The cast behind ‘indicineliVe!’ (Photo: klpac)
After a six-year break, indicineliVe! returns for the fifth instalment of humorous and thought-provoking sketches that tread our social, political and pop-cultural landscape. Directed by Kelvin Wong, the comedy is described as “real life, fun-sized”, with skits that range from 30 seconds to five minutes. Veshalini Naidu and Kamini Senthilathiban are indicineliVe! newbies, although they are familiar to the local theatre scene.
The banter and mutual respect between the two theatre practitioners is hilarious and heart-warming. They are as excited for the show as they are in awe of each other’s talent, and their repertoire speaks for itself. As one of the five writers for indicineliVe!, Veshalini is no stranger to the Malaysian theatre scene. She is the co-founder of Coal Island Theatre in Port Dickson and previously acted in Theatresauce’s 4.48 Psychosis and The Bee.
“The senior actors always talk about indicineliVe!. They have these reminiscent moments about previous shows, it was this really hallmark thing,” says Veshalini.
Kamini adds, “I think it does a lot if you are starting out to work with these experienced actors as it really opens you up and gives you the opportunity to push yourself to try and match their abilities.” Kamini acted in Ridhwan Saidi’s Teater Modular and T4YP’s Food, Sex & Death, which was staged in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore. Fresh out of law school, she has decided to dedicate a year to working in theatre.
“I think our first instinct, when faced with something serious, is to make a joke out of it, especially as Malaysians. That is our main coping mechanism,” Kamini says. Using humour to tackle very serious topics has become a universal tool that is used in shows like The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live. Finding the funny highlights the problem in a way that does not cause hyperventilation and panic — it almost softens the blow. This also makes audiences reflect and ask themselves the question: Why is it funny?
But Kamini adds that there is a fine line between creating a comic scene and turning it into a cheap joke or something offensive, and it is a line they do not intend to cross. “Kelvin said from the start that indicineliVe is not meant to teach people things. It is meant to bring these issues to the surface and highlight the things that are right in front of you,” she says.
As indicineliVe! is made up of comic snippets, it is a great platform to approach real life and suppressed problems in bite-sized portions.
As a writer, Veshalini was clear about the topics she wanted to cover. “For me, the concerns of the Indian community was the biggest thing because representation is a real issue. I feel the stories — from gangsterism to the toxic masculinity and expectations or perceptions of Indian women — are not being told,” she explains. LGBT is another subject matter that Veshalini is passionate about and wants to address in her scripts.
“Representation matters because when you see somebody you can relate to doing what you want to do, then you believe you can bring something to the table,” Kamini says. This is true for any minority as there are many proverbial glass ceilings that we have only just begun to break.
Women have been fighting an uphill battle for equality in many areas and the stage is no different. There are not many women in comedy in Malaysia. To be more accurate, there is a large gap between the number of male and female comedians and comic actors. “I think that even in writing, one of the things I quickly discovered is that women are the butt of the jokes. A woman being on stage is somehow the beginning of a joke,” says Veshalini.
Perhaps the best way to eradicate this dated perception about women in comedy is to encourage more talent, but that is easier said than done. “I think it is very privileged to say ‘go out there and just do it’. I think women are more afraid to put themselves out there because there is a perception that women are high-strung or that they aren’t funny,” says Kamini. This couldn’t be further from the truth, especially when you consider the countless talented women who have broken the mould — Ally Wong, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Margaret Cho, Mindy Kaling, Joanne Kam, Frida Deguise, Constance Wu and Hannan Azlan, to name a few.
Veshalini makes the point that if the people in power over minorities don’t acknowledge and try to do something about the disparity then we won’t evolve. “Men have to do their part. They have to say ‘hey, for my play I want there to be more women. I want an LGBT person to play an LGBT person’. If you have an Indian role, cast an Indian. It is as simple as that.”
Influenced by theatre veterans such as Jo Kukathas and Chris Ling, Veshalini and Kamini are dedicated to the art of performance. I ask them what they hope to achieve in theatre. “I want to explore redefining language. In a sense, addressing things like toxic masculinity and femininity and how we talk about ourselves,” says Veshalini. She intends to work on this in her directorial debut, Skin and Flowers.
“For me, it would be to use myself as a vessel to tell stories because it makes me a more compassionate and understanding person. It also opens people up to different experiences that they may not have,” Kamini says.
The two women don’t give much away about indicineliVe!, but they do let us in on a few things to look forward to. Throughout the show, Kamini speaks in five languages despite knowing only two. “There is something for everybody. There is at least one moment in the entire thing that you will relate to,” she says. Veshalini adds, “The women in the cast are incredibly funny, so that’s something to definitely pay attention to.”
'indicineliVe!' is on from July 19 to 29 (except July 23) at Indicine, klpac (8.30pm). Tickets are priced at RM60. Call (03) 4047 9000 to book. This article first appeared on July 16, 2018 in the The Edge Malaysia.
