Review: Rumah Dayak by Rupa co.lab

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 23/11/19, Matinee) Nessa Anwar’s sophomore full length play proves her mastery over capturing natural conversation and social realism. Presented by new theatre collective Rupa co.lab in their theatrical debut, Rumah Dayak follows a night-hour safehouse for troubled youths in the Malay community. Ironically however, the safehouse itself is facing imminent danger, as they face mounting pressures from the authorities, rising costs of operations, and … Continue reading Review: Rumah Dayak by Rupa co.lab

Rumah Dayak: An Interview with New Theatre Collective Rupa co.lab

The Singapore theatre scene is buzzing, with new collectives emerging year after year without fail. This time around, three founding members of Malay playwright collective Main Tulis Group (Hazwan Norly, Nabilah Said and Nessa Anwar) have come together to form Rupa co.lab, whose name is derived from the Sanskrit word प (rūpa), which means “form, shape”, and aims to reshape contemporary conversations through the lens … Continue reading Rumah Dayak: An Interview with New Theatre Collective Rupa co.lab

Review: Rumah Hantu by akulah BIMBO SAKTI

Trapped by the ghosts of their pasts. Written in response to Noor Effendy Ibrahim’s first play Kerusi Buaian, Cermin, dan Jam (1991), Adib Kosnan’s Rumah Hantu is the result of a year of workshopping under he Malay Heritage Centre’s Projek Bahasa Pengarah (The Director’s Language Project), and sees the rather unusual subject of the haunted house take centrestage. Directed by Noor Effendy Ibrahim, Rumah Hantu already creates an uneasy atmosphere the … Continue reading Review: Rumah Hantu by akulah BIMBO SAKTI

Preview: Rumah Dayak by Rupa co.lab

A new collective’s in town and they’re here to make a statement with their debut production this November. Named Rupa co.lab, comprising Malay theatremakers Hazwan Norly, Nabilah Said and Nessa Anwar (all founding members of the playwright collective Main Tulis Group), the collective aims to create new work and provoke and reshapes conversations as seen through the lens of the Malay person. As of now, the … Continue reading Preview: Rumah Dayak by Rupa co.lab

Preview: Rumah Hantu by akulah BIMBO SAKTI + An Interview with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Adib Kosnan

Playing as part of the Malay Heritage Centre’s Malay Cultural Festival 2019, akulah BIMBO SAKTI is set to present the premiere of Adib Kosnan’s Rumah Hantu this November. Written by Adib in response to Noor Effendy Ibrahim’s first play Kerusi Buaian, Cermin, dan Jam (1991), Rumah Hantu (ghost house) takes place in an old and decrepit house, where two individuals find themselves trapped (Farez Najid and Suhaili Safari). Their lives are … Continue reading Preview: Rumah Hantu by akulah BIMBO SAKTI + An Interview with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Adib Kosnan

Review: A Clockwork Orange by Teater Ekamatra

Teater Ekamatra drags audiences into a dangerous dystopia where nothing and nobody can be trusted. Across the history of dystopian fiction, there is perhaps none quite as visceral and teetering on the edge of existential dread and horror as the society depicted in Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange. But even more terrifying than that perhaps is the realisation that such a dystopia is becoming more and more … Continue reading Review: A Clockwork Orange by Teater Ekamatra

Teater Ekamatra’s A Clockwork Orange: An Interview with the Cast and Creatives

British author Anthony Burgess’ seminal novel A Clockwork Orange has seen countless adaptations over the years, from stage plays to its best known iteration – a 1971 film version directed by Stanley Kubrick. But of all these adaptations, one we’ve yet to see is a version created in a Singaporean context. Enter Teater Ekamatra’s newest production – a Malay language adaptation of A Clockwork Orange, set to premiere this September, … Continue reading Teater Ekamatra’s A Clockwork Orange: An Interview with the Cast and Creatives

Preview: A Clockwork Orange by Teater Ekamatra

  In a city filled with often-broken promises, I am your good narrator, brother. Now, help yourself. As I warble, and you peet. A dash of blood and a little keroncong. Alas there will be no hollow after our hearts grow stale of crying. Gathering some of the best talents in local theatre today, Teater Ekamatra is set to stun with a brand new, Malay … Continue reading Preview: A Clockwork Orange by Teater Ekamatra

Review: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

An epic, joyous production elevating the art of drumming to new heights.  There are some productions that can only be described as nothing more than pure joy to watch. Fatih – The Prince and the Drum, happens to be one such production, as it cleverly uses a mix of Malay percussion, song, martial arts and staging to make a familiar tale of a fallen prince seeking … Continue reading Review: Fatih – The Prince and the Drum by NADI Singapura (Pesta Raya 2019)

Review: The Seen and Unseen (Sekala Niskala) by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)

Clear direction and precise choreography make this highly spiritual work a success. Transitioning from one medium to another can be a daunting task, with the biggest question being “what does the new form add that the old one did not?” But for Indonesian director Kamila Andini, the answer to that is clear, with the stage adaptation of her 2017 film The Seen and Unseen. Born out … Continue reading Review: The Seen and Unseen (Sekala Niskala) by Kamila Andini (Pesta Raya 2019)