Toronto, ON  – Following sold-out performances in Toronto, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Halifax, the award-winning hybrid theatre-music production King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild) returns to Soulpepper Theatre for a limited three-week engagement, running September 13 – October 5, 2025 at the Michael Young Theatre at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.

A co-production with Soulpepper Theatre and TRIA Theatre, this audience-and-critic favorite was written by Ahmed Moneka, Jesse LaVercombe and Seth Bockley, and was nominated for five Dora Awards in 2023, winning for OUTSTANDING SOUND & MUSIC.

It stars Ahmed Moneka and Jesse LaVercombe, accompanied by a stunning musical score performed live by Moneka’s 2025 Juno-nominated Arabic jazz ensemble.

Directed by NYC-based Seth Bockley, King Gilgamesh seamlessly merges the ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh with a modern story of an unlikely bromance set in Toronto.

★★★★★
“A raucous, glorious celebration of what it means to be alive.”
— Glenn Sumi

In this moving, funny, and music-filled performance, virtuosic performers Moneka and LaVercombe embody the legendary and tragic story of King Gilgamesh (Moneka) and his best friend, the “Man of the Wild,” Enkidu (LaVercombe). Interwoven with scenes from this ancient tale, which originates in Moneka’s home country of Iraq, the two performers enact a modern, fictionalized dramatization of the real-life friendship between Ahmed – a Black, Muslim, exiled Iraqi – and Jesse – a white, Jewish, ex-pat American. As the show weaves between past and present, myth and memory, it explores themes of masculinity, art, exile, sexuality, fatherhood, and mortality—all underscored by Ahmed’s 2025 Juno-nominated Arabic Jazz band (with members from Greece, Sudan, Turkey, and Canada).

The project is deeply personal, especially for Ahmed Moneka. In 2014, he starred in The Society, the first Iraqi film to feature a gay protagonist. The film premiered at TIFF, and in response, Moneka was exiled from Iraq and forced to seek asylum in Canada, where at first he spoke no English at all. King Gilgamesh (and the Man of the Wild) was born from that rupture and tells his incredible story of survival.

“Here in Canada, for the first three years, music was the only language I knew. 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. I’m so grateful to be celebrating the city of Toronto in all its diversity, culture and, of course, music.
— Ahmed Moneka

The show garnered praise from audiences and critics alike during its tours to the Prismatic Festival in Halifax, The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival / La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in NYC and Jungle Theater in Minneapolis.

“Moneka and LaVercombe are flat-out superb.”
— Talkin’ Broadway

“Beautifully navigates trauma, resilience, and ambition with graceful humour.”
— Sheila Regan, MinnPost

The politics of King Gilgamesh have only grown more relevant since the show’s premiere. When invited to headline the Toronto Mayor’s Evening for the Arts 2023, approximately a month after the war in Gaza began, Ahmed addressed the issue head-on, speaking as an Iraqi Sufi Muslim about his friendship with Jesse, an American Jew, the ethos of their play:

“As a survivor of three wars, I can tell you that hatred is not the path to change. Jesse and I represent a different way forward. We represent a younger generation. We represent togetherness because our similarities and harmonies are stronger and more beautiful than our differences. I always say that love is the main reason for a great future. This is not just our dream; it is the dream of the City of Toronto.”
— Ahmed Moneka

Tickets: CAD $45–$115
SPECIAL OFFER: Use code ARABICJAZZ for $35 tickets (Sept.13 – Sept. 21)
To Purchase Tickets:
Visit https://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/gilgamesh

MEDIA CONTACTS
Sasha Stoltz |
sasha@sashastoltzpublicity.com
P. 416-579-4804
Kevin Pennant | Pennant Media Group
kp@pennantmediagroup.com
P. 416-818-7466

Photos, interviews, and review access available upon request.

Website: www.kinggilgamesh.com
Video Trailer

Media Gallery: https://www.soulpepper.ca/press/king-gilgamesh-the-man-of-the-wild
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SOCIAL MEDIA
Instagram: @soulpeppertheatre | @gilgameshlive  | @ahmedmoneka l @jesselavercombe
Facebook: King Gilgamesh & the Man of the Wild

ABOUT SOULPEPPER THEATRE
At Soulpepper, we believe in the transformative power of art to unite people and build a more inclusive and resilient society. Situated in Toronto’s Historic Distillery District, our mission is to harness this power to inspire and bring together diverse communities. Our commitment to Radical Inclusion drives us to break down barriers and create a space that is open to everyone.

Our commitment to artists drives us to foster their creativity and innovate the ways we work to help them thrive.

Our commitment to our community drives us to throw open our doors and bring people together.

Now in our 27th season, we produce works year-round and offer educational and community programs to hundreds of youths and our local community. Our deep investment in the creative process is evident on stage, with acclaimed productions such as The Brothers Size, ‘da Kink in my Hair, and Kim’s Convenience earning awards and international acclaim. Since 2006, the Soulpepper Academy has graduated 77 remarkable artists.