KUALA LUMPUR: An enticing exploration of human relationships from different perspectives will be presented in the belated Valentine's Day play, Her Story/His Story, set to be staged at Auditorium A of Komtar in Penang from March 1 to 2.
Born out of the need for a creative outlet during the pandemic amid the ongoing lockdowns, the work was part of an online playwriting project spearheaded by producer and director Fa Abdul in early 2021.
In 2023, 20 monologues produced through the workshop were staged in a successful two-instalment collaboration between Big Nose Productions, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre, and The Actors Studio.
To fit into the Valentine's Day theme, Fa has handpicked six poignant monologues to be staged in Penang for the first time.
The monologues are inspired by real-life experiences and written by new talents in the Malaysian performing arts industry, namely Binnu, AC Wong, Faizal Sohaimi, Bina K, Bing Hou, and Lawrence Chin.
The colourful monologues will be brought to life by six wonderful actors from different backgrounds – a celebrity chef turned stand-up comedian, former Miss Universe Malaysia runner-up, lawyer, engineer, arts curator, and an acting coach (Tommes, Swarna Naidu, Lauren Tan, Ian Lee, Ivan Gabriel, and Izatul Akmal, respectively).
Structurally, Her Story / His Story follows the simple, classic, confessional monologue style.
According to Fa, this approach allows the storyteller and the story itself to be the stars of the show.
Fa claims the 80-minute show will charm its audience with familiarity.
"After the show, the storytellers will no longer be seen as mere actors, but as friends we care deeply for," she said in a statement yesterday.
To support the almost stagnant theatre industry in Penang, tickets to Her Story / His Story are offered at a very affordable price of RM28.
Big Nose Productions will be retaining the same ticket price for all its theatre productions in Penang this year.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.cloudjoi.com/org/big-nose-productions.
Note that there will be mature language, themes, and content in this show. No children will be allowed entry.
Next in line in Penang from Fa Abdul and Big Nose Productions is a full-length drama entitled Leela Jhansi, which will be staged in May.