“And the safer we are, the longer we’re safe, the further away the horrors.” – ANDY
The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac) brings to you OCTOPUS by American playwright Steve Yockey, tackling increasingly common relationship quandaries with an edge. OCTOPUS premiered in 2008 with the Actor’s Express Theatre Company in Atlanta, Georgia, and will play in Malaysia for the first time.
After young couple Kevin and Blake engage …in an adventerous and hastily planned night of “fun” with the older, more “experienced” Max and Andy, they are left trying to salvage their relationship from a pummeling mix of jealousy, betrayal, telegrams from a soaking wet delivery boy and a ravenous sea monster from the ocean floor. Rendered through post-modern lens, OCTOPUS slips from domestic comedy into a dark fable examining the role and depth of commitment in relationships and what it really means to say the words “I love you”.
Experimental and queer-friendly, OCTOPUS challenges audience members to reinterpret their outlook on emotional and physical struggles through the realism of relationships: love, commitment, lust and fear. This production of OCTOPUS is directed by klpac’s Director-in-Residence, Kelvin Wong and will feature an eclectic cast of household names like Malik Taufiq and William Quah, alongside up-and-coming writer Nandang Abdul Rahman and newcomers Jack Lua and Edmund Wong. OCTOPUS will also feature original music from singer-songwriter Elvira Arul.
“A fiercely imaginative and finely tuned new voice… [OCTOPUS’] tentacles tickle the funny bone, awake the mind and tug on the heart.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“… full of arresting images… classic tragedy seen through a very contemporary ironic lens.” – Marin Independent Journal
“This tale of two couples’ group fling and its serious consequences arrives at a powerful statement about illness and love.” – Variety
“OCTOPUS moves from naturalism to something strange and surreal, taking a high-risk gamble with audience acceptance that pays off at nearly the last possible minute… affirms Yockey’s holdness in venturing into uncharted theatrical waters.” – Creative Loafing Atlanta
*STRICTLY FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY
Date & Time | 16 – 18 Dec & 20 – 22 Dec @ 8:30pm; 19 Dec @ 3pm
Venue | Pentas 2, klpac
Ticket Price | RM38 (adults), RM25 (students & the disabled)
Promotion | Get 1 ticket for OCTOPUS and 1 ticket for BIRDY (directed by Christopher Ling, 2-12 Dec) for only RM60! (only applicable for Adult tickets purchased in a single receipt)
Executive Producer | Dato’ Faridah Merican
Artistic Director | Joe Hasham OAM
Playwright | Steve Yockey
Director | Kelvin Wong
Production Manager | Michelle Yip
Stage Manager | Robert Halim
Music Design | Elvira Arul
Sound Design | Jason Lee
Sound Operation | Mohd. Ezanin Mazlan
Lighting Design & Operation | Boy (Mohamed Faizul Arrif)
Lighting Apprentice/Publicist | Freddy Tan
Cast | Malik Taufiq, Jack Lua, Nandang Abdul Rahman, Edmund Wong & Will Quah
BOX OFFICE:
Call / walk in | klpac @ Sentul Park (03 4047 9000)
Call / walk in | The Actors Studio @ Lot 10 (03 2142 2009 / 2143 2009)
For more information on BIRDY (directed by Christopher Ling, 2-12 Dec), click here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=164092463623645&index=1