AIR CON

“The play takes you not only on a roller coaster of emotions, but also gives you a spin on the tea cups, the bumper cars, and the Solero Shot too! From laughing till your sides split open, to covering your mouth in shock, to squirming in your chair in discomfort, to attempting to subtly wipe away tears, Air Con has got it.”

- Taken from ‘Of Boys And Breath Mints’ by Yasmin Zetti Martin

Language: Malay, Northern Malay, English & Hokkien
Subtitles : Malay, English & 中文字幕 

This is the archival recording of the first performance run of Air Con in 2008.
Ini merupakan rakaman arkib pementasan pertama Air Con pada 2008. 
這是 AIR CON 在 2008年首輪演出時的檔案錄影。

ADVISORY /MAKLUMAN PENTING /忠告

THE PLAY CONTAINS SEXUAL VIOLENCE, MATURE CONTENT AND ADULT LANGUAGE. AGES 16 AND UP.
TEATER INI MENGANDUNGI ADEGAN KEGANASAN SEKSUAL DENGAN KANDUNGAN DAN BAHASA UNTUK ORANG DEWASA. 16 KE ATAS.
此劇包含性暴力內容與粗俗語言，劇情較為適合成年人觀看。十六岁以上。

The Instant Cafe Theatre Company Goes Global Once Again with AIR CON

The Instant Cafe Theatre Company will be screening the critically-acclaimed play AIR CON this September. In anticipation of the screening, there will also be a special virtual reunion featuring the original cast members of the award-winning play.

AIR CON tells the story of a murder of a sex worker outside an elite boy school in Kedah which bursts the comfort bubble of the main characters as they discover a world of bullying, sex crimes and violence. Written by Shanon Shah and directed by Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi, the much loved play snagged 8 nominations at the 7th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in 2009 and went on to win Best Original Script, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Lighting Design and the Kakiseni Audience Choice Award.

The AIR CON Reunion on the 11th of September at 9:00 pm will feature the original cast members. As a special treat they will be reading scenes from the play. There will also be a roundtable discussion on their experiences on set as well as their thoughts on the production. It will be broadcasted LIVE on The Instant Cafe Theatre Company’s Facebook page.

The reunion will be followed by a special online screening of the play from the 24th to the 26th of September on the online theatre platform CloudTheatre at selected showtimes for Malaysians as well as to cater to a global audience.

Tickets will be on a "pay-as-you-like" basis with prices ranging from RM8 to RM13, RM23, RM33, RM53, and RM100. You can participate in our Pay-It-Forward initiative to donate our RM8 Community Tickets to students and disadvantaged communities. 

For more information on the event and registration details, you may refer to The Instant Cafe Theatre’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For enquiries and further information, please contact instantcafe@gmail.com.

Click here to view in your local timezone.

During these difficult times, we are committed to making theatre financially accessible to everyone. Therefore, we have tiered our tickets to allow you to pay what you can with the more expensive tickets acting as a way for those living in Singapore, Europe, Japan, America etc. to pay for a more equitable local ticket price. It is also a way for Malaysians who want to pay more to contribute to the cost of our ongoing projects and productions. So if you would like to help us rebuild our theatre and support our work, please pay what you can and spread the word to individuals and communities that you think might be interested. No matter what you pay you get a front row ticket.

RM23, RM33, RM53 Recommended
RM100 Support Us
RM13 Concession Tickets
RM8 Community Tickets (contact instantcafe@gmail.com)

Community Tickets: If you can’t afford our RM13 ticket, please contact us directly for a discount code. If you want to contribute to “Pay-It-Forward” initiative by donating RM8 Community Ticket, contact us directly. Only applicable to those living in Malaysia.

If you believe that it is important that a play like Air Con, which deals with such important social issues, be seen by young people and would like to contribute by either donating tickets or helping us get this play to schools or colleges, please email us at instantcafe@gmail.com.

***ALL CONVERSATIONS WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE ON INSTANT CAFE THEATRE FB LIVE

24TH SEP (FRI) 
10.45PM GMT+8 (AFTER THE 8PM SCREENING)
FB LIVE Click Here
In Conversation with Shanon Shah

Playwright Shanon Shah talks to directors and dramaturgs Jo Kukathas and Zalfian Fuzi about what compelled him to write Air Con, his own experience in his all boys’ school in Kedah, the semi-autobiographical elements of the play, the very Malaysian story he felt he had to tell and the honest, complex, multilingual  Malaysia he portrays. He’ll also share his experiences as a new playwright in Instant Café’s FIRSTWoRKS new playwriting program; the process of discovery, writing, editing, the long nights of self-examination and the rewriting. 

Playwright Shanon Shah having a conversation with Jo Kukathas & Zalfian Fuzi

25TH SEP (SAT) 
6PM GMT+8 (AFTER THE 3PM SCREENING)
FB LIVE Click Here
Critical Muslim Voices on Diversity

By exploring homophobic and transphobic violence in a Malaysian boys’ school, the play Air Con challenges us to examine how bigotry and injustice become part of the social fabric and political structures. One of the play’s core themes is the contest between different religious perspectives on diversity and freedom of expression. This panel probes more deeply into this by highlighting the creative ways that Muslims in different contexts are drawing upon resources within Islam to uphold justice universally. Panelists will share perspectives from Malaysia, Britain and beyond, delving into the ways that Islam is lived and navigated in national contexts where Muslims are majorities or minorities. 

Moderator: Masjaliza Hamzah
Panelists: Dr Shanon Shah, Afiq Md Noor, Samia Rahman

Mas Hamzah
Masjaliza Hamzah is a member of Sisters in Islam (SIS), a Muslim women’s group based in Malaysia. She left journalism to work at SIS, later serving as a board member. Mas has been a keen supporter of freedom of expression and democratic reforms in Malaysia for the past 25 years. She is currently working in the development sector.

Shanon Shah
Shanon Shah is currently director of Faith for the Climate, a London-based NGO focusing on religiously inspired action on the climate emergency. He balances this with academic teaching in Religious Studies at the University of London Worldwide’s Divinity programme and writing for Critical Muslim, the acclaimed quarterly publication of the London-based Muslim Institute. He holds a PhD in the Sociology of Religion from King’s College London and is the author of The Making of a Gay Muslim: Religion, Sexuality and Identity in Malaysia and Britain (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018).  

Afiq Md Noor
Afiq Mohd Noor is currently Head of Legal & International Treaties Division at Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). He was a practicing lawyer until 2015 specializing in constitutional law, human rights and Islamic law before joining Sisters in Islam (SIS) as an Assistant Manager for Advocacy, Legal Services and Research. 

Samia Rahman
Samia is director of the Muslim Institute, a Fellowship society of thinkers, academics, artists, creatives and professionals that aims to promote and support the growth of thought, knowledge, research, creativity and open debate within the Muslim community and wider society. Formerly deputy editor of emel magazine, she has written for the Guardian, Prospect magazine and the New Statesman on a range of issues including segregation in Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, the dangers of working in the media in Russia, and attitudes within the Muslim community to homosexuality. She worked on the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary Young, Angry & Muslim and has been a researcher for Channel 4 News and More4 News. She is currently also a deputy editor at Critical Muslim. 

26TH SEP (SUN) 
6PM GMT+8 (AFTER THE 3PM SCREENING)
FB LIVE Click Here
Youth Voices

Conversations moderated by Jason Wee from Architect of Diversity with youths from secondary school and actors who played Aishwarya Roberts and Asif in Air Con, Dara Razia Othman and Ryan Lee Bhaskaran. 

Mohd Amerul Affendi as Chep

Zahiril Adzim as Burn

Ryan Lee Bhaskaran as Asif

Nicholas Liew Davis as  William

Ferdaus Che Yahaya (Mark Yong) as Mimi

Hazarul Hasnain as Mona

Ismadi Wakiri/ Naa Murad as Cikgu Hensem

Dara Razia Othman as Aishwarya Roberts

Nam Ron as Uztaz

Chew Kin Wah as Ah Kok

(for 2021 Screening & Reunion)

Executive Producer: Jo Kukathas        
Producer: CK Tan        
Social Media & Production Team: Putrina Mohamed Rafie, Farah Rani, Jane Law  

(previous stagings in 2008 & 2009)

Producer: Susie Kukathas/ Ivy Josiah        
Director: Jo Kukathas        
Director: Zalfian Fuzi        
Playwright: Shanon Shah        
Production Manager: Cathy Chin/Kimmy Kiew        
Stage/Technical Manager: Pat Gui        
Asst. Stage Manager: Hamidon        
Sound Designer: WASP, Walid Omar        
Set Designer: Melissa Teoh        
Lighting Designer: Loh Kok Man        
Multimedia Designer: Reza Rosli        
Video Recording: Chris Chong        
Make Up: Shegar        

Facebook: The Instant Cafe Theatre Company
Instagram: @instantcafetheatre
Twitter: @ICTweeets
Email: instantcafe@gmail.com

Online Media Partner: Eksentrika

Instant Cafe is a recipient of the 2021 Cendana Resilience Funding Programme