#SHOWBIZ: Ghafir Akbar's 'Eurydice' brings heartbreak and magic to JCPAC stage

We know the story: a woman dies, her lover travels to the underworld to retrieve her, and one doubting, backward glance changes everything.

Sarah Ruhl's retelling of this famous Greek mythological tale asks us to forget the narrative we think we know. Instead of making Orpheus the myth's hero, Ruhl puts Eurydice centre stage.

Presented recently at the newly opened Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JPAC) and directed by award-winning director Ghafir Akbar, this production wholeheartedly embraced that shift in perspective.

It is a play about love, but just as much about memory, and the painful process of forgetting.

SYMPHONY OF THE UNDERWORLD

While the show's set and lighting designs were impressive, what stood out more were the sound design and music.

Irena Taib, assisted by Putrina Rafie, were the mastermind behind this. Their compositions were nothing short of fantastic.

The atmospheric sound design was remarkably effective at setting the mood for every scene.

At times, the music spoke volumes when the characters remained silent — bringing me to tears, much to my embarrassment.

Sometimes, good sound design seamlessly blends into the fabric of the production.

Here, it was impossible not to notice how much it contributed to the emotional experience. I certainly wasn't the only one sniffling in the dark.

RAW VULNERABILITY ON STAGE

At the heart of the production was Vinna Law, making an impressive return to the Malaysian theatre scene.

Her outstanding performance as the show's titular character conveyed an innocence that made her death feel deeply personal.

Her vulnerability erased any notion of Eurydice as a distant mythological figure. This made her someone we might know in real life.

Opposite her, Tinesh Janaki Raman portrayed Orpheus with earnest, deep devotion.

His playful chemistry with Law's Eurydice carried a youthful innocence — so charming that it was impossible not to smile at their blissful romance.

A FATHER'S GRIEF

Terence Swampillai delivered one of the production's most heartbreaking performances as "father".

His love for Eurydice was palpable, but so too was the grief of a father who had lost his daughter far too soon.

Their relationship felt grounded and recognisable amidst the otherworldly background.

DELIGHTFUL WIT AND LEVITY

Much of the play's comedy came courtesy of the legendary trio of Anne James, Jo Kukathas and Sukania Venugopal as The Stones.

They provided an energetic contrast to the play's heavier themes of grief and loss.

Gavin Yap's performance as the Nasty Interesting Man and the Lord of the Underworld was equally memorable, earning some of the biggest laughs.

His willingness to embrace the absurdity of both characters added another layer to the surreal humour.

TRAGEDY MEETS SURREAL HUMOUR

This balance between comedy and tragedy was one of 'Eurydice''s greatest strengths.

Under Ghafir's direction, the shifts between these seemingly opposing forces generally felt natural because the production understood that humour and grief can coexist.

Ultimately, Ruhl's 'Eurydice' is less interested in whether Orpheus can bring Eurydice back from the dead than in what it means to lose someone in the first place.

What made this production particularly memorable was how human it felt beneath all its strange characters and playful humour.

At its core, it's a story about holding on to the people we love even after they are gone.

The writer is an aspiring English Literature major with a passion for the performing arts.

This review was generated by Artsee.Net as part of its Art Writers' Sandbox programme.