This November, for one weekend only, the KL Shakespeare Players (KLSP) will present two captivating performances that bring the magic of Shakespeare to life for audiences of all ages.
The performances
- Shakespeare Demystified: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Date: November 16
Time: 8pm
Venue: Chemsains Auditorium
Tickets: RM100/RM85/RM70 (Use the promo code LOVE4DRAMA to get five per cent off when you buy four tickets in a single purchase for any tier.).
Enjoy Shakespeare’s funniest play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, performed by six dynamic actors using 15-inch puppets inspired by Teochew Opera and half-masks from Simone Tani’s trance masks. This production is designed to make Shakespeare accessible and enjoyable for all audiences, as KLSP blends original scenes with modern narration. No prior knowledge of Shakespeare’s work is required to enjoy this production!
- Storytelling Shakespeare: Macbeth
Date: November 17
Time: 4pm
Venue: Islamic Information Centre
Target Audience: Children aged 5 and up
Tickets: RM50 (early bird)/RM60 (November 11 onwards)
Bring the whole family for “Storytelling Shakespeare: Macbeth”, a modern adaptation tailored for young audiences. In contemporary English with iconic lines like “Fair is foul, and foul is fair”, this interactive show invites audience participation, from battle cries to key scenes. This engaging retelling captures the essence of Shakespeare’s tale while making it fun and relatable for children of all ages to enjoy Shakespeare’s gripping story of ambition and tragedy.
Why should Kuchingites watch these two plays?
For certain, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is one of Shakespeare’s most successful comedies. It is a play that engenders belly laughs. This production by KLSP enhances the comedy by featuring an all-male cast, with the larger men playing the female roles, underscoring the absurdities of our assumptions. This production, which has been performed over 40 times, has never failed to make the audience bend double with laughter.
As for “Storytelling Shakespeare: Macbeth”, it is a great way to introduce Shakespeare to a young audience. Although the story is about ambition and a lust for power, it is told in a context that young audiences are familiar with: a playroom with building blocks and dolls. It is as if three children are role-playing and collectively narrating a story.
The interactive format of this performative storytelling allows the audience to participate and even recite lines from the play. This family-friendly performance has been staged more than 60 times and has travelled to Manila, Philippines; Seoul and Asan, South Korea; Jakarta, Indonesia; and online to Singapore.
Words from KL Shakespeare Players
Lim Soon Heng, co-founder of KLSP, shares, “Knowing Shakespeare gives people a cultural bridge to connect with others across the world. His works have stood the test of time and continue to resonate.”
Addressing the belief that Shakespeare should only be presented in its “pure” form, co-founder Lim Kien Lee says, “Even the Royal Shakespeare Company doesn’t perform ‘pure Shakespeare’. Choices are made between the First Folio, Quartos, or a blend of both. Our approach blends canonical Shakespearean language with modern narrative for clarity. I believe a four-hour ‘pure’ Shakespeare would alienate newcomers and confirm the Bard’s reputation as difficult.”
About KLSP Founded in 2011, KLSP is Malaysia’s only theatre company dedicated to making Shakespeare’s works accessible to all. They perform annually across all Malaysian states and internationally, including in Italy, the Philippines, South Korea, and Indonesia, ensuring that audiences everywhere can enjoy Shakespeare’s timeless language.
