Facing grief with grace: EJKLS Seni's heartfelt play finds hope amid loss

The Star

21-05-2025

Moving on from the loss of a loved one is never easy – or straightforward – and that's precisely what audiences experience in theatre group EJKLS Seni's play, If There Is An Afterlife, I Hope It's Your Version Instead Of Mine.
If you missed its debut run last year, don't worry – the play returns for a restaging at Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) from May 22-25.
Written and directed by EJKLS Seni's founder and artistic director Asyraf Syahir, If There Is An Afterlife is a poignant tribute to his late mother, who died from cancer in 2021. The script was shaped by his own journey through grief and healing.
Blending intimate storytelling with music, If There Is An Afterlife also features original compositions by Asyraf. The music will be performed by a live ensemble, featuring Asyraf, Radja Afif, and Sarah Sharkfins, adding an evocative layer to the production.
Ryan (played by Leonie Tunez), left, and Vanessa (played by Alya Amani) share memories from their childhood in the theatre production.
The play's themes of faith, loss, and existential doubt have drawn a cast whose own experiences resonate with the story. Myrra Baity Khan takes on the role of Sofia, a headstrong young woman who is pushed to reexamine her beliefs as she cares for her cancer-stricken mother.
Three years after Sofia's mother's death, her childhood friends Ryan (played by LeonieTunez) and Vanessa (played by Alya Amani) must also go through a similar experience, as they learn of their mother's (played by Erie Woo) sudden cancer diagnosis. As she supports her friends through this difficult time, Sofia is finally forced to confront and come to terms with her own lingering grief.
Blurring reality and fiction
In this restaging, playwright and director Asyraf says the core elements remain unchanged, but the team has explored the play's themes and characters more deeply.
'The script has been edited and extended, and the directions have also changed, leading to significant changes in the characters and new character dynamics. The actors actually had to discard their previous understanding of the characters and 'relearn' them.
'We're also excited to have Nawfal Zamri join us as our scenographer, bringing fresh visuals to the set. Plus, we've added a few new original songs,' says Asyraf.
Unlike his previous works, Asyraf says that If There Is An Afterlife highlights his own personal experiences very explicitly.
'I'm sharing real events, real experiences, and very personal photos in the play. I chose to use them to create a sense of hyperrealism, blurring the lines between reality and fiction for the audience.'
'I want the audience to sense very quickly that what they are watching is not mere fiction, and that by watching the play, they are joining me in revisiting the personal events that my family and I went through back in 2021 when our mother was battling cancer,' he explains.
Asyraf adds that by writing, directing, and observing the events unfold again, he has been able to make sense of the occurrences that may have been previously left unprocessed.
What it means to live fully
For many, death is often still considered a difficult topic to broach. For actor Myrra Baity, she thinks there's both a taboo surrounding the subject, but also not.
'In one way, we're always encouraged to think of what will happen after death as a way to encourage good deeds over bad ones, like in the concept of heaven and hell.
'However, when it comes to discussing the emotions around grief and death with family members and friends ... understandably, not a lot of people know how to respond. People can also be hard on themselves about the way they grieve, but to be honest, there is no right way – there is just acceptance and how we can find it inside us,' she says.
'The play approaches death with honesty, but also with tenderness and even humour,' says Erie Woo, centre, who plays Ma in the play.
Actor Woo adds that one of the things she appreciated about the play was that it doesn't shy away from the subject.
'The play approaches death with honesty, but also with tenderness and even humour. It shows the messiness of it: the fear, the denial, the moments of grace. It doesn't romanticise dying, but it also doesn't make it something to be afraid of facing," says Woo.
'Instead, it invites the audience into a very human story about saying goodbye, holding on and what it means to live fully, even when time is short,' she adds.
Asyraf says he hopes that through the play, the audience will be able to learn a new outlook on what it means to heal and grieve.
'Healing is messy, healing is non-linear, but at the same time, healing is certain if we honestly search for it,' he concludes.
If There Is An Afterlife, I Hope It's Your Version Instead Of Mine runs at Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) from May 22-25. More info: cloudjoi.com.