KL Shakespeare Players (KLSP) and the Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project of Japan announce the staging of SOUL of Odyssey an international collaboration from 26 October to 29 October at the Damansara Performing Arts Centre (dpac).

This reimagined work, based on the Greek classic by Homer, devises and reimagines the hero’s journey and his attempts to rise from the ashes of war, chaos, and battles with deities. It questions and explores how human beings react to forces perceived to be out of their control.
Or as in the proverbial question: “What happens to ants when elephants fight?”

The Odyssey is re-presented here with Odysseus facing challenges and encounters with various powerful characters, mythical creatures, gods and goddesses, and other obstacles that he must overcome. His absence leaves his wife, Penelope; and his son, Telemachus to unwanted threats and risks. In this production, Penelope’s plight is not ignored. She too navigates her way through the boorish suitors and competes with goddesses just as Telemachus steers himself to adulthood and becomes a son worthy of his father’s reputation.

SOUL of Odyssey will weave different performative practices, traditions and elements–dialogue, storytelling, movement, dance, live videos, live music, songs, and chants–wrapped together with the aesthetic vision to create an integrated work that harmonizes sensory perceptions.

In short, a multimedia, multisensory experience that informs holistically without privileging the intellect. Actors will speak in Bahasa Melayu, Chinese, English and Japanese.

This collaboration with the Hiroshi Koike Bridge Project (https://kikh.org/) gives the production an international dimension, not only on the local stage but also when the production travels.

Hiroshi Koike, the artistic director, intends to take a few Malaysian performers to continue evolving the production for an international event: the Osaka Exposition 2025.

This project is sponsored by Yayasan Hasanah ArtsFAS 2023; EXPO’70 Fund, Kansai Osaka 21 Century Association SOUL of Odyssey
(suitable for secondary school and above)

Dates & Times
26 & 27 October @10.00am (for school bookings only)
28 October @8.00pm (public shows)
29 October @3.00pm (public show)

Venue:
Black Box
Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC)

Duration
90-100 minutes

Tickets
RM100 – standard
RM75 – students
RM70 – group booking of 40 and above

Enquiries
klsp@klshakespeare.com.my
(Whatsapp) +6012 65306987

Directed by: Hiroshi Koike
Assistant Director: Lim Kien Lee
Featuring:
Lim Soon Heng (actor)
Lee Swee Keong (dancer)
Lee Swee Seng (martial artist)
Imai Jinya (Noh actor)
Santosh Logandran (musician)
Sofia Anderson (actor-dancer)
Seng Soo Ming (actor)
Mohd Adlan (dancer)
James Kan (dancer)
Tin Raman (actor)

Playwright: Hiroshi Koike
Music Composer: Santosh Logandran
Musicians: Santosh Logandran & Imai Jinya
Set Designer: Omar Ali & Yusman Mokhtar
Costume Designer: Omar Ali & Yusman Mokhtar
Lighting Designer: Amelia Tan

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All images sourced from KLSP & The Trustees of the British Museum