Theatre doyenne Jo Kukathas to perform as iconic characters YBeeee and Curry Spice for one night only
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — It’s like meeting three different people but in the same body.
As actress Jo Kukathas effortlessly morphed into YBeeee, a character she created in 1990, she shows how he’s evolved into a politician who’s now aware of criticism but still fails to be politically correct.
“I’m trying to be woke but I’m very late,” stressed the squinty-eyed YBeeee with his many hand gestures.
As her other character, the fearless, much younger hair-tossing Curry Spice, Kukathas did not disappoint.
“It’s Madani now, innit?” asked the Sentul-born reality TV star of Keeping up with the Coomarasamys.
“So where are we now as a nation and where are we headed?”
Kukathas performed at a press conference held to announce the return of her much-loved characters in Instant Café Night Live! Edisi X that will be presented at the Plenary Hall at KL Convention Centre on Mar 18.
Tickets are priced at RM588 (meet & greet), RM388 (diamond), RM288 (platinum) and RM188 (silver).
For the first time, discounted tickets of RM88 will be offered to B40.
Shiraz Projects in collaboration with Instant Café Theatre Company, has ensured access to the disabled so that everyone is included.
The one-night show in a talk show format will feature host Sean Ghazi as a special correspondent interviewing YBeeee, who will talk about the strange bedfellows he has as part of a coalition government.
Left to right - Tria Aziz, Jo Kukathas, Sean Ghazi and Shirazdeen Karim at the press conference — Devan Raymond Manuel of Malay Mail
In the second part, co-host Kuah Jenhan will take over and interview Curry Spice, who wants to offer something radical in response to difficult questions of government.
Singing sensation Tria Aziz will grace the event with one song while Sean Ghazi will also be singing too.
Plenary Hall is a big venue and Kukathas confessed to being very nervous about it.
“But I’m always nervous before a show, I’m the most nervous one backstage, ask anyone,” said Kukathas who performed her first play in Malaysia in 1986.
“As I step on stage, the characters take over, I’m fine and I have to just trust that.”
Her favourite character of the two?
“I do like Curry spice because I feel I want to be her,” said Kukathas.
“When I play her, I feel very different — very confident, very powerful and very female.”
Kukathas used to hate YBeeee as a human being for being a slimy politician but after playing him for many years, she’s grown fond of him.
“I kind of like him now because he’s part of me.”
In co-creating the upcoming show with other people, she said she has to do justice to everyone’s work and looks forward to putting YBeeee and Curry Spice back on stage.
“I’m looking forward to having them make you laugh and hoping having them make you think as well.”
