'Being of mixed heritage, my taste in food is just as mixed up as I am,' says Yap. Photo: The Star/Azlina Abdullah
Food has long been woven into the very fabric of the Malaysian identity, a source of pride and a shared cultural touchstone.
Yet, the modern ritual of capturing culinary moments through a smartphone lens and broadcasting them across social media platforms is a trend that actor, writer and filmmaker Gavin Yap has never quite embraced.
For him, it seems, the experience of food remains something to savour rather than stage – a reminder that not every meal needs to be immortalised in pixels to hold meaning.
“There’s something oddly personal about your food preferences; it’s kind of like showing someone your music collection. So while food has always been something I’m super passionate about, it’s never been something that I’ve really openly spoken about,” said Yap, 47, in an interview in Kuala Lumpur.
Though it may be a "no" to sharing his favourite foods via social media, Yap has no qualms about opening up about it on the stage.
In his upcoming show, Fork It – One Man’s Journey Through Food And Memories, Yap is heading back to the club circuit. He is set to present a one-man performance that takes the audience on a journey through his most vivid memories – all centred around food.
Last month, he showcased it as a work-in-progress performance, inviting the audience into the creative process as he and co-writer Honey Ahmad shared their reflections on the show.
Fork It is also Yap's first stage performance since appearing in The Language Archive in Kuala Lumpur in 2016.
Not a stand-up comedy
Across two performances at Bobo KL on Nov 30 and Dec 1, Yap will breathe life into a colourful array of characters, weaving together a series of stories that effortlessly balance humour and heartfelt sentiment.
“First off, I’m going to have to point out that this is not a stand-up comedy show – just so there isn’t any confusion. There will be some funny and absurd stories, but this will be more of me telling – or more accurately, performing – stories,” said Yap.
Written in collaboration with close friend Honey, Fork It is the culmination of Yap’s long-standing desire to do a one-man show.
“The idea of doing a one-man show has always kind of appealed to me, but I eventually realised that if it was ever going to happen, I was going to have to write it myself,” said Yap.
So in order to get the ball rolling, he booked the venue about nine months in advance to give himself the "kick" he needed to get started on the material.
In the last 10 years, Yap has worked on film and TV projects in Malaysia and Singapore, including The Incredibly Strange Tale Of The Man Who Lost His Love But Bought It Back With A Packet Of Duck Rice (short film, 2015), KL24: Zombies (2017), Revenge Of The Pontianak (2019, as the co-director), Invisible Stories (2020) and Geng Kubur (2024).
Fiction and reality
Most of the stories that Yap will share in the show are autobiographical, but there is a blend of real-life and fiction.
“Being of mixed heritage, my taste in food is just as mixed up as I am,” shared Yap, whose roots span Chinese, Scottish, and Irish ancestry.
“During the writing process, we explored the key meals and dishes that hold significance for me, uncovering the memories tied to each one.”
“I’ll mostly talk about things that happened to me, but at the same time, we do have a little bit of fun blurring the lines between what happened and what didn't happen. You'd be very surprised what's real and what isn't. Normally, the craziest things are usually true,” he added.
For example, Yap will talk about his first unforgettable experience at a kopitiam when he was five-years old (“It was kind of traumatic and confusing to realise that I’d have to drink my eggs out of a saucer, but now it’s my favourite way to eat eggs”) and reminisce about his Scottish grandmother (“The first thing I ever learned to cook was Shepard's pie – that came from her”).
While he’s no stranger to the stage, this is Yap's first one-man show, so there’s of course going to be some nerves going in.
“The biggest difference between this show and what I’ve done before is that it’s like a marathon. When you’re doing a play with other people, there’s a lot of back and forth and you’re feeding off each other’s energy, but since it’s just me this time, I’ve got to carry the whole show to the end.
“It’s been a really fun and educational experience on the stamina that’s required for this kind of show and how you have to mentally prepare yourself, so I'm glad we did a test run back in October,” he said.
Yap added that anchoring the show around food helped open up doors to talk about a variety of topics.
“This show is my way of trying to make sense of where I’m at now in my life, but I think there’s something for everyone in my stories, something that we can all relate to and find common ground over. Much like connecting over a meal,” he concluded.
Fork It – One Man’s Journey Through Food And Memories will be staged at Bobo KL, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur on Nov 30 (8.30pm) and Dec 1 (5pm).
