King

Gilgamesh

(and the Man
of theWild)

“  a raucous, glorious, celebration

of what it means to be alive”
“Moneka and LaVercombe

are flat out superb”
an epic music-charged bromance
“  Exploring masculinity and vulnerability,
 the 
show demonstrates how creating art 
together can be a powerful
expression of love”

“  … beautifully navigates trauma, 
resilience, 
and ambition with 
a graceful humour”

Two years after making its Canadian Premiere at Soulpepper, King Gilgamesh returns to the Michael Young stage. This Dora-winning hybrid theatre-music production set between present-day Toronto and ancient Iraq, created and performed by Ahmed Moneka and Jesse LaVercombe (alongside Ahmed's Juno-nominated Arabic jazz band), has sold out runs in Minneapolis, Halifax, Chicago and New York City.

This present-day story of friendship interweaves with the ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, and along the way traces Ahmed’s real-life journey from exiled Iraqi actor to acclaimed musician in Canada. Featuring themes of art, ambition, sex, and mortality, this two-man epic spans centuries, cultures, and continents in a moving, funny, tragic, and ultimately celebratory performance.