MALAYSIAN musical 'The Working Dead', first staged in 2019, returns to the stage, eager to captivate theatre lovers with its catchy songs, moving story and relatable themes.
Presented by KULT Productions, it has 12 performers, and will feature all the songs that made the show a hit when it was first performed.
The music, composed by Lydia Tong and Kelvin Loh, will be performed by a five-piece band under music director Lee Han.
PJPAC
The show will be performed at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre at One Utama, Petaling Jaya, from Nov 8 to 10.
Producer Terence Toh said: "The Working Dead' premiered in 2019 but so many of its themes continue to resonate today.
"Many of us are caught up with hustle culture. We're pressured to be productive, just to keep up with societal demands.
"We ignore our wellbeing and time spent with our loved ones, in the pursuit of paychecks.
"We think all these sacrifices will pay off in the long run, but will they really?"
CAMMIES
'The Working Dead', which was nominated for 13 awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards 2019 and won three, tells the story of Edwin, a salaryman who dies on the job.
His demanding boss, Chan, hires a bomoh to bring him back to life to finish his tasks, and it is up to his wife Sarah and colleagues to save him.
Heartwarming and hilarious, the musical touches on themes, such as love, family, sacrifice, money and societal expectations.
NEW CAST
Brian Cheong and Colin Kirton reprise their roles as Derek and Mr Chan.
The new cast includes Adry Nasution, Amirah Redza, Jewel Chen, Jonathan Lim, Khoo Yan Yu, Lee Sher Maine, Rachel Liu and Salma Zafri.
Also returning from the 2019 production are director Nicole Ann-Thomas, choreographer Kenny Shim and production designer Christopher Ling.
HOLISTIC
The musical is supported by the Dignity For Children Foundation, a non-governmental organisation providing care and education for marginalised and urban poor children in Kuala Lumpur.
Part of the musical's profits will be channelled to the foundation.
WELL-RECEIVED
Toh said: "A lot of the first 'Working Dead' was well-received, so we are keeping all its fundamental parts.
"Most of the story is the same and all the songs have been retained.
"We have streamlined and improved the musical, taking into account audience responses from the first time.
"Some of its lines have been modernised. For instance, in the old musical, there were references to speaking on Skype. Now they use Zoom.
"And some of the scenes have been tightened up and streamlined.
DELIGHTED
"A few jokes have been changed, removed or added.
"While a lot of the choreography and music direction is kept from the first show, we have also added a lot of new changes, which we believe makes the story stronger."
When asked about the response to the first season, he said that he was delighted with the response.
"We had great houses. Nine of our 16 shows were full houses.
"A lot of people liked our musical's humour, its talented cast, its relatable storyline, its themes of work-life balance and catchy music.
MESSAGE
"People who watch it are inspired to think about what is important and are encouraged to make changes.
"They realise the importance of spending time with the people they love, and not be too distracted by career or materialism.
"Also, don't turn your employees into zombies. It never ends well."
PANDEMIC
He added: "I think 2024 audiences may interpret and relate to this musical differently than 2019 audiences.
"This is because new audiences have been through the pandemic, which altered many people's perceptions of work and corporate life."
He added that people were more used to things like remote working and flexible hours, and thus had more appreciation for the characters' desires to work hard while maintaining time for their loved ones.
MINIMAL
"We have about five youths from the Dignity For Children Foundation in the musical. They are mostly in their late teens or early 20s.
"Most have minimal stage experience, and some are even making their stage debut.
"These kids are talented, and I have been impressed with their passion and dedication to the show."
IDA
He said all cast members had impressed him.
"We have a good mix of new performers and veterans, and I am awed by their talent.
"The only main cast member I have never worked with before is Ida Mariana Azmi.
"I am so honoured to be working with such an iconic performer, and am glad she decided to come on board."
There are 22 songs in the musical, which cover rock, pop, gospel, jazz and salsa.