AFTER winning three BOH Cameronian Arts Awards recently, Liver & Lung, a critically acclaimed theatre company with Malaysian and British roots, is reviving its sold-out adaptation of Yasmin Ahmad’s masterpiece film, Sepet The Musical, this August.
They will also be treating audiences to a preview of their brand-new original musical, Songs Inspired by A Little Life.
This will be KL’s first live-theatrical production since the Movement Control Order (MCO).
The double bill will be staged over three weekends in August from 7-9, 14-16, 21-23 (Fridays through Sundays) in partnership with GMBB, a creative community mall in Bukit Bintang.
“Directing Sepet The Musical was a lifechanging experience,” said Shafeeq Shajahan, co-founder of Liver & Lung and recent recipient of the Boh Cameronian Arts Award for Best Direction.
“Gaining recognition from Kakiseni was both humbling and deeply rewarding. We wanted to celebrate the win by reviving the show for new audiences and bring the hope that Yasmin Ahmad inspired to a post-Covid world. It’s time that Malaysia enjoys theatre again.”
Double bill
For the first time, Liver & Lung will be presenting Malaysians with a double bill teaming Sepet The Musical with a first look at their new musical Songs Inspired by A Little Life.
Inspired by Hanya Yanagihara’s award-winning novel, the musical tells the story of brilliant and enigmatic, Jude, a successful lawyer who must learn to confront his past before it defines his life forever.
“We wanted to go bigger and better!” says Hannah Shields, co-founder of Liver & Lung. “To thank our audiences for their continued support, we decided to treat them to a thirty-minute preview of our brand-new show complete with original songs, incisive storytelling and an immersive set up.”
Liver & Lung have been working closely with their venue partner, GMBB, to ensure necessary SOP sanctions are in place for the performance.
“We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable evening,” explains Hannah. “Of course, we’ll be adding some Liver & Lung magic to the social distancing protocols so they feel part of the overall experience. Who knows, Jason could be checking your temperature on your way into the venue?”
“Both musicals have heart and focus on intelligent characters overcoming personal obstacles. At Liver & Lung, we’re committed to creating theatre that provides audiences with emotive reactions and we hope these shows do just that,” Shafeeq adds.
“Enjoy the double bill!”
With a run time of two hours 45 minutes, Sepet The Musical stars Joshua Gui and Badrika Bahadur as Jason and Orked respectively.
Gui will then be taking on the role of Jude St Francis in Songs Inspired by A Little Life with Badrish Isdin (also co-composer of Sepet The Musical) playing the younger Jude.
“We encourage everyone who comes to see Sepet The Musical to dress in their best Sepet-inspired attire (cotton baju kurungs). Food will be served MCO-style. It’s going to be a fun, moving and heartfelt evening,” declared Shafeeq.
