[Review] The Working Dead musical: we’re all zombies here
The Working Dead is a fully Malaysian musical comedy presented by KuLT Productions about overworked corporate zombies. That alone should pique your interest, but if you still need encouragement, go for the extremely funny, moving, and relevant musical experience.
The Working Dead is set in a corporate office, with all the colourful corporate characters we know (and probably work with) in our lives.
In addition to our main sweetheart couple Edwin and Sarah, there’s the cut-throat boss Chan, the funny slacker with big dreams Joanne, the brown-noser (among other things) Derek, the sly corporate bomoh Aini, and the poor guy saddled with family responsibilities, Indran.
The characters are well fleshed-out and extremely likable, so much so that by the end of the first act you find yourself rooting for everyone and staying invested in their story until the end. (Yes, even Derek.)
The musical covers an incredibly wide genre of music, from catchy pop to powerful ballads to soulful jazz. Each cast member maintains fantastic energy throughout the whole show, which is more than impressive considering the almost non-stop singing.
Once the show starts, the audience is thrown into the story immediately with an electric performance, and by the second number there were already sniffles among the crowd. In fact, at the end of the show, most of the audience were dabbing at their eyes through their laughter.
The mini orchestra delivers beautifully, but as live music does, it can sometimes overpower the singing, making it hard to catch the song lyrics. That aside, the experience as a whole was thoroughly entertaining.
What The Working Dead does so well is relate to its audience. They paint a picture of the reality faced by today’s working-class Malaysians, everything from their craving for approval to their silent sacrifices.
The hard-hitting plot is poignant and truthful, accurately reflecting the modern millennial dreams- many of our dreams are just dreams, desperately craved for and unattainable.
Yet it also ends on a hopeful note: with acceptance, despite the odds. It reflects on how as a society we may know and see the inevitable struggles of our future, but still throw ourselves towards it, seeing the funny side and silver linings in a seemingly dark situation.
The Working Dead is aimed to make you reflect on how to best spend your life. There’s so much to life, why put off the best experiences and deprive yourself of present joy?
Fret not if you have little theater experience. The Working Dead is very easy to get into, and is the perfect show to watch for an enjoyable introduction to live performances.
Let us assure you that one of the best decisions you can make is to spend just a few hours to experience the show for yourself. To miss it would be a grave mistake.
Rating: 5/5 (definitely worth a rewatch with the boss)
The Working Dead is showing until August 4, so get your tickets here. Check out their promotions (discounts if you bring your boss!) on their Facebook page here.
