As part of JitFest2025, a year-long celebration honouring the life and legacy of one of Malaysia’s most beloved playwrights, Dramalab proudly presents ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends, a rediscovered “lost play” by the late Jit Murad. Directed by Dato’ Zahim Albakri, this darkly humorous and psychologically layered murder mystery promises to be one of JitFest’s most anticipated highlights.

The show will run for only one week from Friday, 5 December to Thursday, 11 December 2025 at The Playhouse @ The Campus Ampang Mall. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Kuala Lumpur’s 1990s economic boom, ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends follows a colourful circle of friends on a wild night out in the city.

At its heart is Ghani (played by Ghafir Akbar), a charismatic artist whose sharp tongue and provocative opinions about art and society make him both admired and despised. Surrounding him is an eclectic entourage: his best friend and former muse, Lala, her boyfriend, Fash, an expat graphic designer and amateur DJ,Sam, the social-climbing personal assistant, Sonia, a crowd-pleasing filmmaker, Mafuz, an over-the-top fashion designer, Wan, a flirtatious young man, Boy and a mysterious street wise girl, Ade.

But as the night spirals out of control, a shocking murder shatters their illusions, forcing each to confront what they’re capable of hiding and destroying. The dynamic cast includes Ghafir Akbar, Mae Elliessa, Harry Zain Verdan, Sabrina Hassan, Malik Taufiq, Engku Armand, Nabil Zakaria, Mia Sara Shauki, Badrish Isdin, Nick Augustine, and Shuhaimi Sulaiman.

“Jit completed a draft of ENTOURAGE in 2000, and we held a private reading at my home in Federal Hill the following year,” shares director Dato’ Zahim Albakri. “It was never staged then because it dealt with mature and taboo topics including murder, which would be controversial at any time, really. Even today, producing it remains a bold move. That’s why we’re turning to the public for support.”

To bring ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends to the stage, Dramalab has launched a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of raising RM296,000.00, running from October 15 to December 11, 2025. The targeted amount will help cover all production costs from set and costume design to technical elements and artists fees. Patrons can make their donations to Dramalab.

“As we celebrate Jit’s brilliance through JitFest 2025, ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends stands out as a rare window into his creative mind at a pivotal time in Malaysia’s social evolution,” says executive producer Ida Nerina. “It’s daring, funny, terribly unsettling, and deeply human, everything that made Jit’s voice so unforgettable.”

Audiences can expect to be taken back in time to the 1990s, reeling through the twists and turns in this murder mystery, wrapped in dark, witty humour, as ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends pokes at the meaning of status, friendship, and trust. Themes that remain as relevant today as when Jit first penned the play. One man, one night, his entourage and a murder.

ENTOURAGE – Murder Amongst Friends runs from 5th to 11th December 2025 at The Playhouse @ The Campus Ampang Mall, Jalan Kolam Air Lama, Ukay Heights, Ampang Jaya, Selangor . Tickets are available on www.cloudjoi.com