Cover Shafeeq Shajahan
Shafeeq Shajahan
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The playwright and director of award-winning British-Malaysian theatre production company, Liver & Lung Productions, explains his love for stories and the magic of performance
“There’s something profoundly beautiful about being in a room with 300 people, where the lights are dim, and the only visible thing is a singular column of light illuminating a character onstage as they deliver a monologue,” says Shafeeq Shajahan, founder of Liver & Lung Productions. “And I think there’s nothing more magical than that.”
After watching Melur the Musical, Liver & Lung’s latest and most ambitious work in February, I can attest to the sense of wonder that Shafeeq describes about stories being told onstage. As the lights dimmed and the stage remained, one couldn’t help but be transported into the narrative, swept by the music that filled the hall and the characters whose stories resonated with the audience. The musical, set in colonial Malaya and revolving around the Malayan Emergency, was more than just a tragic romance. Its titular character was the pontianak, a mythological creature spawned from feminine rage and loss.
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In 2020, Liver & Lung bagged three Boh Cameronian Arts Awards for its musical adaptation of the late Yasmin Ahmad’s Sepet. And in 2017, it won the Boh Cameronian Award for innovation in musical theatre for Mahsuri and Other Peculiar Tales, a series of old Malaysian folk tales taken for a modern spin and performed in a cafe. The theatre production company was also shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award that very same year.
From stories that explore the layered intimacies of self-exploration and interpersonal relationships to ones that depict the darker sides of humanity, Liver & Lung’s repertoire is daring, pushing the envelope when it comes to genre as well as its themes, with each show just as unapologetically bold and human as the last.
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Above Shafeeq Shajahan founded Liver & Lung in 2014
Shafeeq Shajahan founded Liver & Lung in 2014
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The productions seem to be reflective of Shafeeq’s growth as a writer, composer and director. When he first began his stint as a theatre maker in the UK, most of his stories were skewed towards the appetite of the British audiences, which, while understandable, wouldn’t have worked just as well in Malaysia.
“As writers and performers, we create pieces that we hope people will love. When practising my craft, I adjust the tone and the subjects according to what resonates with my audience,” he explains. “So at Liver & Lung, a lot of my shows are educational because I want my work to be accessible for everyone, be it seasoned theatre-goers or those who have not seen a musical before. If I feel like my work isn’t connecting with them, then I haven’t done my job.
"Last summer, I joined the Soho Theatre’s Writers Lab, where I learned from other successful writers of colour, namely Lakesha Arie-Angelo, who told me that heritage should be owned with pride. Being in London taught me that in specificity, you find universality. As Malaysians, we sit on a multicultural mountain, and therein exists a universal truth to our traditions, legends and histories. Which is why I’m leaning towards telling more Malaysian stories now.”
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Liver & Lung has done over 20 shows since it was established in 2014. The first five to six years saw smaller scale productions being performed in either cafes and shop lots due to financial constraints. The recent Melur the Musical was staged in the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre that can accommodate up to 300 people at one time.
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According to Shafeeq, careful decision-making played a huge factor in Melur's success. Instead of performing in venues that are known to have a higher barrier-to-entry, he leveraged on small scale shows in intimate spaces, which forced him to be more innovative with the storytelling.
"It made me a jack of all trades, especially during the early years," Shafeeq says. "I was the writer, composer, director, lighting designer and the showrunner. The biggest lesson I learned from my nine years of running this company is scaling the business to the community that surrounds it. It was the reason why we were able to have six years of profitable business growth.”
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Above Shafeeq Shajahan started becoming a theatre maker in the UK
Shafeeq Shajahan started becoming a theatre maker in the UK
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Understanding firsthand the challenges in performing arts, Shafeeq hopes to initiate a mentorship programme in the near future. “Theatre requires intense amounts of collaboration and community development, and Liver & Lung’s successes were built on these incredible relationships. I’ve worked with amazing talents, world- class choreographers, composers, directors and music directors. That’s what I want for the rest of the people in this industry,” he asserts.
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Photography: Daniel Adams
Usually found at home and one with her couch, Koy Yi would either crack open a good book or game in her spare time to wind down after a long day. She also loves to scour art conventions and book fairs alike when she's able, collecting art books of all regions to gain inspiration for her own illustrations. With a keen interest in people and the stories they tell, she enjoys a good talk and a good laugh (preferably over food). Follow her on her Instagram @peiyi57.
