Award-Winning King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild) Returns to Soulpepper This Fall

The Dora Award-winning King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild) returns to Soulpepper Sept. 13–Oct. 5, blending ancient myth with a modern Toronto tale.

August 14, 2025 Alwin Marshall-Squire Entertainment 0

Award-Winning King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild) Returns to Soulpepper This Fall — Ahmed Moneka (centre left) and Jesse LaVercombe (centre right) perform with live musicians in King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild), returning to Soulpepper Theatre Sept. 13–Oct. 5, 2025.(image contributed)

TORONTO – After captivating audiences in Toronto, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Halifax, the acclaimed hybrid theatre-music production King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild) returns to Soulpepper Theatre for a three-week engagement from September 13 to October 5, 2025 at the Michael Young Theatre in Toronto’s Distillery Historic District.

A co-production between Soulpepper Theatre and TRIA Theatre, the show is written by Ahmed Moneka, Jesse LaVercombe, and Seth Bockley. It was nominated for five Dora Awards in 2023, winning for Outstanding Sound & Music.

Ancient Myth Meets Modern Friendship

Directed by NYC’s Seth Bockley, King Gilgamesh blends the Mesopotamian epic of King Gilgamesh with a modern story of friendship in Toronto. The performance stars Moneka as Gilgamesh and LaVercombe as Enkidu, with live music from Moneka’s 2025 Juno-nominated Arabic jazz ensemble.

The show weaves between past and present, myth and memory, to explore masculinity, exile, sexuality, fatherhood, and mortality — all underscored by a multicultural soundtrack performed by musicians from Greece, Sudan, Turkey, and Canada.

A Story Born of Exile and Resilience

For Moneka, the project is deeply personal. In 2014, after starring in The Society — the first Iraqi film to feature a gay protagonist — he was exiled from Iraq and sought asylum in Canada. Arriving with no English, music became his primary language.

“Now, exactly ten years after my arrival, I’m able to tell my story, and the story of Gilgamesh, with my dear friend Jesse LaVercombe and my community of musicians,” said Moneka. “I’m so grateful to be celebrating the city of Toronto in all its diversity, culture and, of course, music.”

Special Concert Event

As part of the run, Moneka will perform Ahmed Moneka and Friends — a one-night-only concert — on September 26 at 8:00 p.m. at the Michael Young Theatre.

Performance Details

Run Dates: September 13 – October 5, 2025
Venue: Michael Young Theatre, Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Toronto
Run Time: 90 minutes (no intermission)
Showtimes:

Tues, Thurs & Fri – 8:00 p.m.
Wed & Sat – 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
Sun – 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45–$115 (Special $35 tickets Sept. 13–21 with code ARABICJAZZ)
Tickets & Info: soulpepper.ca

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About Alwin Marshall-Squire 15671 Articles

Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora. Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.