Faithful adaptation of Malay literary classic is a nostalgic triumph and pertinent reminder of the struggles of our forebears.

A. Samad Said’s SALINA has never been an easy novel to adapt for the stage. Teater Kami artistic director Atin Amat knows this, having previously adapted it twice back in the ’90s, when resources were far more limited. Now, commissioned by the Esplanade for the 2025 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts, Teater Kami is revisiting the Malay literary classic once more, where it faces audiences both old and new. Rising to the occasion, Teater Kami proves their commitment by honouring the original novel and including all of its rich details, the unforgettable characters, and its nostalgic historical setting in one epic production.

Adapted by and directed by Atin Amat, SALINA is set in 1950s post-war Singapore, in the village of Kampung Kambing, which would be located around the Jalan Besar of today. Still reeling from the trauma and loss she’s experienced during the war, the titular Siti Salina is now trapped in a toxic relationship and works as an escort to make ends meet. She is just one of many villagers struggling to survive and live in these harsh circumstances, where the houses are falling apart, poverty is abound, and the lack of morals bring out the darker side of humanity. Alongside her community of Malay and Indonesian migrants, we watch as they live each day as best as they can, finding hope and joy in the little things, as they edge closer to a better future.

As a period piece, SALINA takes its time to immerse us fully into Kampung Kambing and the period. The entire play begins with a projection of credits, like in a film, before we’re shown scenes of the past, ending in a massive nuclear explosion marking the end of the Japanese Occupation. From here, the screen lifts, and we find ourselves in the midst of the bustling village, giving us a moment to take in the sounds of the koels calling in the distance, the goats bleating, rickshaws ridden across the leaf-strewn stage, and the attap houses with thatched roofs. While the set itself only comprises three main houses, and the occasional drinking hole, a digital backdrop allows us to imagine a Singapore beyond the stage, with more houses stretching into the distance, sky for miles. Fadlin Faladino’s lighting illuminates the cast perfectly, making believable transitions between day to night.

Teater Kami has employed a massive cast for this production, and their presences makes the village feel full of life, whether it’s the gossiping makciks, the rowdy gangs of men, or the scene-stealing Muhammad Khairi as cheeky ten-year old boy Bulat, always up to some kind of antic, all dressed in period-appropriate costumes. You know that it’s a set, yet, you can’t help but buy into the fantasy of its reality, especially with how the walls of the houses look aged, the rattan furniture, and all the old school props arranged in each dwelling. From time to time, we hear Indian songs played, reflecting the proximity of the Kampung to Little India and the mixed race population of the area.

That is also precisely where SALINA finds its strength – in making audiences feel that each of the characters onstage is a real person, we wind up believing, as they do, that they are living, existing in 1950s Singapore. That makes us care for them, fixated on their individual storylines, and how they’ll get through this difficult period. The ensemble work as a whole is fantastic; it is commendable how director Atin Amat has developed such strong chemistry between the huge cast such that it feels as if there are years of history between them, and a constant, burning desire and desperation for a better life. In addition, seeing how so many of them have emerged from Kami’s Actors’ Training Workshop to perform in a full professional production on the Singtel Waterfront Theatre stage is a magnificent opportunity and platform, and inspires hope in the future of Singapore’s Malay theatre actors.

As a ‘dialogue play’ that is heavy on the script, SALINA requires its cast to dig deep into their emotions, and that is felt in every scene. Rusydina Afiqah is outstanding as Zarina, in a rare role where she plays a villain, at times seductively flirtatious, and at others, a menace with the way she yells at and beats adopted son Sunarto (Shahril Wahid), and the coy, manipulative way she crushes daughter Nahidah’s spirit. Amirah Yahya, as Nahidah, is the epitome of innocence, and you can’t help but root for her when she finally admits her love for Hilmy, and your heart breaks when is left a mess following a traumatic incident. Rizal Aiman, as young village newcomer Hilmy, not only makes for a romantic lead to root for whenever he converses with Nahidah, charming with his stories of school, while also deeply caring for the women around him, including his ill mother (Suhaila M Sanif).

SALINA is of course, anchored by lead Salina, where Ariati Tyeb Papar makes a welcome return to the stage, and commands it. In each of her scenes, one is inevitably drawn to her quiet strength, radiating an aura of kindness while bearing the weight of her past, her expressions hiding her darkness even when smiling. You feel for her, and want only the best for her, and even her absence is felt whenever she is offstage. Opposite her is Fir Rahman as Salina’s good-for-nothing lover Abdul Fakar, and beyond his antagonistic violence and fits of rage, Fir layers the character with nuance and complexity, one you end up fearing his ability to charm and how he always feels like he’s on the edge of a breakthrough, only to return to his nefarious, womanising ways before demanding Salina for money once more.

It’s not often that such lengthy, epic plays can hold your attention for the entirety of the show, but SALINA manages to pull it off with aplomb, unabashedly sticking to its weighty script that pays off in our emotional response. There is a strange resonance in this story set over 70 years ago, where we watch a pre-independent Singapore struggling with vices all around, from rampant prostitution to poverty and drinking, a place seemingly bereft of morals and education that ends up causing the suffering of its people. Every scene sees the villagers either expressing the hope that things will get better, or rage at going one step forward two steps back, but it is in their continued perseverance and survival that we find the courage to carry on.

This is a play that, simple as it sounds, finds its way into your heart, like an old movie that still has resonance and relevance even today thanks to its universality. The dialogue is raw and real, the cast is committed to their roles, and breathes life into each character. Teater Kami never romanticises the past, only speaks it into existence, and with SALINA, makes you appreciate how far we’ve come all these years on. In its final scene, watching the screen as the world rapidly progresses on, while Hilmy reads a letter from Salina, his voice segueing into hers, it makes us believe that with the right heart, with the right support, and with enough time, we will find a way to move boldly on into a better tomorrow. This is a celebration of Singapore, a celebration of progress, and above all, a celebration of Malay theatre’s past and future, honest, sincere and powerful.

Photo Credit: Crispian Chan, Courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

SALINA plays from 2nd to 4th May 2025 at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. Tickets available here

Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2025 runs from 1st to 4th May 2025 at the Esplanade. Full programme and tickets available here

Production Credits:

Adapted from the novel by A. Samad Said Director/Playwright Atin Amat Dramaturg Rafeyah A Rahman Cast Ariati Papar, Fir Rahman, Rizal Aiman, Amirah Yahya, Suhaila M. Sanif, Rusydina Afiqah, Shahril Wahid, Fandy A., Rafaat Haji Hamzah, Adib Kosnan, Ali Khan, Wan Haddad Salleh, Norisman, Andry Hrithik, Hazriq Idrus, Fadhuli Fauzi, Danial, Tajiyah Sulwana Tajuddin, Decky ‘Aishah, Haziqah Hashir, Rani Senari, Fatin Shafura, Chariska Diva Anugrah, Shiqah Sukri, Firuz Khan, Khairuzamani Md Noor, Muhammad Khairi Production Technical Advisor Shafei Production & Stage Manager Norisham Osman Technical Manager / Lighting Designer Fadlin Faladino Sound Designer Dan Ahmad Scenic Art Lead / Props Master Yan Asan Scenic Art / Props Master Assistant Afi Hashim Head – Wardrobe, Make Up & Hair Rafil K. Executive Producer Dalifah Shahril, Saiful Amri Ahmad Elahi