Incendiary play that shows you exactly how people are pushed to extreme measures.

It is only human to want to connect, to reach out and share in the friendship of others. It makes sense then that in Qabila’s WePushTheSky, playwright and performer Nisha Abdulla greets us when we first enter the theatre, her voice warm and welcoming as we settle into our seats. Behind her, there is a large white banner with the words ‘Are You Listening?’ written in red, but she is all smiles, as she explains that she is awaiting Indian Prime Minister Modi, where she expects to get an audience with him, but is running late.

Right from the outset, we already have our suspicions and laugh off her set-up. Surely the Prime Minister cannot be bothered with an ordinary citizen like Nisha, who appears like someone who has created a makeshift camp in the Esplanade Theatre Studio. Directed and designed by Ujwala Rao, the space is simple, with minimal props but effects such as a stepladder and box containing paraphernalia arranged neatly by the ends of the poles holding up the banner. Nila is still smiling, as we continue to wait for more audience members to enter.

Still waiting for PM Modi, Nisha decides to instead regale us with stories. It’s an intimate audience, and perhaps that helps her in making us feel that much closer to her. We are offered achappam, stored in tupperware, as it is passed around. As we while away the time, Nisha tells us about childhood friends, warm memories unearthed from the past, speaking with genuine sincerity and wistfulness for time gone by – she dances to hit songs, gets us to learn how to say words in her language, describes to coastal beauty of Kerala. Are we listening? Yes, absolutely, hanging on to every word as she elaborates on every cultural facet, taking the time to explain significance and origin, word meanings for our benefit.

Yet, something is off – from time to time she seems to be triggered by tiny movements in the audience. A smile, a twitch, a moment of hesitation, where her voice snaps and you hear her threaten to rise into a shout from the smallest of perceived microaggressions. There are times she drifts off, where she speaks of her friends disappearing and losing contact with them entirely, hinting at something far darker than this little get together might initially suggest. Where does it all lead? The answer comes out when she begins to put up clear protest posters on the white sheet, calling for change, for jihads. When ‘Modi’ finally appears offstage, she rushes to meet him, yelling at him to listen to her, that she has been following him around, only to be rebuffed.

While she may seem off-kilter, it is not without reason. The entire mood of the performance shifts, bathing the space in red light as she speaks of the countless losses she’s encountered. We cannot fault her – it feels like she’s lost so much, primarily from government policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act punishing refugees. Her voice rises, anger in her throat, tears brimming in her eyes. Pushed to the brink, the edge of her rope, it’s hard not to sympathise with how she’s essentially endeared herself entirely to us over the course of a little over an hour, and be swayed towards her cause and desperation.

For Nisha, there is nothing left to lose, and everything to gain from becoming a revolutionary. This is a show that’s about grief, but also about not letting it get to you and doing something about it, no matter how pessimistic a situation seems. It is a show that reminds us that it is completely possible to fight for a seemingly hopeless cause and find new believers if you just reach out. It is a reminder that at its heart, we are all human looking for connection, and indeed, we do find it in this show – and seeing her alone onstage and how much she has given of herself to us, end up wanting to support Nisha in her efforts. WePushTheSky becomes an invitation to come together, to strengthen belief in a cause, and ultimately, to trust in that change can happen.

Photo credit: Ujwala Rao

Read our interview with Qabilah here

WePushTheSky played from 11th to 12th January 2025 at the Esplanade Studio Theatre.

The 2025 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival will run from 8th to 19th January 2025. More information and full line-up available here

To contribute towards the Fringe Festival Fund, visit donate.necessary.org or Giving.sg.

Production Credits:

Playwright and Performer Nisha Abdulla  Design & Direction Ujwala Rao  Production Manager Shradha Raj  Sound Design Pardafash  Lighting Design Madhusudan and Arun DT  Set Execution Gowtham (Bheema)