THE LONESOME DEATH OF ENG BUNKER Comes to Omnibus Theatre

Tobi Poster-Su and Iskandar Sharazuddin, consecutive puppetry captains on the Olivier award-winning My Neighbour Totoro, have teamed up to present the boldly imaginative work, The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker to life, commissioned and co-produced by Kakilang - a haunting and evocative theatrical experience that chronicles Eng's final hours through the innovative use of puppetry, music, and striptease.

On January 17th, 1874, Eng Bunker woke to discover his conjoined twin brother, Chang, was dead. For the first time in his life, Eng was alone.

Chang and Eng - Siamese immigrants and renowned entertainers - had carved out an uneasy space in the heart of the American Dream. Conjoined by a band of cartilage and a shared liver, their lives were intertwined in every conceivable way. This gothic horror tale explores the brutal costs of assimilation, the profound solitude of existence, and the grim reality of waking up tethered to a dead body. Chang and Eng became American citizens, purchased enslaved people, married White American sisters, and fathered 21 children.

Written and performed by British-Chinese theatre maker Tobi Poster-Su, creator/performer of puppet horror opera The Depraved Appetite of Tarrare the Freak (New Diorama, Wiltons Music Hall) original cast/puppetry captain for My Neighbour Totoro (RSC/Barbican) and puppetry director for A Christmas Carol (Bristol Old Vic), the production fuses puppetry, music, and striptease to create a visceral and unforgettable experience.

Directed by Iskandar R. Sharazuddin, an award-winning British-Bruneian theatre artist,

director, and movement director. Recent credits include: harmony. 天人合一 (York Theatre Royal), Turandot (Grimeborn Opera Festival - Nominated Best Opera Production & Winner Best Opera Performance, Off West End Awards). He is the Resident Director & Puppetry Captain of My Neighbour Totoro (RSC / Barbican / West End).

Tobi Poster-Su says, "I have always been fascinated by the lives and deaths of Chang and Eng Bunker, Thai conjoined twins who were trafficked to the US to be exhibited as curiosities. Their journey from powerless indentured servants to wealthy US citizens and slaveholders is extraordinary and troubling. Puppetry offers a unique way to explore this story, which is so much about the ways in which human beings fashion and control one another. I'm thrilled to be working with Kakilang, director Iskandar Sharazuddin, and an incredible team to bring this story to the stage with puppetry, music, and maybe a saucy dance number."

Creative Team

• Writer/Performer: Tobi Poster-Su

• Director: Iskandar Sharazuddin

• Set and Costume Designer: Erin Guan

• Lighting Designer: Cheng Keng

• Sound Designer and Composer: AJ Turner

• Composer: Tom Poster

• Movement Director: Jasmine Chiu

• Puppet Designer and Maker: Aya Nakamura

• Puppet Maker: Kayla Teodoro

• Associate Director: Rebecca Goh

• Assistant Puppet Makers: Jennifer Digwall, Bok Li and Katya Markson-Matthews

• Stage Manager: Vivi Wei

• Production Manager: Brent Tan

• Producer: Natalie Chan

"The Lonesome Death of Eng Bunker" has been commissioned by Kakilang and is supported by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants.

Performance Details

• Dates: 17-21 September 2024 (Press Night 18 September)

• Time: 7:30pm

• Venue: Omnibus Theatre, 1 Clapham Common North Side, London SW4 0LH

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