In its Canadian premiere, Cambodian Rock Band is blowing the doors off The Arts Club Theatre Company Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage until April 6. Part drama, part rock show, American playwright Lauren Yee has crafted a clever and engaging way to highlight a tragic history that leaves the audience enlightened and uplifted.
Directed by Jivesh Parasram, with musical direction by Mary Ancheta, Cambodian Rock Band follows Chum (captivatingly played by Raugi Yu), returning to Cambodia, to visit his American-born daughter Neary who works for an NGO investigating war crimes against Comrade Duch (pronounced Doik) head of the infamous S-21 prison. Flashing back thirty years, a member of a Western-Style rock band in 1975 Phnom Penh that is thrown in to turmoil as the brutal Khmer Rouge regime takes control of the city. With anything Western influenced being outlawed, the band members are in jeopardy and go their separate ways.
Playing both Neary and Sothea, the Rock Band’s lead singer, Kimberly-Ann Truong delivers a powerhouse performance. Jay Leonard Juatco plays Ted, Neary’s Thai-Canadian boyfriend as well as Leng, the band’s guitarist, with the 70s surf-rock chill vibe carrying through both characters. Kayla Sakura Charchuk as Pou on Keyboards and Jun Kung as Rom on Drums/Percussion round out the bandmates as they rock out to original songs by LA-based Cambodian-psychedelic rock act, Dengue Fever.
Throughout the play, the charismatic Nicco Lorenzo Garcia is omnipresent as Comrade Duch, haunting Chum and Neary as he narrates what he presumes to be his story. With the addition of the real-life character of Duch aka Kang Kek Iew, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 for crimes against humanity and incorporating the rich musical history of Cambodian music through the classic pop songs of Ros Serey Sothea and Sinn Sisamouth, Lauren Yee reminds audiences that the Khmer Rouge committed not just a genocide against Cambodia’s people but also its culture.
For those who might have just a passing recollection or the Hollywood-ization of the history, Cambodian Rock Band provides a good jumping off point to learn more about this period and people. Look for the REMEMBERING CAMBODIAN ROCK AND ROLL panels in the theatre lobby or in the digital program for more insight. With a runtime of 2 hours and 45 minutes it’s a long show but the time-jumps and rock breaks make it fly by and leave the audience wanting more.
Cambodian Rock Band plays The Arts Club Theatre Company Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage until April 6, 2025. Visit artsclub.com for show details and tickets.