Preview: Always Every Time by Ground Z-0

Following the site-specific Shadows IN The Walls at the National Gallery earlier this year, Ground Z-0 springs back onstage with a double-bill of works come end March. The relatively new theatre company’s presentation, Always Every Time, brings to stage stories of parent-child relationships put to the test within 20-minute windows where life and death intersect. Faced with such a crucial moment in their life, it is now or never as these characters are forced to confront their fears, insecurities, apprehension, disappointment and pain.

In a statement from Ground Z-0, the company states: “Through Always Every Time, we hope to break down language and cultural barriers by creating a platform and opportunity for audiences to access Singaporean works. Through this cross-pollination of what were separate and discrete audience segments, we hope to grow audiences for Singapore’s theatre industry. As a young and ambitious arts company, we also believe in growing together with other up and coming artists particularly in the development of original local works, and are excited to present two original local plays to contribute to the growing repository of Singaporean works.”

The first part of the double bill will open with Tiap Kali Aku… (Every Time I…). Starring Saiful Amri and Adib Kosanan, who also wrote and directed this 45 minute play, Tiap Kali Aku… recalls a quote from prophet Muhammad about how a father lays out ‘the best path to paradise’ for his child, surrounding issues of fatherhood and responsibility as one man reflects on the father figures (or lack thereof) he has had in his life in the final 20 minutes before his child’s impending arrival.

In the second part of the double bill, Ground Z-0 presents 我在你左右 (Always On My Mind). Written by Zelda Tatiana Ng, with an earlier version originally staged at the Gekio Asia International Playwright Competition in Nagoya (Japan) in 2017 and voted as the Judges’ Favorite, 我在你左右 stars Liow Shi Shuen and Lina Yu as a mother and daughter  in a complicated relationship, where things come to a head as the daughter struggles to understand her mother, now close to death. Despite years of physical and mental abuse from her father, the mother continues to remain devoted, an incomprehensible and illogical act to her daughter. Will she be able to find closure, and come to terms with how loving might just mean letting go?

Break out of your comfort zone, watch a play outside of your usual language, and come face to face with the power of life and death in Ground Z-0’s Always Every Time, playing for just one weekend this March.

Always Every Time plays at the Play Den @ Arts House from 28th to 31st March 2019. Tickets available from Eventbrite