The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat’s 2024 highlight is a family saga unlike any other. The Sisters Soong is slated to premiere on 31 August 2024 and run until 8 September 2024 in Pentas 1, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).
Set to be its biggest production of the year, The Sisters Soong marks another exciting milestone for Malaysian theatre's legendary husband-and-wife team, Joe Hasham OAM and Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican. Though they have worked on many productions together, The Sisters Soong brought to life by an award-winning cast will mark the first time Merican will be directing a play written by Hasham in over 30 years.
This brand-new play in English relates the story of the famous and somewhat infamous sisters; three of the most influential siblings of 20th century China.
Well-known for her love of classic tales, Merican shared “In my early years of acting, apart from performing in timeless classics like Uda dan Dara, I also acted in Ribut, which was a Bahasa Malaysia adaptation of Tsao Yu’s Thunderstorm under the direction of the late Mustaffa Noor. In 2017, I decided to direct it in English and re-staged it in Hokkien and Cantonese two years later. It was wonderful to see such a diverse audience enjoying a classic work.”
She added, “Thereafter, I decided that I wanted to tell the story of three extraordinary and strong women that have fascinated me – three sisters who made their mark during a tumultuous period dominated by men, journeying through ups and downs, countless trials and tribulations which, at times, put their sibling love to test. It was quite a wait due to the pandemic but my dream will finally be realised.”
The three women are none other than the Soong sisters. Born in China and educated in America, “Big Sister” Ai-ling went on to marry banker H.H. Kung, who later became Finance Minister while “Red Sister” Ching-ling tied the knot with the Father of Modern China, Sun Yat-sen, and “Little Sister” Mei-ling married Chiang Kai-shek.
In this modern retelling that alternates between fact and fiction, Hasham emphasised, “The dramatic nuances throughout the play have been treated with a modicum of artistic licence. I started writing this play in January this year after some 500 pages worth of research, the historical aspect forms just the basis of this play. I am certain modern-day audiences will enjoy this entertaining presentation complete with dance and music as well as a dash of history.”
Under klpac Connect, an access and development initiative supported by Yayasan Sime Darby, schools may register their interest to obtain free sponsored student tickets. Schools may register their interest via bit.ly/klpac-connect-registration.
Also part of klpac Connect, there will be two post-show talks on 1 and 8 September 2024 where audiences can gain deeper insights into the creation process, the talents involved and what it took to bring this extraordinary production to life.
Regular tickets, priced from RM78 to RM188 (Patron of the Arts). Super early bird promotion is available until 31st of July from RM58. Concession pricing is available, tickets can be purchased online via www.cloudjoi.com.
