There is never a better time to put up a theatre show about elections than well, election season. And with the next General Elections just around the corner, it makes perfect sense for local theatre company Teater Ekamatra to bring back their politically-charged play Geng Rebut Cabinet (GRC) for a brand new staging this September.

Written by Alfian Sa’at and directed by Mohd Fared Jainal, GRC returns after sold-out runs in 2015 and 2016 at the Singapore Theatre Festival, this time playing at Wild Rice’s Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre at Funan. The play seems naturalistic enough, save for one thing – it’s set in an imaginary version of Singapore where Malays are now the majority race, and the Chinese are a minority. This change in race dynamics changes the way things are run in Singapore, yet – many things remain strangely familiar, just with a little more role reversal.

In the play itself, a political party is busy strategising as they field candidates in a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC). On the shortlist are a Minister, a Brigadier-General, a high-flying lawyer and a grassroots organiser, making it a strong contender for the win. Yet, as we all know, no team is complete without a minority candidate – a Chinese person. Exploring race relations and the idea of representation, GRC touches on what it means to be a part of a minority, what it means to finally be recognised and publicised with your face everywhere, but only during campaign season, and what it means to be a ‘model’ or ‘problem’ minority.

In this new staging of GRC, most of the previous cast from the 2016 edition will be reprising their roles, with the return of Dalifah Shahril, Farah Ong, Fir Rahman and Serene Chen, and Sani Hussin joining this production. We spoke to the cast to find out more about their reflections on the politics surrounding the play, and its continued relevance today. “Alfian hasn’t made much changes to the play for this edition, and as much as it has humour, I still find it a very sad piece, as a dark mirror to society that’s still relevant,” says Sani, on the changes between the previous edition and now. “In the real world, sure we’ve made some progress, with more representation in the government and Parliament, but still, more can be done, and not just in terms of having more Malays in power.”

“Coming back to this play, I’ve developed more appreciation for the text and its nuances. Now, after eight years, I see things differently,” says Farah, who sustained a potentially life-threatening injury in between both productions, but has since recovered. “Before the accident, I was in my 30s, and now I’m in my mid-40s. The text feels different, and things I didn’t see before, I see now. I try to respect the script word for word, without changing anything. I want to respect the text as much as I can, revisiting how to do things differently.”

“It’s not unusual for shows to be restaged, for the work to mature—it’s not a bad thing. It’s exciting, and it’s been a while since I last worked with Ekamatra. They’ve suffered some hits, so I’m glad to be back to work together,” says Serene. “The whole creative team is working on making it different and fresh, tackling it with the same excitement. Things have changed, but not completely, and we now have an opportunity for conversations about stories you wouldn’t usually hear, when we realised where more of the blind spots were.”

“Working in a company like this, where everyone is invested and navigating this space, is invigorating. It makes you think about how to say the lines depending on the dynamics,” she adds. “It’s interesting as well that now we’re using a thrust stage instead of a proscenium, and going into rehearsals, I think, “If I say it here, then some of the audience won’t see it—how can we make it an inclusive experience for the whole audience?”

Speaking on the state of Malay theatre companies in Singapore, the cast similarly reflect on the changes the scene has seen over the years, particularly considering how few companies continue to exist in Singapore. “Malay culture is very important to me,” says Sani. “The new generation doesn’t really speak Malay, but perhaps that’s also why our shows now have surtitles, where it’s no longer purely for a Malay-speaking audience, but for for all of Singapore and all Singaporeans. Most importantly is that it must remain representative of our voice, not just as Malays, but as Singaporeans.”

“Ekamatra is a very different group now from how it used to be, where it focuses on exploring more universal topics from a Malay perspective. It’s changed a lot from the 90s and 2000s, where Ekamatra was doing much more experimental works, while Teater Kami approached shows with a more cultural significance, and more Malaysian pieces,” says Farah. “In a way, Ekamatra has changed their goals, and is now aiming for a more international appeal than just to the Malay audiences.”

“I think that there’s something special about Malay theatre and the language itself – there’s something about the vernacular that showcases the heartbeat of the country, and that’s why Ekamatra remains a key part of the ecosystem,” says Serene.”

And as for the necessity of being in theatre, while all of them have dabbled in both theatre and film, there’s something that keeps them coming back to the stage. “I started over 20 years ago in theatre. It’s a different process from film and TV, where we do rehearsals every day, learning how to become the character, finding our own character,” says Fir. “But with TV and film, we don’t have the luxury of time to do that. The satisfaction from the audience is very different – that live applause is what keeps me going and so happy every night.”

“I’ve thought about retiring from the stage before, but something about going back keeps us learning new things. To me, as long as the script is good, and the cast dynamic is good, with enough trust between the cast and with the director, then perhaps I’ll keep going,” says Sani.

“I always see so many actors out there fighting for a role. I used to feel sad when I didn’t get a role, but I thought about it and concluded that there’s a reason why I’m playing this role— I was chosen to make it more interesting, to contribute towards making a good piece of work, and putting your own ego aside to make yourself understand that you must offer something new. Plus, every project is different, and we have no constant colleagues – I love the process of learning from each other in every new production, and learning how to help sustain each other in the industry with care.”

“You can see and hear everything—it’s exciting. Time with the audience is very precious. It’s hard to get people to put down their phones. And for me, as an actor, it happens less and less. Time in theatre is something I treasure, to investigate this universe, to suspend disbelief, to watch, and to see this universe and story unfold,” says Serene. “It’s about taking the time to sit down and listen to a story that hopefully you find meaning in, and get to know yourselves better. As an actor, it’s an opportunity to step into the shoes of another person, to open ourselves to be educated, to see from the eyes of these characters. It’s easy to say don’t judge in real life, but as an audience member, we put down our defences to absorb the story, to laugh, to cry, to breathe a bit. And that is the magic of theatre.”

Photo Credit: Teater Ekamatra

Geng Rebut Cabinet (GRC) plays from 5th to 15th September 2024 at Wild RIce @ Funan. Tickets available here