiting in line outside and inside, waiting for the show to start.

Emily of Emerald Hill

Since I started theatregoing in my college years, there's always a run of Stella Kon's Emily of Emerald Hill happening every so often (Every few years, I think?). But I figure like anything else, there is always another run happening in the future. So this has never made a strong bleep in my radar. But better late than never, I suppose.

Emily of Emerald Hill is a dramatic monologue. The entire 2-act play is performed by 1 stage actress, Pearlly Chua who narrates, reviews and enacts her life as daughter, wife and mother. But there are two roles in it--Emily and you. You play the part of Emily's friend to whom she confides the story of her life and gradually exposes the secrets of her mind.

So the lead in this production, Pearlly Chua, has a huge milestone coming in that by the end of the run here at DPAC, she would have played the role of Emily 200 times, which is more than anyone else in the history of this particular play. 

Drove over in the heavy pouring rain (I realise that at least half the time I go to a live show, I'm always driving in crappy weather), didn't take too long to collect my ticket at the box office (and got my refund in ticket price difference, yay!) and walked over to Brew Time for a hot chocolate. Regretfully, it tasted more like hot milk with a hint of chocolate than hot chocolate. 

It started around 8.45 p.m. once everyone was seated. It wasn't a full house and I moved to another seat after the 15 minute intermission. Performance itself was about 100 minutes, so the intermission came after the first hour. I took the intermission to buy a copy of the play (RM42, but can't grumble about the price too much as I don't think I could find it elsewhere anyway) before the mad rush to get them on the way out (which was what happened). Director Chin San Sooi was also in attendance.

As a one-woman show, there is some audience interaction. So if I was you, I would not want to sit in the front rows because having Pearlly Chua as Emily stare right at you is a bit unnerving, let alone address you. I didn't laugh as much as other people did, but that's just me. Definitely wasn't expecting to see white people in attendance, let alone tall, bald white dudes who sat in the front row and was part of the market scene, haha. 

If you've seen this in the past, let me know what you thought it of then. Or if you've seen it this run, let me know what you thought of it also. Anyway, the current run started on Thursday and will end next weekend. 

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• SHOWBIZ: Emily returns

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit at DPAC

Bought a ticket online pretty much on a whim the night before the final local performance of the theatrical experiment White Rabbit, Red Rabbit at DPAC (Damansara Performing Arts Centre). The premise was interesting: a different actor for every performance for a written piece that requires no set, director or rehearsal. Performers receive the script on stage and perform it right there and then. Yes, the performer will be going into it blind. So will the audience.

Presented by the Instant Café Theatre in association with Aurora Nova Productions, this experimental script was penned by the 33-year-old Soleimanpour as an exit strategy when he was denied his passport by the Iranian authorities for not doing the obligatory two-year military service.

19 Feb (Wed) @ 8.30pm - Ghafir Akbar (English script)
20 Feb (Thu) @ 8.30pm - Iedil Putra (Bahasa)
21 Feb (Fri) @ 8.30pm - Anne James (English)
22 Feb (Sat) @ 3.00pm - Sharifah Amani (Bahasa)
22 Feb (Sat) @ 8.30pm - Pete Teo (English)
23 Feb (Sun) @ 2.00pm - Ee Ling Tang (Mandarin)
23 Feb (Sun) @ 4.00pm - Kuah Jenhan (English)

I don't know if it's because it's the last performance or that it's a Sunday afternoon, but I saw some local personalities this time. Turns out it was there was going to be a post-run discussion with all the other performers (and also the playwright?) present. Nope, didn't pay the RM10 donation to check out the discussion. Oh well. 

People were crowding around the door because it was free seating. I got an okay seat for myself. There was also some audience participation, which made me glad that I wasn't in the front row. I was a little upset that I was too far in the middle to get the copy of the script. 

Figured that with the MACC run this week, Jenhan wouldn't have had the chance to catch the show beforehand. That, and being a comedian who's done some improv comedy (notably, Actorlympics), this might be up his alley. I thought he killed it. Of course I had no baseline to compare.

The Actor and his wabbits

And yes, the story does involve rabbits. With a bit of a dark streak. 

While the actual performance was at most an hour long, but the script was so engrossing, it really felt longer than it was. There was also no intermission, which made me regret wearing slippers because my feet were FREEZING. 

Anyhow, if there was ever a performance of White Rabbit, Red Rabbit happening near you, go for it.