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CURRENT SEASON - 2023




POTONG
An Esplanade Commission part of Pesta Raya Malay Festival of Arts




Synopsis
Adam is sent away by his mother, Siti, to undergo the rite of passage of every Singaporean son: National Service. Except, he was born in Australia and has no sense of what Singapore means to him. His return is further complicated by Siti's overzealous need for him to rekindle the ties she severed a long time ago—and experience the quintessential rite of passage of every Singaporean Malay-Muslim son: circumcision.

Aided by an uncle and grandmother who are not quite what they seem and an out of sorts ‘maker of men’ doctor, Adam journeys to be a man.

Potong is a theatrical journey that weaves together a rich tapestry of characters and intertwining experiences to unravel the intricate web of self-definition and the role of memories in shaping it. Liberally punctuated with both humour and pain, the play invites you to navigate the complexities around family, humanity, and love.   

Written by Johnny Jon Jon and directed by Mohd Fared Jainal, Potong was first presented as part of Teater Ekamatra’s 2018 main season offering, a company recognised for its honest, tender, and sensitive approach to thorny issues. This iteration stars actress Farah Ong in her original role, alongside performers Aisyah Aziz, Irsyad Dawood, and Jada.

18 - 21 May 2023
8pm (18 - 20 May) | 3pm (20 - 21 May)
Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets available below:













2022




Make Hantus Great Again




Synopsis
Make Hantus Great Again is a satirical, supernatural, and political comedy. It follows the second ever General Elections of the Convention of Metaphysical Entities (COME), the national administrative body (and support group) for Singapore’s population of hantus (ghosts), pontianaks, vampires, jiang shis, and other supernatural beings. Each race sends forth a candidate, each with their own crazed agenda. Will the vampires bring an orgy of anarchy? Will the jinn impose their own brand of magical dictatorship? Or will the ghosts… make hantus great again? That’s for the audience to decide as their vote will determine the result of the most important elections of their lives... and afterlives.

Make Hantus Great Again marks the theatrical debut of best-selling author, Suffian Hakim (of Harris Bin Potter and the Stoned Philosopher fame). Directed by Rizman Putra, Make Hantus Great Again stars Hafidz Rahman, Munah Bagharib, Azizul ‘Izzy’ Mahathir, Farah Lola, Jamil Schulze, Neo Hai Bin, and Norisham Osman.

28 – 29 Oct 2022
Fri, 8pm | Sat, 3pm & 8pm
The Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre @ Wild Rice, Funan
20% Early Bird Tickets Available till 30 September 2022











Bangsawan Gemala Malam




Synopsis
In a merry night of theatre, Singapore ethnic minority theatre company Teater Ekamatra remakes Shakespeare's classic A Midsummer Night's Dream, inspired by the splendour of Bangsawan opera and Nusantara.

In its heyday in Singapore in the 1930s and 40s, Bangsawan, a form of Malay operatic theatre, would regale audiences with its fantastical characters, and its mix of drama, music, and dance.

Now, Singapore ethnic minority theatre company Teater Ekamatra presents a lush, contemporary take on Bangsawan, in its highly-original adaptation of one of Shakespeare's beloved plays, A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Promising to be the most whimsical of love stories, this comic tale follows four lovers as they escape to the forest, only to be bewitched by fairies in a deceptive game of love and fantasy.

Now set against the exuberance of Nusantara, Bangsawan Gemala Malam revisits Shakespeare's magic-infused world with music, set and costumes celebrating the region's cultural vibrancy.

Conceived by Artistic Director Mohd Fared Jainal and directed by Aidli Alin Mosbit, Bangsawan Gemala Malam stars Aisyah Aziz, Rizman Putra, Munah Bagharib, Fir Rahman, and Vanda Miss Joaquim, amongst many other brilliant talents, along with costumes by local fashion designer, Max Tan.

Don't miss this delightful evening of theatre, as Bangsawan Gemala Malam invites you to revel in the world's perennial obsessions: love, jealousy and magic.

2 – 4 Jun 2022
Thu - Fri, 8pm | Sat, 2pm & 8pm
2h, no intermission
Victoria Theatre
More Details: https://www.sifa.sg/creation/creation-details/festival-commission/bangsawan-gemala-malam











The Studios 2022: Berak
An Esplanade Commission




Synopsis
When a father takes his life, his wife grieves, his daughter wonders, and his mother laughs. Berak looks at the whimsical journey of a family dealing with mortality. Adapted from Chong Tze Chien’s award-winning Poop!, Berak stars the stellar cast of Siti Khalijah Zainal, Fir Rahman, Siti Hajar Abdul Gani, and Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit.

With its humorous musings on family, love, and grief, Berak promises to speak to your heart in unexpected ways, filling it with magic, laughter, and hope.

1 – 4 Sep 2022
Thu - Fri, 8pm | Sat - Sun, 3pm & 8pm
1h 30mins, no intermission
Esplanade Theatre Studio











Packing/Unpacking




Synopsis
Packing/Unpacking is a multimedia installation that explores the visual choreography of a cubic constellation that sways and swivels to the tones and melodies of a generative music composition. From gridded formations to swarming undulations, these movements undergo shifting cycles to create its own living and ever evolving universe.

Taking inspiration from the multitude of moving boxes surrounding the artist as he sat in the space taking a deep dive into the company’s archival material, Safuan puts the two and two together; to create a universe of boxes that alludes to Teater Ekamatra’s decades of colourful adventures navigating through the issues of multiethnic reality of Singapore. These issues are often controversial and profound but the company has never failed to confront and pack them into technicolour productions on stage. Putting things in and out of boxes can be a difficult process, Packing/Unpacking is an ode to Teater Ekamatra for always doing it with colourful vibrance and a chuckle or two.

As a generative audio-visual piece, Packing/Unpacking is not a recorded content playback. The piece is continuous and constantly generates new alternations of sights and sounds. The meandering sonic modulations and visual ornamentations seem familiar from cycle to cycle, they are however, never the same.

3-6 February 2022
11am - 9pm daily
Aliwal Arts Centre
28 Aliwal Street #02-10 (S)199918
Register for free at: packing-unpacking.peatix.com
Feel free to walk-in too!













2021




PULANG BALIK




Synopsis
In 2003, Ekamatra started a project with a poor theatre format, involving one actor and one suitcase in a performance space. This year, with Esplanade, we are incredibly excited to present extended versions of two of our favourite works from the Projek Suitcase archives, dealing with loss and longing.

Teater Ekamatra proudly presents Mama Lekas Pulang and Balik as part of Pulang Balik

Mama Lekas Pulang
What happens when the only person who truly loves you, doesn’t even remember you exist? Mama Lekas Pulang explores the world of dementia and how it affects even the simplest of relationships, one between a mother and her child. It investigates the feeling of loss, found memories, grief, and the triumph of the soul. The script was inspired by the songs of Uji Rashid, an icon of Malay pop music during the 1970s.

Balik
Ain, a woman in her late thirties, has always had issues of abandonment. Overwhelmed by her mother’s eventual demise, Ain grapples with the reality of redefining her existence, whilst trying to make meaning of the legacy of uncertainties that her parents have left her with. As she seeks to excavate her family’s secrets, she comes to realise that certain questions are better left disposed, while some answers are best left abandoned

Mama Lekas Pulang
Directed by Moli Mohter
Written by Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit
Performed by Elnie S Mashari

Balik
Directed by Mohd Fared Jainal
Written by Zulfadli (Big) Rashid
Performed by Farah Ong

Pulang Balik runs 5-7 November at the Esplanade Theatre Studio. Tickets are on sale now at the link in our bio at $30 for standard tickets and $21 for student/NSF/senior citizen with discounts for E&Me holders. Go grab your tickets now!!!











(I)solate /(隔)离




Synopsis
(I)solate /(隔)离 is a triple bill presented by Teater Ekamatra and performed in collaboration with the graduating cohorts of Diploma in Theatre (English and Mandarin Drama) from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.

The new works were written by three brilliant ethnic minority women writers, Umi Ismail, Asyikin Monasir and Naja Surattee, who were developed under Teater Ekamatra’s Playwrights Development Programme. The showcase aims to highlight the impressive talents of NAFA’s graduating cohorts as they deftly tackle complex themes such as mortality, loss, and solitude on stage.

Mandarin Drama Diploma Graduation Showcase
28 October - 31 October 2021
NAFA Studio Theatre
The triple-bill is directed by and translated into Mandarin by Kian Sin
Presented in Mandarin with English surtitles

English Drama Diploma Graduation Showcase
11 - 14 November 2021
NAFA Studio Theatre
The triple-bill is directed by Rizman












2020




NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL EKA




Synopsis
As a celebration of reaching our fundraising milestone of $10,000, during our fundraiser campaign, AMBOI!, we came up with a special reward for our donors in the form of a free Zoom mini festival of performances called, NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL EKA. The two-hour session will feature performances by surprise guests, friends, supporters, and collaborators of the company such as yourself! This will be held on Zoom on the 25th of September 2020 at 8 - 10pm as a way to thank all donors who contribute to the AMBOI! fundraising challenge.

Hosted by Fakkah Fuzz, Farah Lola, Munah Bagharib, Noristar
Guest Performances by Bani + Ila, Farizi Fauzi, NADA, Senjarah (DJ set), Shafiqhah Efandi, Siti Maznah, Vanda Miss Joaquim

25 September 2020
Hosted on Twitch










BERAK (presented as part of Festival/Tokyo)




Synopsis
This is an online screening of “Berak” by Teater Ekamatra, a company committed to establishing Malay theatre and confronting the multiethnic reality of Singapore. After the March performances of “Berak” in Singapore were canceled due to the coronavirus, the company filmed the play instead, which is now presented at Festival/Tokyo.

“Berak” is adapted from the play “Poop” by Chong Tze Chien (The Finger Players), which draws on Buddhist ideas in a portrayal of a family that must deal with suicide, illness, and death. In this new version, the family is Muslim.

How will the family handle the illness of the young daughter and the suicide of the man who was their mainstay? Imaginatively mixing fantasy and comedy, the dialogue between the daughter and her father’s spirit as well as the relationship between the wife and mother vividly illuminate the community’s attitudes toward family and life and death.

Featuring shadow puppetry and silent film techniques, and made in the company’s signature “transcreation” approach, which relocates the source material to other sociocultural contexts, the play’s inventive yet profound style embraces diversity, universality, and synthesis.

Directed by Mohd Fared Jainal
Adapted by Zulfadli (Big) Rashid
Performed by Siti Khalijah Zainal, Fir Rahman, Siti Hajar Abdul Gani, and Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit
Videography by Eric Lee and Akbar Syadiq

16 October – 15 November 2020
Available on:
https://www.festival-tokyo.jp/20/en/program/teater-ekamatra.html

Performed in Malay with Japanese, English, Malay, and Chinese subtitles










BACA SKRIP: #_____




Synopsis
baca skrip: #_____ is a monthly series of online Malay play readings happening from May to August 2020. Putting the spotlight on the written text, the platform revisits seminal works by Singapore Malay playwrights, This series hopes to create the space to consider the resonance of the text today, appreciating the textures in the use of the Malay language while peeping into the history of contemporary Malay playwriting.

From re-discovering the familiar and being surprised by the new, we invite you to re-acquaint yourselves with the characters’ confrontations with reality -- which is, in more than one way, our own.

Co-produced by Fezhah Maznan and Teater Ekamatra.
Read in Malay with Malay and English sur-titles.

29 May 2020 - #HantaranBuatMangsaLupa
26 June 2020 - #AnakMelayu
24 July 2020 - #IkanCantik
28 August 2020 - #Causeway
Hosted on Zoom










BACA SKRIP: #HantaranBuatMangsaLupa




Synopsis

Hantaran Buat Mangsa Lupa
Hantaran Buat Mangsa Lupa (Offerings for the Victims of Amnesia) is a trilogy of plays inspired by the three main events leading to the establishment of Islam. Paired with the severely poetic nature of the Malay language, Hantaran offers a dimension that faith excludes and/or questions.

Genap 40

Read by Shida Mahadi and Izzul Irfan
From Hadith no. 4, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), told us that it takes 40 days for a sperm and egg to become a drop of blood, then a chunk of meat, and then its roh (soul) to be blown into it by an angel on the last day. Along with its roh, four other decrees will also be written onto it; takdir, rezeki, iman and ajal (fate, sustenance, faith and finiteness). Hawa, who is pregnant, receives a premonition that she will meet Malaikat (angel) on the 39th day, where she hopes to enquire about the fate of her child, and herself; revealing her true desire to challenging predestination

W.C.

Read by Misha'al Syed Nasar and KayKay Nizam
Two men in a toilet cubicle.
They talk, but not a lot.
They touch, but not too much.
Only the four walls bear witness to their dispositions.
They struggle to find comfort and space.
A woman looms outside, shifting the gravity of their proximity.
The two men are now trapped in the cubicle.
W.C, was created to examine the complexities between men - abandonment, trust, and maybe even love. Performed in an intimate setting with sparse text, the audience is cornered to read between the lines and decipher the relationship between these two characters.
W.C. speaks of comfort and sacrifice, or lack thereof.

94:05

Read by Fir Rahman
when hope becomes fleeting. 94:05, invites the audience to the life and memories of Ahmad bin Abdullah. As he tidies his studio apartment, Ahmad finds it hard not to reminisce. He shares with us every important juncture he has passed through, slowly revealing his struggles with fate. Every now and then he contemplates mortality, especially in moments Ahmad tells stories of the Prophet Muhammad from memory, in an attempt to ease himself, and maybe, to find a reason to live. He recites Surah 94 – Relief, fixated on the promise in fifth line; “So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief”.

Written and Directed by Irfan Kasban

29 May 2020, 8pm
Hosted on Zoom










BACA SKRIP: #AnakMelayu




Synopsis

When Anak Melayu first came out in 1992, it was received with intense reservation and caution from the Malay community. The play presented a very raw, uncomfortable, and unforgiving portrayal of the psyche of 6 Malay youths and relationships with family, religion, and love. Almost 30 years on, these characters are still disconcertingly familiar in the community. Anak Melayu entangles us in the messy web that every character weaves as they navigate their realities with themselves and with each other.

Written and Directed by Noor Effendy Ibrahim
Read by Ali Mazrin, Amirah Yayha, Farah Lola, Izzul Irfan, Rusydina Afiqah, Saifuddin Jumadi,

26 June 2020, 8pm
Hosted on Zoom










BACA SKRIP: #IkanCantik




Synopsis

The third edition of baca skrip:#__ features Aidli Mosbit with Ikan Cantik. Aidli Mosbit’s impact on contemporary Malay theatre is unquestionable. Known to many as ‘Kak Alin', she has been a pivotal mentor for key figures in the industry for at least two generations. A playwright and a director, her works are bodacious, loud, and with a unique taste of songs and music. In the last twenty years, she has become a forced reference when speaking of female voices and representation in theatre, due both to her unique charisma as a leader and educator, but also as a craftswoman of powerful characters on the stage.

The creation process for this iteration of Ikan Cantik was accompanied by a recollection of its original staging in 1998. As part of the production, Alin asked six young female actors to shave their head but this was severely condemned by the Islam community. The memory of that experience remains painfully present in the actors’ memories, as some of them recollect how the situation affected them personally. The play has never been restaged.

How do we read these characters now, twenty-two years on? Has the Malay woman been empowered enough? Has she regained control over her body? Join us in this wonderful read, which promises to be both a walk down the memory line and a reality-check as we face the future. `

The play will be read by Elnie S.Mashari, Emanorwatty Saleh, Esther Yap, Farah Ong, and Rafeyah Abdul Rahman (Yaya), who were part of the original ensemble. They are joined by a key representative of the new generation, Suhaili Safari.

Written and Directed by Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit
Read by Elnie S.Mashari, Emanorwatty Saleh, Esther Yap, Farah Ong, and Rafeyah Abdul Rahman (Yaya), Suhaili Safari

24 July 2020, 8pm
Hosted on Zoom










BACA SKRIP: #Causeway




Synopsis

Causeway explores the relationship between Singaporeans and their closest neighbour, Malaysia. Consisting of eight chapters performed by an ensemble cast of seven, the play takes the audience on a tour of common histories and shared pop culture. A traffic jam on a Causeway forms the backdrop to various conflicts. Hang Nadim from Singapore meets with Mahsuri from Langkawi, both victims of injustice. The trauma of separation is allegorised as physical severance. Two families at a game show turn mutual stereotyping into a sport. Playful, insightful and theatrical, Causeway attempts to construct a bridge that transcends the limiting frameworks of ‘bilateral relations’.

Written by Alfian Saat
Directed by Fasyali Fadzly
Read by Arjun Thanaraju, Darynn Wee, Fazleena Hishamuddin, Iedil Dzhuhrie Alaudin, Gloria Tan, Hafidz Rahman, Umi Kalthum

28 August 2020, 8pm
Hosted on Zoom










BERAK (CANCELLED)




Synopsis
When a father takes his life, his wife grieves, his daughter wonders, and his mother laughs. Berak looks at the whimsical journey of a family dealing with mortality. Adapted from Chong Tze Chien’s award-winning Poop!, Berak stars a stellar cast of Siti Khalijah Zainal, Fir Rahman, Siti Hajar Abdul Gani, and Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit.

With its humorous musings on family, love, and grief, Berak promises to speak to your heart in unexpected ways, filling it with magic, laughter, and hope.

Teater Ekamatra proudly presents Berak at the new Wild Rice Theatre at Funan on 25 - 28 March 2020.

Directed by Mohd Fared Jainal
Adapted by Zulfadli (Big) Rashid

“Heartfelt, beguiling, and magical.” - The Straits Times

“A perfect blend of heartbreak and hilarity.” - ArtsEquator

“An incredibly moving reflection and depiction of death and bereavement.” - The Flying Inkpot

25 – 28 March 2020
8pm
Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, WILD RICE @ Funan

Tickets from $18 at SISTIC

Estimated show duration: 70 mins, no intermission
Performed in Malay with English surtitles
Rating: Advisory (Some mature content)










PUNGGAH (POSTPONED TILL FURTHER NOTICE)




Punggah, a co-production between ESPLANADE and Teater Ekamatra for the 2020 season of The Studios: Lost & Found

Synopsis
Punggah tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Zaitun, a palliative care nurse who finds joy in burying cuttings, patients and her past; and Martin, a filial man trying to trace his dying mother’s past in order to fulfil her final request. Compelled by time, both struggle to deal with personal conflicts as they try to reconcile the past and the present—all in the hope of carrying out responsibilities for the people they both love and hate. Punggah explores themes of reconciliation and redemption, told through the lives of those dealing with death.

Written by Johnny Jon Jon
Directed by Fasyali Fadzly
Performed by Umi Kalthum Ismail, Krish Natarajan, Ashwini Nambiar

16 – 19 April 2020
16 - 18 (Thursday - Saturday) : 8pm
18 - 19 (Saturday - Sunday) : 3pm
Esplanade Theatre Studio

Tickets at $35 available from SISTIC

Estimated show duration: 80 mins, no intermission
Performed in Malay and English, with English surtitles
Rating: Some strong language and mature themes.

Enquiries: general@ekamatra.org.sg












2019




A CLOCKWORK ORANGE




Synopsis
Teater Ekamatra presents its take on Anthony Burgess's 1962 cult classic, A Clockwork Orange. Adapted by Zulfadli Rashid and directed by Noor Effendy Ibrahim, A Clockwork Orange takes place in a repressive, totalitarian state where ordinary citizens have fallen into a passive stupor of complacency, blind to the seething discontent amongst its youths. The play will be performed by Rizman Putra, Elnie S Mashari, Roslan Kemat, Shafiqhah Efandi, Suhaili Safari, and Izzul Irfan, in Malay with English surtitles.

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.

Tickets - $35

25 - 29 September 2019
25 - 29 (Wednesday - Sunday) : 8pm
28 - 29 (Saturday - Sunday) : 3pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio










MAT CHAMPION




Written By: Rizman Putra and Sabrina Annarhar
Directed By: Rizman Putra
Performed By: Fir Rahman, Farhana M Noor, Munah Bagharib, Norisham Osman, Siti Maznah Mustaffa, Syaiful Ariffin

Synopsis
Mat Champion is a children’s play written by Rizman Putra and Sabrina Annarhar.

Long time rivals, the boys of Mat Champion and the girls of Minah Rong Geng, put aside their differences, in order to become superheroes, to save their 'jati diri' (identity).

Mat Champion will be performed in Malay, with English surtitles.

Early Bird - $20
Standard - $25

4 – 7 July 2019
4 & 5 July: 2pm & 5pm
6 & 7 July: 11am, 2pm & 5pm

LASALLE College of the Arts
Creative Cube
1 McNally St
Singapore 187940

Estimated show duration: 80 mins
Suitable for children and teenagers from 7 - 16 years old
This programme is eligible for funding under the Tote Board Arts Grant subsidy. For media requests, school bookings, and other enquiries, please contact: general@ekamatra.org.sg












2018




TIGER OF MALAYA




Written By: Alfian Sa'at
Directed By: Mohd Fared Jainal
Dramaturgy By: Shawn Chua
Performed By: Farez Najid, Siti Khalijah Zainal, Rei Poh, Rei Kitagawa, Yuya Tanaka

12 - 23 September 2018
Drama Centre Black Box


Synopsis
In 1943, the Japanese film 'The Tiger of Malaya' was released. Based on the life story of Tani Yutaka, a Japanese man who lived on the east coast of Malaya, the film portrayed him as a patriotic agent who liberated the Malay natives from British imperialists and Chinese capitalists.

Now, more than 70 years later, a group of actors are going to reenact scenes from the film. Real Malay actors will replace the 'brown face' Japanese actors in the original. Chinese actors will play antagonists who are 'less evil'. A Japanese actor will try to find a space of performance between the wartime propaganda classifications of heroes, villains and victims.

As they comically attempt to 'correct' history, they discover how their identities are sustained not by the accuracies of history but the stubbornness of myths.

Performed in: English, Malay, Mandarin, & Japanese, with English surtitles.
Estimated Duration: 1.5 hours, no intermission

Media requests, school bookings, and other enquiries: general@ekamatra.org.sg










BULAN MADU - A DOUBLE BILL




Alfian Saat's Bulan Madu — A Double Bill as part of the Malay CultureFest 2018

24 - 28 October 2018
Malay Heritage Centre Auditorium

Shows:
24 – 28 October, 8pm
27 & 28 October, 3pm

Tickets:
Standard $35
Students/seniors $28

Triple Deal Promo!
Bundle of 3 standard tickets: $90
Bundle of 3 student tickets: $70

Performed in: Malay with English surtitles
Estimated Duration: 2 hour 15 mins, including 15 mins intermission
Advisory 16 and above

To reserve tickets – email your name, contact number, and number/type of tickets to: tix@ekamatra.org.sg

Anak Bulan di Kampong Wa’ Hassan
Directed by Noor Effendy Ibrahim
Performed by Adib Kosnan

Synopsis
Anak Bulan Di Kampung Wa' Hassan
This monodrama tells the story of Kampung Wa’ Hassan, the last Malay kampung (village) to fall victim to Singapore's efforts at modernisation. Far from a nostalgic trip down memory lane to a romanticised Malay kampung, this is a journey of discovery of the true worth of a village, filled with real-life characters in all their rawness, and the true loss in the dispossession of it.


Madu Dua
Directed by Mohd Fared Jainal
Performed by Siti Hajar Abdul Gani & Munah Bagharib

Synopsis
Madu Dua
Two women – one young, the other less so - share a house, a kitchen, a pot, and a husband. They talk, discovering frustrations and claustrophobia in a space each expected to own completely. Madu Dua is a tale of a polygamous marriage which dispenses altogether the male narrative in heady bouts of spite and verve, pain and regret. It explores the discomforted space in the negotiation of religion and the self and exposes the complexity of the female (Malay/Muslim) psyche.










POTONG




Written by Johnny Jon Jon
Directed by Irfan Kasban

21 - 25 March 2018



Synopsis
Adam is sent away by his mother, Siti, to undergo the rite of passage of every Singaporean Son, National Service. Except, he was born in Australia and has no sense of what Singapore means to him. His journey back 'home' is further complicated by Siti's zealous need for him to reconnect the ties and links that she severed a long time ago when she left, and experience the quintessential rite of passage of every Singaporean Malay Son, circumcision. 

Aided by an Uncle and Grandmother who are not sure of themselves, and an out of sorts "Maker of Men" Doctor, Adam journeys to be a man. 

Potong is a play exploring the themes of identity and memory.



Cast: Farah Ong, Mohd Fared Jainal, Munah Bagharib, Salif Hardie

Performed in English & Malay, with English surtitles.



*Early bird tickets available now until 18 February!

Early bird promo: Purchase a pair of tickets for $40!

Do note that you may purchase only one pair of tickets per transaction, multiple transactions needed for purchase of more than two tickets. Thank you for your understanding.

Standard ticket: $25

Get your tickets at:



Enquiries: general@ekamatra.org.sg












2017




ANGKAT
(as part of the Ekamatra's Artist Residency Program)




Salma, a National Idol hopeful, is asked to alter her image so as to appeal to the masses. As compromises are made, she starts to question her identity, creating a clash between her roots and her upbringing as an adopted child.

Salmah and her adoptive mother Khadijah are made to face the consequences of their actions in the past, present and inevitable future. Will the forces of fate and nature tear them apart or bring them closer together?

Performed in Malay with English surtitles.

Cast
Erwin Shah Ismail
Faizal Abdullah
Farez Najid
Norsiah Ramly
Sahirrah Safit

Artistic Team
Conceptualised by: Nabilah Said
Written and devised by: Irfan Kasban and the cast of Angkat
Director & Set Designer: Irfan Kasban
Sound Designer: Tini Aliman 
Collateral Designer: Akbar Syadiq

Details

20-23 December 2017 - 8pm
23 & 24 December 2017 - 3pm
(Sat & Sun matinee)

Standard Price - $20 - Free Seating

Doors Open at 7.45pm
2.45pm for matinee shows
Estimated show duration: 90mins

Malay Heritage Centre Auditorium
85 Sultan Gate, Singapore 198501


For enquiries on the show, please contact general@ekamatra.org.sg
For ticketing enquiries, please contact tix@ekamatra.org.sg







MAIN2
(AS PART OF PESTA RAYA 2017)




The lives of six pained characters are interwoven together, each checkered by cycles of abuse—physical, emotional and psychological—and rocked by violence, self-inflicted and otherwise. This includes sobering episodes of incest, domestic abuse, lifelong drug abuse and sexual violence. Underlying this is a deep, simple yearning for happiness and love that they share.

Main² was commissioned by Esplanade for the very first Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts in 2002, and was the first Malay language play to be staged at the arts centre. Written by Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit, it is a warts-and-all portrayal of the Malay community and its social strata, framed by the concept of main, literally meaning “the games we play”.

This new staging is directed by Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit, and features a new cast made up of Al-Matin Yatim, Farez Najid, Farhana M Noor, Hatta Said, Munah Bagharib and Suhaili Safari. Bear witness as each character find themselves in “transit” after lifelong games of chasing happiness.

Dates & Times:

20 – 23 July 2017
Thursday – Sunday

Thur – Sun: 8pm
Sat – Sun: 3pm

Duration: 1hr 40mins (No Intermission)

Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio

Performed in Malay with English Subtitles.
Contains some mature content. Recommended for 16 years and above.








HOPE (HARAP)
(AS PART OF ESPLANADE PRESENTS: THE STUDIOS)




“A badly decomposed corpse was found floating on Singapore River early this morning…”

Hope, the root word of “hoping”, “hopeful”, “hopefulness”, and the like; a word that serves as the thrust for the condition, the needs, the wants of each and every human being.

A father, a mother, to a daughter; and two friends. Human beings, each one of them. Desperate, dejected, whose fates remain undecided, whose dreams remain unrealised, and whose ambitions remain undefined, only because deep in their hearts, the seeds of hope were sown.

Probably, without hope, without hoping, without being hopeful, their lives would be untainted, unscathed, undamaged, and not naked; devoured to the skeletal frames of their existence.

First produced in 1994, this version of Haresh Sharma’s Hope is adapted into Malay by Zulfadli Rashid. Hope (Harap) is directed by Mohd Fared Jainal and features a stellar cast which includes Sani Hussin, Siti Hajar Abd Gani, Fir Rahman, Hirzi Zulkiflie and Nur Zakiah Bte Mohd Fared.

Dates & Times:

6 – 9 Apr 2017
Thu – Sun

Thu – Sat: 8pm
Sat – Sun: 3pm

Duration: 1hr 30mins (no intermission)

Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio










2016




GRC (GENG REBUT CABINET)
(AS PART OF SINGAPORE THEATRE FESTIVAL 2016)




A political party is fielding its candidates in a five-member Group Representation Constituency. Among them are a Minister, an army Brigadier General, a high-flying lawyer and a grassroots organiser. But their team is not complete without a minority candidate. This candidate has to be likeable. He or she has to be a respected member of the community. And most importantly, he or she has to be…Chinese.

Teater Ekamatra is proud to present ‘GRC’, a brand new play written by celebrated playwright Alfian Sa'at, directed by Mohd Fared Jainal. The play examines what it means to be a minority in a topsy-turvy farcical world where the disempowered are now empowered, where the invisible now have their faces plastered everywhere—especially during campaign season. Who defines whether someone is a member of a minority? Who sets the standards for a 'model minority' and a 'problem minority'? And are some countries ready for a minority Prime Minister?

GRC is performed in Malay and English with English surtitles.

Venue: Flexible Performance Space, LASALLE College of the Arts
Dates: 14 July – 24 July 2016
Playwright: Alfian Sa’at
Director: Mohd Fared Jainal
Cast: Serene Chen, Farah Ong, Dalifah Shahril, Fir Rahman, and Khairudin Samsudin










HUTANG BELANTARA





A play on the word from the Malay phrase “hutan” which means “forest”, Hutang Belantara –The Expansive Debt is a multi-disciplinary mono-drama centred around a seed of discord, owning and owing, and the fallen.

This Staging is part of the public programme of Amar Kanwar: The Sovereign Forest and the festivities of Gillman Barracks 4th Anniversary Celebrations - Art After Dark & Art Day Out!






PROJEK SUITCASE 2016




In 2003, Teater Ekamatra created a project with a poor theatre format involving one actor and one suitcase in a performance space. The idea was to show how a play could be effective with minimal setup, allowing actors to captivate the audience simply through storytelling, marrying words with motion.

This year's installation of PROJEK SUITCASE will see 21 established artists from the industry presenting eight, 20-minute plays, based on the theme, Excavation. Equipped with only their suitcases, the storytellers will spin their tales on the grounds of Malay Heritage Centre and dare us to follow them on their journeys, excavating forgotten pasts and alternative histories.

All 8 plays will be showing every night, 2 plays at a time, from 30 Sep - 4 Oct. This means, on any given night, an audience member will be able to catch a maximum of 4 plays. Thus, we also have a 2-day pass for audience members who would like to catch all 8 monologues!

Projek Suitcase will be presented in Malay. Booklets with English surtitles will be provided.










2015




GRC (GENG REBUT CABINET)




A political party is fielding its candidates in a five-member Group Representation Constituency. Among them are a Minister, an army Brigadier General, a high-flying lawyer and a grassroots organiser. But their team is not complete without a minority candidate. This candidate has to be likeable. He or she has to be a respected member of the community. And most importantly, he or she has to be…Chinese.

Teater Ekamatra is proud to present ‘GRC’, a brand new play written by celebrated playwright Alfian Sa'at, directed by Mohd Fared Jainal. The play examines what it means to be a minority in a topsy-turvy farcical world where the disempowered are now empowered, where the invisible now have their faces plastered everywhere—especially during campaign season. Who defines whether someone is a member of a minority? Who sets the standards for a 'model minority' and a 'problem minority'? And are some countries ready for a minority Prime Minister?

GRC is performed in Malay and English with English surtitles.

Venue: Flexible Performance Space, LASALLE College of the Arts
Dates: 9-13 December 2015
Playwright: Alfian Sa’at
Director: Mohd Fared Jainal
Cast: Neo Swee Lin, Farah Ong, Dalifah Shahril, Fir Rahman, and Khairudin Samsudin








PROJEK SUITCASE 2015




In 2003, Teater Ekamatra created a project with a poor theatre format involving one actor and one suitcase in a performance space. The idea was to show how a play could be effective with minimal setup, allowing actors to captivate the audience simply through storytelling, marrying words with motion.

This year's installation of PROJEK SUITCASE will see 21 established artists from the industry presenting eight, 20-minute plays, based on the theme, Excavation. Equipped with only their suitcases, the storytellers will spin their tales on the grounds of Malay Heritage Centre and dare us to follow them on their journeys, excavating forgotten pasts and alternative histories.

All 8 plays will be showing every night, 2 plays at a time, from 30 Sep - 4 Oct. This means, on any given night, an audience member will be able to catch a maximum of 4 plays. Thus, we also have a 2-day pass for audience members who would like to catch all 8 monologues!

Projek Suitcase will be presented in Malay. Booklets with English surtitles will be provided.








5IVE




5IVE is the graduation showcase for the first cohort of Teater Ekamatra's Playwright-Director Mentorship Programme (PDMP), the anticipated follow-up to 1234 staged last February. The showcase presents a double bill of plays by Hazwan Norly and Nabilah Said, accompanied by set design by Moses Tan. During the course of the programme, these young artists have received guidance from theatre veterans such as Zizi Azah, Irfan Kasban, Mohd Fared Jainal, and Alfian Sa’at, and hope to forge their own paths in the industry in the future.










2014





PARADISE




In the city of Kesamet, all of life's quibbles have been solved. Energy, food and water are 100% recyclable. Happiness is found in a pill, tears are non-existent. People get to choose everything, even death. Dan works in an Orgone factory by day and dreams kaleidoscopic dreams by night. Drifting in satiated time, he tells his only friend Talulah he's ready to die. By chance, he meets Mag and in her blind eyes sees a haunting paradise. One that will bring him deep into the past, uproot his present and fracture the future.

Written by Zizi Azah Abdul Majid and directed by Rizman Putra, PARADISE features an enigmatic cast comprising of Ang Hui Bin, Eugene Tan, Crispian Chan, Jean Toh Ting Yi and Maimunah Bagharib.
Sound design by Zul Mahmod, Lighting Design by Andy Lim, Costume Design by Eugene Tan, Video Design by Eric Lee, Set Design by Neon Tights, Graphic Design by Mohd Fared Jainal and Make-Up by Haslina Ismail.

PARADISE will be showing at the Drama Centre Black Box on 4 - 7 December 2014. Tickets are available on SISTIC.








THE WASTELAND




THE WASTELAND by MEREKA

SYNOPSIS
What is the meaning of life?
We live. We lie. We die. We who are at a constant state of war, never fail to hope for peace: “Shantih Shantih Shantih” we cried. We look for answers. We move forward in circles. We take sides in chaos. We remember what we want. We find comfort in banality. We give. We sympathise. We control.
We are the waste land…

BRIEF
The Wasteland is set to be an immersive multi-disciplinary piece inspired by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land – considered ‘one of the most important modernist poems of the 20th century’.

11 members of Teater Ekamatra’s youth incubation wing MEREKA seek to transform GREYMATTER with curated installations as part of their graduation performance.

Date: 18th (Sat) & 19th (Sun) OCTOBER 2014
Venue: GREYMATTER, 28 ALIWAL STREET, #02-10 S (199918)








NO SUBSTANCE




25-PIECE GLASS ORCHESTRA INSPIRED BY “MANUFACTURED CITY”

Zul Mahmod’s “No Substance” Showcase Inaugurates Teater Ekamatra Residency

Laboratory glassware mounted on copper pipes will take pride of place at renowned sound artist Zul Mahmod’s upcoming exhibition NO SUBSTANCE. The installation, held in Teater Ekamatra’s Greymatter Studio at Aliwal Arts Centre, is a continuation of Zul’s first-phase exhibition at Yeo Workshop in Gillman Barracks earlier this year.

From just five pieces in Phase One, Zul has expanded his exhibition to a 25-piece orchestra capable of playing 127 different notes. So far, he has written eight compositions for the musical sculpture, which will be performed while the works are on display.

The inspiration for NO SUBSTANCE, Zul says, came from the urban landscape of “developing cities,” which he describes as resembling “infrastructure without a soul.” He envisions NO SUBSTANCE as a meditation on the place of the human element in the big city. “The infrastructure, who is it for, really?” he asks. “Is it for us or for the economy? I mean, you need both, but there has to be a balance.”

The materials Zul employs in NO SUBSTANCE point to his preoccupation with the theme of “a manufactured city” devoid of people or soul. “In terms of the sound pieces, it’s empty, it’s just glass,” he says. “There’s no tone or melody to this piece.” Similarly, he eschewed the mass-produced wooden stools he used as display-stands in the earlier iteration of NO SUBSTANCE, favouring instead stands that he made himself with copper pipes of various dimensions. Although this required more time and effort, he finds himself satisfied by the liberty of transcending the limitations of mass-produced supplies.

As an innovative sound artist known for his bold design choices, Zul is ambitious about future possibilities for the next incarnation of NO SUBSTANCE, such as having the sound-pieces triggered by a dancer’s movements or controlled remotely by an iPad. “Usually, when it comes to theatre, you have the script, directions, then you come up with the set and the sound,” Zul explains. His method, on the other hand, reverses this process and calls attention to the technical nature of theatre practice.

NO SUBSTANCE is the inaugural showcase of Teater Ekamatra’s new two-month artist residency programme, which the company’s artistic director Fared Jainal believes will “expand its theatrical vocabulary” by incorporating new multimedia forms and disciplines. The exhibition will run from 28 to 30 August 2014, at 28 Aliwal Street, #02-10. The studio space will be open to the public from noon to 7pm, followed by a presentation with Zul at 8pm each evening.








A BEAUTIFUL CHANCE ENCOUNTER OF A SEWING MACHINE AND AN UMBRELLA ON AN OPERATING TABLE




“the systematic exploitation of two or more intrinsically incompatible realities on a surface which is manifestly inappropriate for the purpose and the spark of poetry which leaps across the gap as these two realities are brought together.”
Max Ernst

A site-specific performance art installation by Irfan Kasban
Featuring:
Farah Ong
Hanz Moniefiero Medina
Lynn Yang
Nabilah Said
Nur Khairina
Rohana Akhbar
Ruby Jayaseelan
Tan Jia Yee
Vignesh Singh

& Sound Designer Zul Mahmod.

27-29 March 2014
2000hrs
at the open field across Golden Landmark, Stamford Primary, Queen Street Bus Terminal, Rochor Centre & Raffles Hospital.










2013





KAKAK KAU PUNYA LAKI




Four of the Selamat sisters are modern and successful: the wife of a prominent banker, a Maths teacher, a housing agent and a stewardess.

Their eldest sister, Mas, is something else altogether. She is superstitious, old-fashioned, and smells like damp clothes. She sells curry puffs in front of MRT stations and collects magazines filled with stories of mystery illnesses, pontianak sightings and magic stones.

One day, Maslindah announces to her sisters that she has finally fallen in love. Her sisters are intrigued and alarmed, since they are convinced that Maslindah would remain a spinster forever. As they try to discover more about Maslindah’s mysterious boyfriend, they are forced to confront their own prejudices towards Maslindah.

‘Kakak Kau Punya Laki’ is a play that raises questions about black sheep, outcasts and sociopaths. What exactly is the dividing line between normalcy and deviance? Who ultimately decides where to draw that line?

And how do you solve a problem like Mas Binte Selamat?

Written by Alfian Sa'at
Directed by Mohd Fared Jainal

Cast
Noorlinah Mohamed
Mastura Ahmad
Farah Ong
Maimunah Bagharib
Muhammad Najib Soiman

performed in Malay with English Surtitles.

18-21 December 2013 - 8pm
21 & 22 December 2013 - 3pm (Sat & Sun matinee)

Esplanade Theatre Studio.








94:05




94:05, a monologue, invites the audience to the life and memories of Ahmad bin Abdullah, who struggles with his health, where death appears to be more imminent with each passing day.

He recites Surah 94 – Relief, focusing on 94:05 “So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief”, and shares stories of the Prophet Muhammad from memory, to ease himself, and maybe
even find a reason to want to continue to live.

First staged in M1 Fringe Festival 2012 as part of Irfan Kasban's trilogy, Hantaran Buat Mangsa Lupa, with Sani Hussin as Ahmad.

This is Mohd Fared Jainal's first performance in a monologue after such illustrious years of being in theatre.

94:05 recently premiered in Malaysia at the KakiSeni Festival 2013 in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur.








TAHAN




To be above the Law would be to be above the Angels

written and directed by IRFAN KASBAN
starring ANDY YEW, FAIZAL ABDULLAH, FARAH ONG, FAREZ NAJID,
ISABELLA CHIAM, RIZMAN PUTRA & TAN SHOU CHEN
featuring BANI HAYKAL & ZIZI AZAH

Adil, whose name in Malay stands for ‘fair’ or ‘just’, turns 18, and receives a letter to serve his country. He is posted as a law-enforcer, where after months of training,he meets a team of men, and women, who live to serve and protect. Adil notices their resemblance to Angels, who are believed to carry no emotions, no desires, only a medium in administration.

Not prepared for the ‘real world’ of law-enforcement, Adil finds himself learning and re-learning several ideologies and skills while carrying out his duties. All his preconceived notions were debunked as he finds truth behind faces of ‘faceless’ men and women who make a living by being fair and just.

Tahan follows Adil’s journey to the discovery of the life of angels in prominent disguises, and the discovery of himself, in a land where no man is above the law.

Performed in English with some Malay, Mandarin & Hokkien.

DATE & TIME
21-23 February ( Thurs - Sat ), 8 pm
23 February ( Sat ), 3pm










2012





NOT COUNTED




One hostage. One perpetrator.
Two victims.

Written and directed by ZIZI AZAH
Starring GERALD CHEW & NAJIB SOIMAN

Benjamin Lik drives a BMW 7 series coupe, lives in a 3-floored bungalow in Upper Thomson, has a private shower in his office.
Muhammad Ashraf drives a yellow Hyundai Sonata, lives in a maisonette that is about to be repossessed, has two estranged daughters and an absent son.

Two men who live in completely different worlds, cross paths only when Ashraf storms Benjamin’s office one afternoon. Barricading the door, he demands a job in Benjamin’s company. With no means to escape, Benjamin is forced to confront truths that hide under the guise of meritocracy.

Teater Ekamatra is proud to present Not Counted, part of our Main Season 2012-2013. Not Counted explores how the growth of a nation can make or break a man.

Not Counted will receive its world premier in China as part of Singapore's representation at Journey, a festival-cultural exchange
platform hosted by Penghao Theatre. It will be held from 10 to 16 December in Beijing, China. This is done in partnership with Drama Box. The play will then return to Singapore and be staged at Drama Centre Black Box.


DATE & TIME
20-22 December (Thurs - Sat), 8 pm
22 & 23 December (Sat & Sun), 3 pm
 8 pm
23 February ( Sat ), 3pm








THIS PLACEMENT




"A city is never complete…

No space to run, no place to hide. No. No. No.
No memories to hold, no memories to be told.

No eye to eye. No heart to heart. No fires. No one.
Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody really here.

Just songs of migrating birds passing by.
Just symphonies of metal, concrete and glass.
Just echoes of silent discontent.

This content, displaced."



This Placement is a site-specific work, which brings artists and
audiences together to examine and explore the architecture of home.

Gathering inspiration from Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and Kuo Pao Kun’s
Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral, it discovers that for a city to remain a home,
one has to travel away, to reinforce its ideals, making the idea of home even more vivid.

With the charismatic Former Geylang Fire Station as the point of confluence,
artists and audience will create a micro-city to explore their displacement
through collaborative work, promising to redefine the theatrical experience.

This Placement is proud to be part of Kuo Pao Kun Festival 2012.

Featuring: 

 

Alexandre Thio, Daphne Ong, Ellison Tan, Eleanor Tan, Farah Ong, Isabella Chiam, Izzaty Ishak, Nabilah Said, Moses Tan, Rachel Poh, Ruzaini Rashid, Sharon Frese, Safia Hanifah, Yanni Sumarno & Yuhui Ng.


Conceived and directed by:
Irfan Kasban

Performances will be on 27-29th September 2012, 8pm- 9.30pm,
at 29 Paya Lebar Road, Former Geylang Fire Station.








MENTAH




MENTAH features 4 new works by the participants of our Playwriting Mentorship Programme (PMG). Participants have been under the guidance of Teater Ekamatra’s Artistic Director, Zizi Azah Abdul Majid during the PMG, held weekly since December 2011.

In the spirit of 'Art Inspiring Art' works from this showcase were inspired by a trip to the museum where several notable paintings became stimulus to developing their work.

MENTAH

16 & 17 March 2012 8pm
17 March 2012 3pm
The Substation Theatre








HANTARAN BUAT MANGSA LUPA




Hantaran Buat Mangsa Lupa is a trilogy of plays inspired by the three main events leading to the establishment of Islam. Paired with the severely poetic nature of the Malay language, Hantaran offers a dimension that faith excludes and questions. The first two plays – Genap 40 and W.C. – were previously staged to small audiences, and this presentation marks the completion of the trilogy with the premiere of 94:05 alongside the other two.

 

THURSDAY 16 - SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2012, 8PM
SATURDAY 18 FEBRUARY, 3PM








BLEEDING GRACE




Bleeding Grace is the story of two pedestrian lives. They meet, they laugh, they make a promise. She has a child, he begins to question what he wants. They take opposite sides, they cry, they break promises. A child dies, life becomes a void. In the horror of disillusion and the sorrow of death, how does life carry on?

An exploration of the abject pain of mediocrity through poetry, physical theatre, installation art and sonic art, Bleeding Grace is a multidisciplinary collaboration between acclaimed local artists Fared Jainal (Co-creator and Director), Zizi Azah (Co-creator and Playwright), Angie Seah (Visual Instillation Artist) and Bani Haykal (Sound Engineer), starring theatre stalwarts Eleanor Tan and Fita Helmi.

Performed in English and some Malay with English surtitles.










2011





MATA HATI




Written by Robin Loon
Directed by Zizi Azah Abdul Majid

Synopsis

Former High-flying Malay minister agrees to give a rare interview to a post-graduate student for her research. As the interview progresses, the former minister resurrects ghosts from his past.

What did he do? Why did he do it? What happened before and after?

Set in a world of political expediency, intrigue & compromise, Mata Hati explores the idea of the tragic hero: his flaws, his loves, his humanity.

Cast

Johari Aziz
Isabella Chiam
Anwar Hadi Ramli
Eleanor Tan
Shaza Ishak
Tan Shou Chen

Dates

15-17 December 2011, 8pm
17 December 2011, 3pm








ANGOTTA 2000




“Homage to Malay Occupations – Success & Successors”

From mid-wife to circumciser, from teacher to undertaker,
Anggota 2000, curated by Irfan Kasban, is a graduation show
from the participants of our youth programme, MEREKA.

The festival involves various multidisciplinary works revolving around the title theme. This year, the theme instigates the participants to rediscover a part of the Malay culture that has been given very little attention. Before these ‘Malay’ occupations completely dissipate into oblivion, we pay our respects and rediscover them in a brand new light.

Come join the participants as they explore the realm of 'exclusively Malay' occupations through a site-specific performance that boasts little/no electricity. Anggota 2000 showcases 12 short plays and installations written and directed by our very own MEREKA youths.

ZARA by Ruzaini Rashid

PERUT by Noor Izzaty Ishak

ROTAN MAK GURU by Fadhuli Fauzi

GORENG PISANG by Nabilah Said

ORANG PUTIH by Asyikin Mohd Nasir

MERIAH by Khalid Supandi

STRANGERS by Tan Qian Yi

ALAHAI ANDAM by Nabila Talib

SIAP SEDIA by Hamaiza Kasban

NENEK by Hazwan Norly

SUMBANG by Tini Aliman

MEREKA DATANG DAN PERGI by Alhafiz Sanusi, Ezzat Alkaff & Habibah Mohckeram.


Performed in Malay
with English scene breakdowns.

29th July, 8pm
30th July, 3pm & 8pm








PARIAH




After critically acclaimed 'Nadirah' which won best script in Life! Theatre Awards 2010, Alfian Sa'at returns with... 'Pariah'
the second installation of Alfian's tribute to the late Yasmin Ahmad.

Synopsis

Melur is a Form 5 student studying in Kuala Lumpur. When she hangs out with her friends, Hafiz, Mahesh and Kahoe, they look like the poster children of 1Malaysia, a slogan celebrating multiracialism and nationhood.

One day, Melur discovers that a page from a novel that was lying around in her room has been torn out. The trouble is that the novel belongs to her schoolteacher mother, who uses it as a literature text. Investigating further, Melur realizes that the page that has been torn out contains the word ‘pariah’, deemed controversial by the Indian community.

The only suspects are the three boys, who had visited Melur’s house during the school holidays. As they begin to read it, however, the four students start to question some of the histories presented in the book, histories that they are supposed to claim as their own.

Who are the indigenes and who are the immigrants? Is there a grain of truth in even the most repellent stereotype? What power does a word have to shape reality? And is a civic nationalism possible in any society obsessed with race?

Inspired by Yasmin Ahmad’s final film, ‘Talentime’, as well as Abdullah Hussain’s novel, ‘Interlok’, Pariah is a timely exploration of how identities are contested in a young, pluralistic nation. Funny, provocative and moving, Pariah asks urgent questions about love, home and belonging.

Written by ALFIAN SA'AT
Directed by JO KUKATHAS

Featuring an all Malaysian Cast

Farah Rani
Gregory Sze
Iedil Putra Alaudin
Mervyn Raj

Performed in Malay with English Surtitles.
Presented by Teater Ekamatra with support from Instant Cafe Theatre.

23-25 June 2011, 8pm
25 June 2011, 3pm








BERSENDALOKA




Bersendaloka is colloquial Malay for ‘coming together to share’.
A triple-bill of plays written and directed by young emerging theatre enthusiasts who'd like to share their stories.

Featuring three different theatre disciplines, and voices of Malay Theatre, Bersendaloka promises to engage and excite theatre-goers of all ages.

Potret by Agnes Christina

Potret tells a story about a sister and her brother who try to construct their father’s image through a series of photograph found in their father’s suitcase.

Each photograph tells a story. But do these stories explain who this father is? Photographs fade, but memories don’t, do they?

Potret features engaging visuals in the form of multimedia as a backdrop in this intimate two actor play. Potret is about finding truth.

Performed by: Nina Mareta Kosasih & Clement Dian Perdana Darmawan



Singgah Sana by MEREKA

Awan knows not the burden of his presence, for his mother who adopted him, tells him nothing of his father's legacy. She instead urges him to spread his wings and leave the island, Singgah Sana, as soon as he reaches adulthood.

Awan notices that the community grows restless as an impending danger comes closer. His hunger swells beyond comprehension, and he sets out to find his true self. Singgah Sana is a play about finding self within community

Performed by the MEREKA 13-actor ensemble



W.C. by Irfan Kasban

Two men in a toilet cubicle. They talk, not a alot. They touch, not too much. Seemingly, only the four partitions bear witness to their awkward dispositions. They struggle to find comfort, space and invisible walls to transcend.

W.C., a piece about finding comfort, features a stella cast sharing an awkward unchartered space. Toying with the versatility of the Malay language, W.C. promises to excite the senses.

Performed by Rafaat Haji Hamzah & Hatta Said



Performed in Bahasa & Malay with English Surtitles.