'God’s Waiting Room', a new KLPac play by Joe Hasham, features a veteran line-up (from left) - Faridah, James and Teoh - who are outrageously hilarious and quietly heartbreaking, forming an unlikely bond as they grapple with the realities of advancing age. Photo: Tat Chin
Directing a play comprising an all- senior cast – an octogenarian and two septuagenarians – is a highly stressful affair.
Joe Hasham can attest to that.
“Working with three geriatrics is so frightening, one minute they’ve got their lines down to a pat, then you ask them to repeat and they’re like ‘Huh, what are we doing?’ It’s the most stressful play I have ever directed! Fortunately, my blood pressure is fine,” says the 77-year-old theatre icon, cracking up.
Joe’s referring to his latest work, God’s Waiting Room, which brings together three Malaysian performing arts stalwarts for the very first time on the same stage – Datuk Faridah Merican (Joe’s wife), 86, Patrick Teoh, 78, and Anne James, 70.
Staged by The Actors Studio Foundation and The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat, the play debuts at Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) on Jan 22. There are 10 shows, with evening and matinee performances, playing through Feb 1.
A theatrical love letter
Set in a retirement home, Joe’s script follows Miss Effie (Faridah), Miss Pansy (James) and Mr Chong (Teoh) as they navigate their golden years, grappling with uncooperative bodies and a life shaped by waiting – for visitors who never arrive, for test results and for the inevitable.
The initial inspiration for God’s Waiting Room came from Joe’s bedroom. Nothing naughty, just reflective.
“In the mornings, I sometimes wake up before Faridah and when I look at her sleeping, I wonder how long am I going to be able to do this (wake up next to her),” says Joe in an interview at KLPac last week.
Joe intended to write a love letter to his wife Faridah, but he hadn’t anticipated how challenging it would be to direct three elderly actors. Photo: KLPac
“How long will we both be around? She’s my life partner, my muse, my rock ... if she goes first, I’d be devastated. If I go first, she’d be lost. I wanted to write a kind of love letter to her – through other characters too,” he adds.
Last year, both Joe and Faridah were hospitalised – he spent over three weeks in the intensive care unit with pneumonia, while she faced two-week stints for dengue and Covid-19. The ordeal left their legs weakened, now requiring walking sticks for support.
“Our age is showing whether we like it or not,” says Faridah with a laugh.
The play is also a heartfelt tribute to the legendary actor Mano Maniam, who died in May 2025.
“I wanted to write a play about old age, about people who are, in a way, waiting. They go into these homes and ... what are they waiting for? When is this all going to end?” says Joe.
“I had Mano in mind from the very beginning and had spoken to him about it but he decided to go off before we could stage it.”
Teoh (left) and James share a candid moment during rehearsals for a play exploring themes close to home. Photo: KLPac
Mano’s death was the impetus to move into high gear, but Joe hadn’t found the play a title yet. It happened by chance.
He recalls: “Last year, Faridah and I were driving through an idyllic Australian town Sussex Inlet (in New South Wales), when an old friend called it ‘God’s Waiting Room’ for wealthy retirees. Faridah turned to me and said, ‘That’s the name of your play’.”
Joe wrote the comedy-drama script in three months and offered Mano’s role to James, which she delightfully accepted. Rehearsals began last month.
“When we had the first reading, I didn’t think it was going to be this funny. The cast are quite forgetful sometimes – there are moments of hysterical laughter, wonderful rasa and poignancy,” says Joe.
A natural chemistry
At KLPac’s rehearsal space, Faridah and Teoh’s banter flows effortlessly, sharp with sarcasm.
Having known each other “our whole lives”, they share a natural chemistry and a bond almost like family.
“We still see each other as we once were. Now we have to learn lines at this age – and get spanked daily for forgetting them,” says Faridah. “It’s a struggle, but it’s improving, and we’re enjoying the process.”
Teoh chips in, holding up the script, neatly typed in single-spacing, and font 12, in A4-size paper.
“The director’s memory is still fairly good compared to ours and I don’t know whether he did it as a favour or disfavour but the two longest passages in the play are for me and I’m having great difficulty reading that,” he says.
They also note Joe has mellowed with age but that doesn’t mean the director is any less demanding.
Both agree they’re moving slower and in the play, one character is in a wheelchair, one uses a walking frame and the other, a walking stick.
“Patrick is still very independent, he can drive his own car,” points out Faridah, to which Teoh interjects, “You can too.”
And they go on like this, somewhat similar to what happens in the play.
What have they learnt about their own mortality?
In 'God’s Waiting Room', Faridah makes her first main stage return since May 2023, eager to tackle the poignant script penned by her husband Joe. Photo: KLPac
“You go first,” Faridah prods Teoh.
“That question is too deep, in our process in God’s Waiting Room, we’re just bothered about learning the lines!” he answers.
Faridah wants prior warning before death comes knocking.
“This could be your last day – that’s what scares me. I don’t want to go suddenly; I still have so much to do, so I want a warning. Of course, I don’t want to be sick, but you can’t control what’s best for you. It’s up to the man upstairs,” she says.
Teoh gathers his thoughts and offers: “The play has taught me that people can go anytime but unlike her, I don’t mind dropping dead.
“Fortunately, I’ve never been very ambitious and have done most of what I found interesting. From age six, my father took me to the cinema every day – English, Chinese, Tamil, P. Ramlee films, sometimes twice – and that’s how I fell in love with acting. I thought it might be a career, and it turned out to be.
“And there’s no reason this should be our last play.”
Remembering the lines
James, the youngest, admits that ageing is tough.
“They say age is just a number – if you’re lucky with good genes. But ageing can be tough. For women, menopause affects the brain, stamina and strength, and facing these changes after years of good health can be quite a shock,” she says.
“It’s challenging to accept new constraints but I’ve come to terms with those borders though it took a few years,” she adds.
Like Faridah and Teoh, James occasionally fumbles over lines.
“When it comes to remembering the lines – we’re all in one boat – we’ve got to work the oars to steer the boat and head for the horizon,” says James.
“There are very few roles in theatre for senior actors so to be on stage with two experienced actors is an amazing opportunity, which I’m grateful for. In the past 15 years, I’ve possibly worked with younger actors who may not have the same kind of grounding,” she adds.
James also finds it an honour to replace Mano although the dynamics are different with a female character.
“As an actor, I’ve grown but I can never step into his shoes. I hope he is watching us from above and having a good laugh.
“As for my mortality, I’m ready to move onto the next journey. I have achieved a lot in this life, I’m in a happy place and am not afraid of death,” she concludes.
God’s Waiting Room is showing at Pentas 2, KLPac, Sentul Park in KL from Jan 22 to Feb 1.
