Insightful monologues by new writers in 'Her Story' and 'His Story'

At the height of the pandemic in 2021, playwright and columnist Fa Abdul began the online projects "Her Story" and "His Story".

Now a combined 20 monologues that are colourful, surreal, humorous and deeply introspective will be staged in two instalments at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).

“Her Story” showcases the work of 12 female writers while “His Story” will showcase the work of eight male writers, of various backgrounds and age groups.

The monologues share each writer’s life experiences with themes touching on human conditions and stories that are relatable and filled with cultural relevance and context. There will also be some plot twists!

‘Storytelling is a powerful tool…’

“This is my second theatre project involving monologue series. My first attempt at monologues was Tales from the Scars (2017 – Penang; 2018 – KL), which became an instant hit amongst the crowd, tempting me to indulge for a second time,’ director Fa Abdul said in a media release.

“Storytelling is a powerful tool to encourage dialogue on important issues that tie us all together, regardless of our race, religion or background. And the arts scene remains to be a safe space for us to discuss these tough topics.

“From the struggle to avoid forced conversion to the guilt of a husband who is sexually addicted, Her Story and His Story presents 20 thought-provoking monologues, based on real-life experiences. These stories touch on themes that are often swept under the carpet and not discussed,” explained Fa (picture above).

She cites our conservative culture and the belief that ‘one should not wash one’s dirty linens in public’ causing us to keep our struggles to ourselves, forever worried about what others may think of us.

“This is the reason we lack empathy – because we fail to feel the struggles endured by those around us. We tend to live in a bubble with our thoughts, our rules and our opinions – while rejecting anything and anyone who disagrees.

“I salute the 20 playwrights who agreed to share their real-life experiences for this project without fear. I hope the audience will be able to listen to these stories with a renewed sense of clarity. 

"They may disagree with the choices made by the characters in the monologues, but that is fine – our opinions may differ, but we still should be able to respect one another’s choices while being able to converse about issues that matter to us. That is how we develop as a society,” Fa said.

She plans to continue this monologue project with children writers and actors.

The cast lineup for “Her Story” and “His Story” includes experienced personalities, performing arts students and newcomers.

Among the experienced personalities is Dr Mardiana Ismail, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI); Piravina Ragunathan (above), who is an upcoming stand-up comedian who is a familiar face at The Joke Factory; Tiana Xavier, a lawyer based in the Netherlands who also acts at the Rotterdam Theatre; Adrian Choong (JinnyboyTV) is an award-winning actor based in Canada, who previously acted alongside Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline; and Sidharth Joe Dev, who is the winner of the Mercedes-Benz Creative Excellence Award at Short+Sweet Theatre Festival 2022, in which he competed as an actor, playwright and director.

“Her Story” will be staged at Pentas 2 of the klpac in Sentul Park from Jan 12 to Jan 15, 2023. “His Story” will be staged at Pentas 2, klpac from Feb 23 to Feb 26, 2023.

For enquiries, you can WhatsApp 018 227 7212.

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