Cover Jo Kukathas is an actor, writer, director and activist
Jo Kukathas is an actor, writer, director and activist
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The veteran theatre actress and co-founder of Instant Cafe Theatre proves to be not the average Jo
Having spent years away from Malaysia while growing up, Jo Kukathas didn’t think she would be as immersed in the world of theatre as she is. “Well, my father was involved in the Malayan Art Theatre Group (MATG), which prior to independence was run by a group of British people. They did mostly Shakespeare, [George Bernard] Shaw, and the like,” shared the politics and philosophy major from the University of Reading.
“After independence, he and his friends decided that as part of decolonisation efforts, they should take charge of MATG. So they orchestrated a coup, rallying support during an AGM to elect locals into power,” Kukathas continued. That resulted in the (late) national laureate Dato’ Syed Alwi being president of MATG, while K. Das, her father, was appointed as treasurer.
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Above YB, played by Jo Kukathas is always a deputy minister (Photo: Faizal Mustafa)
YB, played by Jo Kukathas is always a deputy minister (Photo: Faizal Mustafa)
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“And so, growing up, theatre was just in the air; we didn’t think of it as being a foreign thing,” said the fifth of six siblings. “I remember my cousins and I had our own ‘theatre company’ too, we mimicked the adults and would put on shows for ourselves and relatives. As far as we were concerned, that was us just playing around; but I guess it was deeper and more significant than I thought,” Kukathas added.
She also recalled her father asking, “Who’s that?” after watching her on stage for the first time as the self-described shy girl put on her performance. “Theatre was something in which I could be other people, and that drew me in. I could be less shy. And I remember my first audition for Caught in the Middle; I met people who I thought were kind of ‘weirdos’ like me, and so I felt right at home,” she said.
It wasn’t all roses though. “I initially didn’t get a part, but they asked if I’d like to help out on set. My first job was to get to the rehearsal area early, open the windows, kill the mosquitoes, and set up the place for the cast,” she revealed. However, she took it in her stride and was glad to be part of the crew, who also rehearsed and practised their lines together. As luck would have it, one of the actors pulled out, and Kukathas filled in for the show, which also travelled to Singapore for the 1988 Singapore Arts Festival.
See also: Shafeeq Shajahan on the joys and challenges of being in theatre
Above Jo Kukathas as Curry Spice (Photo: Faizal Mustafa)
Jo Kukathas as Curry Spice (Photo: Faizal Mustafa)
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Fast-forward years, and she's now a renowned theatre figure. She not only built institutions like the Instant Cafe Theatre but also a repertoire of characters that are known and loved by her fans.
“I always refer to my characters in the third person because I never think of them as being me; they have their own unique lives and personas. My first character was Ribena Berry, a beauty pageant runner-up, who has good ideas but expresses them with grammatical mistakes. And from there, her character developed during improv sessions. She’s from Rantau Abang, and has always been a runner-up, not a winner of a beauty pageant. Most of my characters are beta. Even YB is always deputy minister, and never a minister. The only alpha character is Curry Spice, who is an Indian girl with a thick English accent,” Kukathas spoke about some iconic characters she has conjured.
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Commenting on the state of art locally, she laments the lack of strong institutions and support. “We don’t have visionary support for the arts per se. Most of the time, support comes ad hoc, and via many different organisations. There is no clear vision for the role of arts in the country, so it’s not really integrated into society. Compared to say, Singapore, where the arts are an important part of the education system, and many arts practitioners can supplement their income not just by teaching, but taking their programmes into schools. Students are also encouraged to go and watch shows. Or like in Indonesia and Thailand, where dance and theatre are taught in schools. Instead, a lot of it gets politicised here; we argue about whose art we want our children to learn, which in the end results in no art being taught. Why not have everybody learning a bit of bharatanatyam one day, some lion dance the next day, and wayang kulit the following day? We’re rich in tradition, but sadly don’t pass it on to future generations; thus, young people see no point in being involved in the arts.”
On the bright side, however, she does note that people are still interested in the arts and seek to learn it themselves, thanks to the internet and other available avenues. “One thing that’s positive is that Malaysians have a sense of humour and we’re resilient. We roll with the punches, and there have been many thrown at us over the years, but we carry on. So, my advice to those intending to go into the arts is to really study it. If not at an institution, then read and learn as much as you can about it. And nerves are always going to be there; even I still feel it before going on stage. They’re your best friend. If you’re not nervous, something is wrong—and a lot of creativity comes from nervousness and chaos. I overcome it by getting to know my role, and doing warm-ups before getting on stage, which includes a breathing exercise and allowing myself to be open to what happens during the play,” said Kukathas.
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If tall, dark and handsome is what you're looking for, Aaron Pereira ticks two out of three. This fine chocolate man (that is, a connoisseur of fine chocolate), enjoys the theatre, futsal, real-life conversations and of course, the English language. He believes that language should first be used to express, but the business of a sub-editor is to impress.
Check out his Instagram @aaronlpereira.
