Naveen plays the character Bocah in 'Son Of The Forest', a new theatre work by Amberjade Arts. Photo: Engku Armand
Bocah and Halak, strangers sharing tales of glory, meet in a rainforest clearing and quickly form a bond, as if connected through past lives. Unseen, the mystical Rimba watches, ready to pounce and seal their fate.
In this ethereal realm, the storytellers bring their tales to life, embodying characters from Nusantara folklore, including Kedah's Raja Bersiong and Sarawak's Dayang Isah.
These characters are part of a new experimental theatre piece titled Son Of The Forest, presented by Amberjade Arts. The production is set to run at Cosmic Theatre Hub, Phileo Damansara in Petaling Jaya from Oct 10-13.
The 90-minute show stars Naveen Raja as Bocah, Deena Dakshini as Halak, and Engku Armad (co-founder of Amberjade Arts) as Rimba. It is the second part of the "Theatre Takeover: Cosmic 24" series at the venue.
"Cosmic Theatre Hub gave us the freedom to experiment, so I saw this as a chance to create a 'proof of concept'—showing that Nusantara folk tale storytelling can stand as its own theatre sub-genre, something I can continue developing," said Tarrant Kwok, the show's director and writer, in a recent interview.
A scene featuring Halak, played by Deena, and Bocah, played by Naveen, in their upcoming theatre play 'Son Of The Forest', opening at Cosmic Theatre Hub, Phileo Damansara, Petaling Jaya, on Oct 10. Photo :Engku Armand
Presented in English and Bahasa Malay, each fragmented storyline in Son Of The Forest takes on a dark, absurdist lens, exploring and deconstructing old tropes.
On stage, Naveen and Deena face a significant challenge as storytellers immersed in their tales.
"This is my first role based on folk tales, using poetic language in both English and Bahasa (Malaysia)," says Naveen, who made his theatre debut in 2023 with Amma Chellam, an acclaimed bilingual family drama (English and Tamil).
"I appreciate that the director has allowed both Deena and me the freedom to express ourselves creatively and interpret our characters. It was also fascinating to explore these folk tales during my research and imagine what it would be like to be them," he added.
Kwok (left) directs the lead actors, Naveen (centre) and Deena, during a rehearsal for their upcoming play 'Son Of The Forest'. Photo: Azman Ghani/The Star
This theatre performance also marks Deena's first role in a play, stepping outside her film writing and directing work in projects like Haiku: A Neurodivergent Harmony (2023) and Gasing (2024) to challenge herself technically as an actress.
"Artistic sensibility was evident the first time I read the script, so it was important for me to understand the layered psyche of each folktale character," said Deena.
"I feel I share similar traits with Halak – someone who has faced injustices but still holds on to her maternal and caring instincts," she added.
In the show, their exchanges also highlight the dynamics of traditional male and female roles, with relationships shifting between mother and son, father and daughter, or partners, depending on the folk tale.
With Kwok's guidance, both actors have been entrusted to bring his vision of the play to life.
“I feel incredibly blessed to work with Naveen and Deena; they have brought fresh perspectives to what I initially saw as an experiment, a prototype. Their exploration of the script shapes my understanding as much as I shape theirs,” he concluded.
