THE WEIGHT OF A IN A POCKET - The Studios Esplanade Presents
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Esplanade The Studios
Presents
THE
WEIGHT OF A
IN A POCKET
28 MAR – Esplanade Theatre Studio &
27 APR 2019 Esplanade Annexe StudioWelcome to The Studios 2019.
I first learnt what a cairn was as a child, reading a book
about a boy and his father’s hiking adventures. The boy
would take every opportunity to stack some stones to
mark their progress, but it wasn’t till he tried dismantling
one that he learnt about its other purpose – to guide hikers
along the way. I was fascinated by the concept then, and
pored over photos of these rudimentary stacks of stones
that complete strangers would put together for other
strangers as milestones and markers of their journey.
The theatre is a little bit like that. Strangers gather as
artists and audience to travel across time and space,
sharing and carrying each other’s stories. With every
story told, another stone is added, another landmark
to commemorate our individual and collective journeys
through life. There is something altruistic and vulnerable
about this exchange, and I suspect, is what draws us to
the theatre time and time again. In the theatre, we find
a place to deposit the weight of our respective stones;
in the theatre, we don’t feel so alone.
Thank you to the artists, creatives, and technical
personnel behind The Studios 2019 season, your craft,
generosity and commitment are why we are all here.
Thank you to The Studios team - Evelyn, Caroline,
Shiraz, Fezhah, Shireen, Izumi, and Vanessa. I couldn't
have asked for better compatriots.
And thank you for taking the time to be here with us;
your presence is what makes this season complete.
Lynn Yang
Lead Programmer
The Studios 2019
1A CO-PRODUCTION WITH CAKE Esplanade Theatre Studio 28 – 30 Mar, Thu – Sat, 8pm 30 & 31 Mar, Sat & Sun, 3pm 1hr 30mins, no intermission R18: Nudity and mature themes.
RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
A N T I - A B S O L U T E S:
T HE W O R L D O F A N TI G O NE
BY CLARA CHOW
The enduring quality of Sophocles’ Antigone democratic tradition and wariness of
stems from its age-old conflict between a tyranny. Over time, the play has remained
citizen's conformity to social or national popular precisely because of its relevance
laws, and one's innate obligations to the to the tugging demands of the need to
natural or 'divine' laws of right and wrong. police national groups and borders, as
well as the impulse for compassion; the
A girl's brothers go to war against each exigency of control and order, versus
other and die. One is honoured as a hero. respecting individual freedom and
The other branded a traitor and left to rot civil liberties.
out in the wilderness. The new person in
charge decrees that anyone who buries (I write this while listening to a Spotify
the traitor would be stoned to death. playlist comprising of songs titled
What would you do? "Antigone", by the likes of contemporary
classical composers, a Greek goth
Antigone chooses her love and duty as vocalist, a London electronica band,
a sister and gives her brother Polyneices' a French-Japanese rap collaboration,
corpse proper funeral rites. She defies her and a death-metal band.)
uncle, the new king Creon. For her trouble,
she is sentenced to be entombed alive. When I first came across Antigone,
She hangs herself. Creon's son, Haemon, my first instinct had been to click my
who loves her, kills himself with a knife. tongue at the two inconsiderate brothers
His mother Eurydice, too, commits suicide. who fought each other in the first place.
A lot of heartache could have been
Man-made law, if followed to the letter, averted if those two dunderheads had
leads to despair – that seems to be the shared the throne as originally agreed.
takeaway. But Sophocles' message is
rarely straightforward: pig-headed Over time, however, I have realised
adherence to binary thinking, such as that the play's premise is a lot more
Antigone's self-righteous admonishing of complicated and versatile than just a
her obedient younger sister Ismene who patriarchal dispute. Pakistani-British
fears breaking the king's law, seldom author Kamila Shamsie's 2017 novel,
makes for happy endings either. Home Fire, powerfully repurposed the
Antigone myth as an allegory for the rising
Written in a time of nationalistic fervor and xenophobia and anti-Islamic paranoia in
first performed around 441 BC, Antigone the Western world. Set in modern Britain,
spoke to Athenians' pride in their it follows two sisters as they deal differently
3RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
with the fallout from their brother's decision produce such a complete, urgent and
to join ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the heart-rending response to the prohibitive
Levant). When the younger sister, Aneeka, state. She disregards its dictates as only
seduces the Home Secretary's son to try a pain-ridden animal can.
and secure the return of her brother, the
politician intensifies his hardline campaign In Anne Carson's translation of Antigone,
against British-Muslim "terrorists". staged at the Barbican in 2015, King
Creon pronounces: "I’ll have you hanging
Home Fire is but one of many contemporary by your thumbs till you confess/you greedy
re-interpretations of the Greek classic pissant little amateur terrorist." This bluster
that presents an alternative to the is cleared away like cobwebs when his
incessant conservative Euro-American niece Antigone later tells him that he has
news cycle and Trump-esque narrative of ensured the people's compliance because
racial profiling, travel bans and hysterical "you've nailed their tongues to the floor".
enemy-of-the-state charges. In 2014, Syrian She is the lone voice of dissent, in a
refugee women staged their own version of society brow-beaten and bowed as much
Antigone in Beirut, weaving their own stories by the promise of stability as by violence.
of war and suffering into the ancient story.
In March 2019, Esplanade and Singapore Theatre is filled with female figures
theatre company Cake will stage Rubber wronged by the whims of rulers. But it is
Girl on the loose which reimagines a multi/ Antigone who burns a bright flame in the
inter-cultural Antigone in a hallucinatory collective retina, before winking out and
institution ruled by three Creons. These leaving an unforgettable after-image.
versions are antidotes, in a world hung up
on absolutes and hawkish rhetoric. They Clara Chow is the author of Modern
are necessary, important, salves. Myths, a collection of short fiction inspired
by characters from Greek mythology.
When I think of Antigone now, I am in awe
of and emboldened by her defiance. This is an excerpt from her essay, ‘Women in
Perhaps, it is only a woman – with Tragedy’, commissioned by Esplanade and
none of the privilege and power of published on www.esplanade.com/learn.
the male-dominated establishment,
and everything to lose – who can
4RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
SY N OPSIS
Urban legend has it that Sophocles, the three (Creons). TriCreon skulks the hallway
Granddaddy of Tragedy, died from holding with the violent physicality of West Papuan
his breath while reciting a particularly long dancer Darlane Litaay, builds walls of
line from Antigone, the story of a young sound with the cavernous beats of
woman from Thebes, who had the cheek Berlin-based musician Matthias Engler,
to defy her uncle-ruler Creon to bury her and dictates to the administration with the
brother Polyneices. Receiving a proper exacting vowels, consonants and
burial was a big deal then. The deceased diphthongs of Malaysian actor Ghafir
without an appropriate send-off would Akbar. In the airless school, Rubber Girl
be denied entry into the Underworld and crumbles and rebounds with the angular
forced to roam the shores of River Styx as athleticism of Australian dancer Sarah
a restless ghost forever. Antigone wasn’t Chaffey. She embraces her nicotine-
about to let that happen. Her refusal to patched cousin-fiancé Haemon, speaks
snap under pressure earned her the with the dead—including a bare assed
nickname, Rubber Girl. Polyneices—and wills us the courage to
live life in accordance to our beliefs,
Rubber Girl is the proverbial rebel with a without compromise, without hesitation,
cause, a poster child for every generation, confronting fear, confronting death.
politicised by necessity to change her world.
Personal beliefs clash with the powers
With their penchant for subverting above and what a big bloody mess that
constructs, Cake sets Thebes in a can be.
hallucinatory institution under the rule of
5RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
A B O U T CAKE C O M PA N Y
Led by Natalie Hennedige, Cake is a Natalie Hennedige, Suven Chan, David
contemporary performance company Lee, Andy Lim, neontights | Nizam S.,
based in Singapore. Cake’s works are Elias Oh, Rizman Putra, Brian Gothong
staged in conventional theatres as well Tan, Philip Tan, Melissa Teoh, Sharon
as outdoor public spaces. From intimate Tang, Alexandre Thio
theatre experiments to lush outdoor
spectacles, Cake is committed to exploring www.caketheatre.com
the possibilities of performance, offering www.facebook.com/caketheatre
pieces that are varied, multidisciplinary admin@caketheatre.com
and artistically adventurous.
B I OS
NATALIE HENNEDIGE He has also performed internationally in cities
Writer and Director like Braunshweig, Brisbane and Edinburgh. He
Natalie Hennedige is the shared the nomination of Life! Theatre Award
Artistic Director of Cake, 2016’s Best Ensemble and Best Production of
a contemporary performance the year in It Won't Be Too Long. The Cemetery
company based in Singapore. A recipient of by Drama Box under the direction of Kok Heng
the National Arts Council Young Artist Award Leun as part of the Singapore International
in 2007 and the JCCI Singapore Foundation Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2015.
Culture Award in 2010, Natalie conceptualises,
writes and directs works in theatre and other
media. Constantly collaborating with artists
from across disciplines such as visual arts,
film and video, performance art and dance, AMY J CHENG
Natalie engineers contemporary works that Performer
not only are artistically adventurous but also Amy Cheng’s luminous
defy classification, playing at conventional performance on the acclaimed
performance venues, unusual spaces of drama series Growing Up won
creative experimentation and public spaces her a Best Actress nomination at the 2001 Asian
to create performance-based experiences. Television Awards. Internationally, Amy has also
been on German co-production Der Chinese,
a film based on the international best-seller
AL-MATIN YATIM Henning Mankell's The Man from Beijing.
Performer A veteran theatre practitioner, Amy helmed
A full-time theatre practitioner productions like The Good Citizen, 41 Hours,
who graduated from the 251 and earned a Best Supporting Actress
Intercultural Theatre Institute nomination at the Life! Theatre Awards for her
with a Professional Diploma in Intercultural performance in Toy Factory’s mandarin musical
Theatre (Acting), Al-Matin Yatim has been 10 Brothers. In film, Amy recently starred in
working professionally in the theatre since 2010, the ground-breaking international blockbuster
mainly as a stage actor, with many notable and rom-com Crazy Rich Asians directed by
established companies like The Necessary Jon M. Chu, as Jacqueline Ling.
Stage, TheatreWorks, Cake, Teater Ekamatra,
Teater Kami, Hatch Theatrics, The Finger FLY Entertainment Artiste
Photo by Russel Wong
Players, The Theatre Practice, Drama Box and
Chowk Productions.
6RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
in Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand since 2012.
ANDREW MARKO
Performer His works have been performed at the
Andrew is just an ordinary guy Indonesian Dance Festival, Salihara (Jakarta);
who has been lucky enough to Mousontrum (Frankfurt); Sophiensaele (Berlin);
be able to pursue his love for Spring Dance Festival (Utrecht); Ozasia Festival
performing. On top of acting, Andrew also writes, (Adeleide); Tanzhaus (Dusseldorf); Europalia
cooks and sings at bars with his band, Van Milos. (Belgium); Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
Andrew is most known for his role as Joshua, a (Singapore); Jakarta Biennale; and Impultanz
teenager with severe autism, in Pangdemonium’s Festival (Vienna) among others.
production of Falling, for which he won the
M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Award for He was the recipient of the Kelola Foundation
Best Actor. Arts Grant in 2011 and 2014. He collaborates
with artists from Asia and Europe, and also
Notable theatre credits: Peter and the Starcatcher lectures as a faculty member of the dance
(Pangdemonium); Private Parts (Michael Chiang’s department at the Indonesia Institute of Arts
Playthings); Mama White Snake (W!LD RICE); and Culture in Papua.
Esplanade's PLAYtime: Koko the Great (Cake);
Every Brilliant Thing (Bhumi Collective); Electra
(Cake); Falling (Pangdemonium); RENT EDITH PODESTA
(Pangdemonium); The Emperor’s New Clothes Performer
(W!LD RICE); and Lord Of The Flies (SRT). Edith studied Acting and
Movement Studies at the
National Institute of Dramatic
CLAIRE TEO Art (NIDA), and holds a Master of Fine Arts from
Performer LASALLE College of the Arts. In Singapore she
Claire aspires to travel has appeared on stage in: Liv, directed by Nelson
the world, creating art that Chia; A Note Went Off In My Head, directed by
resonates with people. As she Oliver Chong; Untitled Women Number One,
is slowly acquiring more experience, knowledge directed by Alvin Tan; Brian Gothong Tan's
and artistry from her Diploma in Performance Tropical Traumas; Chong Tze Chien's Starring
programme at LASALLE College of the Arts, Hitler as Jekyll and Hyde; and Illogic, Versus, A
it is becoming more apparent that she never Dragon Behind the Door and More!, Electra and
wants to leave the stage. She has a Grade 3 Temple directed by Natalie Hennedige. Edith is
in classical ballet and a Distinction in the Trinity currently Associate Artistic Director of young &
Guildhall Initial Text examinations in 2008. She W!LD, a division of W!LD RICE.
has had the opportunity to work with Pink Gajah
Theatre, The Second Breakfast Company, Project Photo by Crispian Chan
Tandem and Unseen, all the while working
towards making authentic art that will give
voice to the minority. GHAFIR AKBAR
Performer
Photo by LASALLE College of the Arts Ghafir is a Malaysian actor last
seen in Guards at the Taj (SRT).
Other Singapore credits
DARLANE LITAAY include Temple and Medea (Cake); Julius Caesar
Performer (SRT-Shakespeare in the Park); Being Haresh
Born in Sorong, West Papua, Sharma (TNS-Cake); Those Who Can’t, Teach
Darlane choreographs, (TNS); Hotel, Another Country and Public Enemy
performs and creates (W!LD RICE).
contemporary performances. A graduate of
the dance department at the Indonesia Institute Ghafir holds an MFA in Acting (FSU-Asolo
of The Arts, Yogyakarta, Darlane has been Conservatory) and a BA in Theatre Performance
participating in various exchange programmes (Western Michigan University).
7RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
JO KUKATHAS MATTHIAS ENGLER
Performer Performer
Jo Kukathas grew up and was Matthias Engler studied
educated in Malaysia, classical percussion at the
Australia, Hong Kong, India, Conservatory of Amsterdam
and the UK where she studied politics and and was a fellow at the International Ensemble
philosophy. Today she is an actor, writer and Modern Academy in Frankfurt. He co-founded
director of The Instant Café Theatre Company, the Ensemble Adapter, a group for contemporary
where she has created some of her most classical chamber music based in Berlin, and
iconic characters. She has done numerous has been working as a percussionist and
one-person shows, sometimes written for her. manager for the group since 2004.
She also writes and performs her own
one-woman shows and poetry. As a freelance percussionist, he works with
renowned ensembles and composers of our
Some of her favourite roles include Winnie in time: Ensemble Modern, MusikFabrik, Pierre
Happy Days (Beckett); Mercutio in Romeo and Boulez, Steve Reich and many others. As a
Juliet (Shakespeare); Helen in The Road to soloist, he has appeared in various music
Mecca (Fugard); Poncia in The House of theatre works by directors such as Douglas
Bernarda Alba (Lorca); Ophelia in Ophelia Gordon and Herbordt/Mohren.
(Natalie Hennedige); and Raj in Raj and the
End of Tragedy, written by her and directed Since 2010, he has also been a steady member
by Natalie Hennedige. of the acoustic Techno project The Brandt
Brauer Frick Ensemble.
Photo by Faizal Mustafa
MIKAELA PEREZ
MASTURAH OLI Performer
Performer Mikaela Perez is a Filipino
Masturah Oli is an actor, who grew up in Indonesia and
host and theatre-maker. She moved to Singapore to pursue
graduated with a BA(Hons) a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts at the
in Theatre Arts from Nanyang Academy of Fine Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where she won
Arts with a First Class Honours validated by the the Best Graduate Award. Recent works include
University of Essex (East 15 Acting School) in Running With Strippers: On The Rocks (Cake),
May 2018. In 2017, she graduated with a Sharity & Friends the Musical (PlayInc), One
Diploma with Distinctions in Theatre, English World, Many Stories (Artistic Expressions),
Drama from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Temple (Cake) and Under My Bed
where she was awarded Best Graduate and (Artistic Expressions).
represented her cohort as Valedictorian.
Her roles in theatre include: Am I Singaporean? NICHOLAS TEE
(1N THE ACT PRODUCTIONS), Hecuba in Trojan Performer
Women (NAFA), Breathless: The Mixtape (Buds Nicholas Tee is a live artist
Theatre Company), Nu Wa in Step Outta Line based in London. He hates
(M1 Fringe Festival 2018), and Anak Melayu writing bios because he never
(Teater Kami). knows what to write and people barely read it
anyway. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah. To look at his previous works,
visit www.nicholastwy.com.
8RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
SARAH CHAFFEY GENEVIEVE CHUA
Performer Set Designer
Contemporary dance Genevieve Chua is a painter who works primarily
artist Sarah Chaffey has through abstraction. Chua employs a method of
collaboratively produced, working that unfurls and reveals the painter's
choreographed and performed works with process through diagram, palimpsest, syntax,
dancers, composers and visual artists who are and the glitch. While notions of nature and
based in Perth, Australia. She has presented at wilderness persist across several works, the
the Perth and Melbourne Fringe Festivals, and form taken by her exhibitions – image, text or
has won the 2016 Overall Dance and Physical object – is disrupted through painting.
Theatre Award at the Perth Fringe World
Festival with her collaborators. She has been
commissioned to choreograph short works for NEONTIGHTS
the Western Australian Academy of Performing Props Designer
Arts (WAAPA) and Joondalup Arts Festival, neontights is a full-time design collective with
and has been engaged in Perth’s annual Cake. Led by Nizam S., neontights creates
site-specific dance programme, In SITU, as a innovative stage sets and prop pieces, working
maker and performer since 2015. As a dancer, with a range of material and constantly pushing
Sarah has performed works by both Australian possibilities in new mediums and new technology.
and international artists including Helder Seabra, Both aesthetically exciting and designed with
Tamas Moricz, Leigh Warren, Cadi McCarthy clever multipurpose functionality, their set designs
and Natalie Allen. for Cake often include bold visual landscapes
and installations akin to strange playgrounds,
simultaneously brutal and fantastical.
TIA ANDREA
GUTTENSOHN
Performer MOHD FARED
Tia is a multicultural storyteller JAINAL
of Singaporean and Austrian Props Designer
descent. Having grown up in Singapore, Fared engages in cross-
Switzerland and Hong Kong, her passion lies disciplinary work that delves
in exploring cultural identity. into the realms of both visual and performing
arts, with a particular interest in space, body
Tia trained at LASALLE College of the Arts, and and design. A strong advocate of physical
her acting credits include Samuel Beckett’s Play theatre, he is constantly exploring body craft in
(dir. Sarah-Jane Scaife), The Revolutionary Model performance. He is also studying the relationships
Play 2.0_(SIFA 2015), Swipe Right (dir. Claire between elements and principles of art and
Wong), Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in the Park the human self, asserting these links to be in
‘18, dir. Guy Unsworth), and Gretel and Hansel symmetry and simultaneously manipulative.
(dir. Daniel Jenkins). In her most unconventional Fared has collaborated extensively with various
show to date, Tia appeared as a scuba-diving theatre and art groups in Singapore as a director,
sea goddess in a 12m-deep aquarium. performer, visual artist and set designer. He is
the founding member of neontights, a theatre
Tia dreams of living every story there is to be design collective that creates innovative stage
lived, be it first-hand, through others, or through sets and prop pieces. Fared also teaches at
the characters that she plays. School of the Arts (SOTA).
9RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
BRIAN GOTHONG KIAT
TAN Sound Designer
Multimedia Designer The adventurous themes
Brian Gothong Tan is best in Kiat’s works are closely
known for his cutting-edge linked to the artist’s fascination
and highly engaging works in theatre, film and with emotions and freedom. Known for his
installation art. He graduated from California compositions that veer towards left-field
Institute of the Arts in 2005 under the Shell-NAC boundaries of electronica, his tunes are sought
Scholarship. He was conferred the Young Artist after by international DJs, and have received
Award in 2012 and Singapore Youth Award in airplay on BBC Radio 1 and 1XTRA. A designer
2015, and has won four Life! Theatre Awards for by trade, his creative approaches have led him
Best Multimedia in 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2016. to develop works across various mediums, from
He was the Director of Film and Visual Effects music for clubs to catwalks, theatrical stages,
for Singapore’s National Day Parade 2009, 2011 and site-specific art installations. His work
and 2016. His recent works include Tropical has been featured by Peranakan Museum,
Traumas (SIFA 2016), Into The Wild (Art Science Art Science Museum, Adidas, Dior, Selfridges,
Museum, 2017), and Lost Cinema (2018) under and SHOWstudio.
NAC’s Creation Grant.
https://www.instagram.com/kiat_sg/
https://www.facebook.com/KIATSG
SUVEN CHAN
Lighting Designer
Suven graduated from the Hong Kong Academy AIDA DOLRAHIM
for Performing Arts (School of Technical Arts) Costume designer
and Hong Kong Baptist University (Major in
English Language and Literature). She started Aida Dolrahim is a freelance
to focus on lighting design in 2000 after working fashion stylist and consultant
as a production manager and stage manager with an extensive background
for various companies. Since then, she has in creative direction for editorial, e-commerce
designed for most of the theatre and dance and advertising. She has styled for glossy and
companies in Singapore. Lighting design with independent publications such as ELLE, Dazed,
Cake includes: Queen Ping, Temple, Nothing, Z!nk, OK!, Revs, Fault and Fashion Weekly China.
Divine Soap, Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror, Dolrahim’s practice draws inspiration from
Desire at the Melancholic String Concert, and post-modern youth subcultures and the
The Shape of a Dream. socioeconomic conditions that surrounds
its formation.
10RUBBER GIRL ON THE LOOSE
P RODUCTION CREDITS
Concept & Direction | Natalie Hennedige
Text | Natalie Hennedige
Set Design | Genevieve Chua
Props Design | neontights x Mohd Fared Jainal
Multimedia Design | Brian Gothong Tan
Lighting Design | Suven Chan
Sound Design | Kiat
Costume Design | Aida Dolrahim
Performers | Al-Matin Yatim Jo Kukathas
Amy J Cheng Masturah Oli
Andrew Marko Matthias Engler
Claire Teo Mikaela Perez
Darlane Litaay Nicholas Tee
Edith Podesta Sarah Chaffey
Ghafir Akbar Tia Andrea Guttensohn
Executive Producer | Sharon Tang
Producer | Alexandre Thio
Production Manager | Lam Dan Fong
Stage Manager | Natasha May
Assistant Stage Manager | Pamela Lai
Sound Engineer | Joel Fernandez
Multimedia Operator | Justina Khoo
Stage Crew | Beverly Liang
Rubber Girl on the loose is supported by Goethe-Institut Singapore and the Arts Fund.
11BY THE ART OF STRANGERS AN ESPLANADE COMMISSION AND PRODUCTION Esplanade Theatre Studio 4 – 6 Apr, Thu – Sat, 8pm 6 & 7 Apr, Sat & Sun, 3pm 1hr 30mins, no intermission Advisory: Some mature themes and coarse language.
MISS BRITISH
D I R E CTOR’S MESS A GE
The decolonial paths have one thing in of our bodies and behaviours, and as part
common: the colonial wound, the fact that of the ways in which we interact and
regions and people around the world have engage with others, and with strangers.
been classified as underdeveloped Many of the hierarchies that marked our
economically and mentally. ancestors as superior or inferior to each
other are still in place. If we continue to
—WALTER MIGNOLO
repeat these behaviours and attitudes,
Miss British is a scenic poem that explores we become oppressors and victims in the
the colonial legacies that remain in place same narrative of toxic difference. As a
today. It is our contribution to the ongoing theatre collective, we therefore think it is
reflection surrounding the colonial past crucial not to fall into the simplistic view
of Singapore, of the people that live here, of just blaming the colonial period for all
and of the many identities that intersect our social problems and tensions. Rather,
in this city. The dramaturgy of the piece we propose to reflect on our shared
is informed by our everyday stories. In colonial wounds, and in doing so, share
crafting the piece, we traced the ways in the responsibility of changing our future.
which the colony manifests itself in these
—FELIPE CERVERA
stories—how it remains within us, as part
SY N O PSIS
Who is Miss British? Is she the person Kalaiselvi Grace, Rebekah Sangeetha
wearing the crown or the one wearing the Dorai, Loo Zihan, Adrian Tan, Chan Silei,
shackles? The person travelling first class Riduan Zalani, and Chloe C. Chotrani.
or the one being trafficked? Miss British may
be a poem; a movement; a song. She may
be the mother of three and the sister of one; A BO U T T H E ART O F S T R AN G ER S
the lover of many, and the soon-to-be bride.
Miss British is everywhere, in everyone. The Art of Strangers produces collaborative
She is a story of servitude and repetition. theatre. We investigate contemporary issues
by exploring the boundaries between actors
Based on an original idea by Sharon Frese, and spectators. Since 2013, we have been
Miss British is a piece that excavates the a fluid collective, advocating for a shared
prejudices and social hierarchies left authorship of the creative process across
behind by colonialism across the planet. the several areas of theatrical creation.
Combining theatre, dance, and video Besides creating original work, we also
installation, the piece is a voyage across offer production and stage management
the oceans of our shared pasts. services, as well as outreach initiatives in
collaboration with libraries and cultural
Devised by The Art of Strangers in centres. For more information, please visit
collaboration with Sharon Frese, www.theartofstrangers.com.
13MISS BRITISH
B I OS
storytelling and writing in different combinations
FELIPE CERVERA for stage. Some of her works include Goddesses
Deviser and Director of Words – Sarojini Naidu, The Old Fogies
Felipe Cervera is a Mexican (Esplanade's Octoburst – a children's festival
theatre maker and scholar 2018), Mother I (1) & (2), Olee – Lights to
based in Singapore since 2012. The World, Meera’s Adventure series and
As an actor and director, he has worked and Stories & Songs from the Bow (Esplanade's
toured internationally across The Americas, Feed Your Imagination (F.Y.I.) series 2017).
Europe, Africa, and Asia. As an academic,
he has published extensively in international She has also acted in precise purpose of
peer-reviewed journals, and is a regular being broken by Koh Wan Ching (M1SFF'19 &
contributor to local and international forums Esplanade's The Studios Series 2017), Into the
of theatre and performance studies. Felipe is Blue Forest (100 & 100 more Festival by The
a Lecturer in Theatre at LASALLE College of ArtGround), 0600 (SIFA’18 by GroundZ-0) and
the Arts. For more information, please visit Mixed (TheatreWorks). She also directed The
www.felipecervera.me Good Farmer for TheatreWorks. She wants to
create more work for minority groups.
SHARON FRESE Photo by Intercultural Theatre Institute
Deviser and Performer
Sharon Frese is a British Afro-
Caribbean arts practitioner. REBEKAH
SANGEETHA DORAI
A resident in Singapore since 2009, Sharon feels Deviser and Performer
very privileged to have worked with several of Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai is an
Singapore’s local theatre companies, including actor, singer and voiceover artist.
Teater Ekamatra (This Placement), W!ld Rice Some of her recent theatre credits include The
(The House of Bernada Alba), The Art of Page on Stage (directed by Brendan Fernandez),
Strangers (The Mountain) and TheatreWorks SIFA’s Verses of Love & Life (directed by Aidlin
(The O.P.E.N - Bertolt Brecht in 8 Steps). Mosbit), her solo show Building A Character at
the 2018 W!ld Rice Singapore Theatre Festival,
She made her Singapore debut at the Discord of Discourse at The Faversham Fringe UK,
Esplanade in The Necessary Stage’s 2014 Modest Travels (directed by Tan Kheng Hua),
restaging of Singapore, followed by Mama Yong, and Jeremiah Choy's The Ghost in Your Head.
an Esplanade commission as part of Pesta Raya As a singer, Sangeetha has written songs for
- Malay Festival of Arts. Sharon was last seen on various productions and recently debuted her
stage in Jan 2019 in the lecture-performance solo jazz concert Sangeetha Sings Sinatra at
Ayer-Hitam: A Black History of Singapore, an the Esplanade. She was last featured in Grace
M1 Fringe Festival Commission directed by Kalaiselvi’s Goddesses of Words, and is thrilled
Irfan Kasban. to be a part of Miss British.
When not creating works, Sharon is either
watching theatre or delighting in the rich RIDUAN ZALANI
culinary scene of Singapore. Deviser, Composer and
Musician
Riduan Zalani is one of
KALAISELVI GRACE Singapore’s most prominent
Deviser and Performer artists, versatile in producing and performing
Kalaiselvi Grace graduated various drums and percussions, both traditional
from Intercultural Theatre and contemporary. His diligence, discipline and
Institute (ITI) in 2014. She skills have made him an essential part of
dabbles in acting, directing, educating, numerous local and international performing
14MISS BRITISH
groups: Wicked Aura, OrkeStar Trio, Batucada performance, and the moving-image. He received
Sound Machine (NZ), and One Asia Classic his Master of Fine Arts in Studio Practice from
Orchestra (JPN) among others. the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and
Masters in Performance Studies from New York
He is also the co-founder and artistic director University Tisch School of the Arts.
of Nadi Singapura, a vibrant ensemble that is
determined to etch their brand of traditional His work emphasises the malleability of memory
Malay drumming and music performance in through various representational strategies that
the hearts and minds of people. include performance re-enactments, essay films
and data visualisation. He was awarded the Young
In August 2018, he released his first solo album, Artist Award (2015) and an Arts Postgraduate
Gelombunk and his first instructional DVD, That Scholarship (2017) by the National Arts Council
Beat of Faith, both dedicated to the study and of Singapore.
performance of the Malay drum, rebana.
Photo by Samantha Tio
For his determined efforts in putting Singapore on
the global world music map and his dedication
to developing the local Malay music scene, CHAN SILEI
Riduan was conferred the Young Artist Award Set Designer
2015, Singapore Youth Award 2013 and the Silei is interested in crafting
ASEAN Youth Award 2013. spaces and is always being
crafted by space. She has
designed spaces and sets for 13.13.13
CHLOE CALDERON (TheatreWorks, 2018), The Last Dance (Drama
CHOTRANI Box and Arts Wok, 2018), Framed, by Adolf
Deviser and Choreographer (The Finger Players, 2018), When We Dead
Chloe is a movement artist Awaken (Intercultural Theatre Institute, 2018),
based in Singapore. She Red Sky (Nine Years Theatre, 2016), I Am LGB
has performed and trained internationally with (Loo Zihan for Singapore International Festival of
Romançon Dance Company (Manila), B Supreme Arts, 2016), and With/Out (M1 Singapore Fringe
(London), Ecole Des Sables (Senegal), Omi Festival, 2015 and Esplanade’s The Studios, 2017).
International Dance Collective (Hudson), She has also assisted local and international
Evidence/Ronald Brown Dance Community designers and artists in realising their concepts.
(New York), Movement Research (New York),
and Gati Dance Forum (New Delhi). Currently, Besides set design, Silei also works as a
she performs for local dance companies P7:1SMA Production Manager for projects such as the
and Chowk that work between the spaces of Singapore International Festival of Arts (2015
both traditional and contemporary. She is also to 2017).
an Associate Artist with Dance Nucleus.
She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art ADRIAN TAN
from the School of Oriental and African Studies Lighting Designer
(London). When she's not dancing or writing, A graduate of LASALLE
she is immersed with nature. College of The Arts, Adrian
has designed shows that have
www.chloechotrani.com been staged in the local and international arts
scene. His work spans a wide spectrum of the
performing arts and outdoor light installations.
LOO ZIHAN
Deviser and He has worked with most major theatre and
Multimedia Artist dance companies in Singapore, creating
Loo Zihan is an artist and designs and spaces for operas, dance and
academic from Singapore experimental works, produced by companies
working at the intersections of critical theory, like Singapore Lyric Opera, Singapore Dance
15MISS BRITISH
Theatre, T.H.E Dance Company, W!ld Rice and
The Necessary Stage and Esplanade. CAROLENE LIEW
Stage Manager
Several of his works have received theatre Carolene received a BA (Hons) in Stage
awards, including Monkey Goes West and Management from the Royal Welsh College
Another Country by W!ld Rice, A Cage Goes of Music and Drama. She is a recipient of the
In Search Of A Bird by A Group Of People, National Arts Council Overseas Scholarship
Bitch for the M1 Fringe Festival, and Dark and the Lee Foundation Bursary.
Room, commissioned by the Esplanade
for The Studios 2016. Her theatre credits include, The Passion (National
Theatre of Wales); The Face in the Mirror (Welsh
National Opera); The Marriage of Figaro (Opera’r
YVETTE NG Ddraig); Swimming with Sharks; Next to Normal;
Costume Designer Gruesome Playground Injuries; Frozen; Chinglish;
Yvette is a designer, stylist RENT (Pangdemonium! Theatre Company Ltd);
and costume coordinator. Her Othello; The Merchant of Venice; The Tempest
passion includes working for (Singapore Repertory Theatre); Company – The
period and contemporary theatrical productions, Musical (Dream Academy Productions Pte Ltd);
styling for live theatre and dance and photo Give Me Your Blood and I Will Give You My
shoots. She recently extended her passion to Freedom (Singapore International Festival of
YNG - creating products and having them made the Arts); The Great Wall: One Woman’s Journey
locally with women who work from home to help (Glowtape Productions); This Chord and Others;
support their families. The Dog Who Goes Woof Woof; I am trying to
say something true; The Bird Who Was Afraid
When she is not busy working on her next project, of Heights; and Love Letters (Esplanade –
Yvette can often be found practising crochet, Theatres on the Bay).
or found in fabric shops near and far, actively
sourcing for ideas and inspiration. Carolene is currently a full-time staff at
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.
EVELYN CHIA
Production Manager
In search of new challenges in life, Evelyn
threw herself into theatre in 2003. She learns
new things every day by working in different
roles within various arts companies. She has
worked throughout Europe and Asia and has
extensive production experience that includes
stage managing I La Galigo and Rumi - In The
Blink Of The Eye, under the leadership of
acclaimed director Robert Wilson; production
managing Singapore International Festival of
Arts 2016–2017; The King and I (Asia Tour) with
Broadway Entertainment; West Side Story
(Asia Tour) with BB Productions and various
productions by Drama Box and W!ld Rice.
Evelyn was also instrumental in the creation of
SOTA's performance spaces and operations.
She is currently a full-time staff with Esplanade -
Theatres on the Bay.
16MISS BRITISH
three-month stint in SRT’s Shakespeare in the
AMY FOO Park production of Julius Caesar in 2018.
Assistant Stage Manager
Since graduating from the Technical Theatre With circus group Bornfire Singapore, Amy takes
Trainee Programme (TTTP) with Esplanade in on stage management roles and has also been
2018, Amy has been actively involved in theatre coordinating the group’s annual Bornfire festival
and the performing arts as a freelancer with in Singapore since 2006.
varied roles backstage.
Currently, Amy enjoys assisting in running school
As part of the TTTP with Esplanade, Amy assembly and community shows and helping to
gained more hands-on exposure in set-up/ make simple props for PlayInc, a production
strike processes for productions at Esplanade. and events company
Amy was also part of the sound team in her
P RODUCTION CREDITS
Deviser & Director | Felipe Cervera
Devisers & Performers | Sharon Frese
Kalaiselvi Grace
Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai
Deviser, Composer & Musician | Riduan Zalani
Deviser & Choreographer | Chloe Calderon Chotrani
Deviser & Multimedia Artist | Loo Zihan
Set Designer | Chan Silei
Lighting Designer | Adrian Tan
Costume Designer | Yvette Ng
Costume Coordinator | Nurhidayah Mahadi
Production Manager | Evelyn Chia, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
Stage Manager | Carolene Liew, Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay
Assistant Stage Manager | Amy Foo
Thanks to The Necessary Stage for the loan of particular props.
Parts of the text and some themes used in Miss British were conceived and developed in the
original work The Extraordinary Travels of Miss British (2014) as part of The Orange
Playground, The Necessary Stage’s laboratory platform.
17AN ESPLANADE COMMISSION AND PRODUCTION Esplanade Theatre Studio 11 – 13 Apr, Thu – Sat, 8pm 13 & 14 Apr, Sat & Sun, 3pm 1hr 30mins, no intermission There will be post-show talks on 13 Apr, Sat. R18: Mature Themes
MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
P LAY WRIGHT’S MESSA GE
It is always bittersweet when I am immediate “LGBT” subject matter. On the
approached about re-staging Mergers other hand, in Singapore, the continuing
(or one of the other members in the Invitation direct relevance of this piece and the
to Treat trilogy). On the one hand, it is nice continued existence of Section 377A on
to know that one’s work continues to dodge our statute books can be depressing.
the charge of being outdated or no longer
relevant. I always enjoy seeing a new Boy meets girl. Girl meets girl. The important
(often younger) production team put their thing is that we meet.
touch on the material; and I hope that the
—ELEANOR WONG
piece resonates generally beyond its
D IR E CTOR’S MESS A G E
When I first read Mergers and Accusations world that we live in may affect how we
some years ago, I was fascinated by Ellen interpret their words and actions. For this
and Lesley, who were the first lesbian couple production, we have chosen to keep the
I had encountered in a play. Coming back events in the play to the original time period,
to the text for this production, I also started which would have been around the late
to consider it from the perspective of Ellen 1980s and early 1990s. To get a better
and Jon as a duo, a couple. Perhaps they understanding of the context, I spoke to a
are friends whose love for each other, few women about their memories of that
at some point, seeped beyond the neat era. While not intended to represent a full
confines of conventional friendship. At what or definitive picture of that era, here are
point would you consider yourself in love? some of the thoughts and experiences
What if a part of you, or what you hope they shared that stayed with me:
to have in life, may never be satisfied by
him/her? How does one pursue personal • “People didn’t talk about homosexuality
happiness while being ethical and as much back then. I didn’t know
thoughtful towards the other party – are (many) other people who were gay.”
the two antithetical? These questions seem • “It didn’t feel like there was a need to
to surface in her relationship with Lesley ‘come out’ – other people might prefer
too. Indeed, at the heart of it, the play not to know as well.”
explores issues that are fundamentally • “Sometimes when I see girls holding
human and relational, issues that remain hands in public, I wish I could have
relevant across time. done that too when I was growing up.”
• “In the past, there was more expectation
Yet, every play also exists within a context. to get married and have children. Having
The world that Ellen, Jon, and Lesley inhabit children seemed like ‘national duty’.”
informs their perspective and, perhaps,
influences their choices. Similarly, the
19MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
• “If you wanted to start a family, I’d like to thank the team at Esplanade for
marrying the other sex felt like the the opportunity to direct this production,
only realistic option.” especially Izumi our producer who has
• “It was not surprising for gay people to been with us throughout the journey.
marry the other sex. Some of those Many thanks to Eleanor Wong for creating
marriages seem to work out quite well.” something so beautiful and giving us space
to make it our own, and the exceptional
These personal recollections served as a Mergers team for your hard work and
starting point for the actors and me to brilliance. My deepest thanks to the
imagine the world that the characters live wonderful people who have shared your
in and respond to. As part of the process, personal experiences with us, Claire, Faith
we also had various discussions and and the Checkpoint team for being a source
improvised scenes to explore the text and of support, and everyone who has helped
characters. The process of staging this the production in one way or another.
production has been a rich one, and we Lastly, thank you very much for being
would like to share it with you below. here with us today.
—CHEN YINGXUAN
SY N OPSIS
It's complicated. Ellen wants to be with women
1
Jonathan and Ellen are best friends. without the strings, and also with Jonathan (after a
They love each other1, got married, and fashion). Jonathan wants to be a dad, with Ellen as
had a child, just like everyone else. the mum, if possible.
A fairy-tale ending, surely?
At least that’s what they thought, until
Lesley, an openly gay lawyer shows up at
work one day.
20MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
B I OS
Her sold-out one-woman cross-media
ELEANOR WONG production #UnicornMoment (Esplanade's
Playwright The Studios 2014) by Checkpoint Theatre was
Eleanor is a trained lawyer nominated for Best Original Script at the 2015
and untrained playwright. Life Theatre Awards.
Her plays have been produced in Singapore Other theatre work includes: Army Daze 2
and the ASEAN region. Her works span from (2017), Boeing Boeing (2017) and Chinglish
the prize-winning Peter’s Passionate Pursuit (2015), for which she was nominated Best
(1985) to Initial Conditions (2015), a performed Actress. Television credits include Netflix’s
read of short pieces on love and quantum Marco Polo and Code of Law. Recently, she
physics which arose out of a three-month represented Singapore at the Asian Academy
stint as writer-in-residence at the Centre for Creative Awards in the Best Actress category
Quantum Technologies. Other works include for her role in HOOQ’s How to Be a Good Girl.
the ground-breaking Invitation To Treat – a trilogy Her feature film credits include Rubbers,
of plays consisting of Mergers & Accusations, Our Sister Mambo and 4Love.
Wills & Secession and Jointly and Severably.
Arguably before political theatre was cool, Photo credit Crispian Chan
she wrote The Campaign to Confer the Public
Service Star on JBJ for the inaugural Singapore
Theatre Festival in 2006, where it played to SHANE MARDJUKI
sell-out crowds and was restaged in 2007. Performer
Shane Mardjuki’s entertainment
career began fresh out of NS
CHEN YINGXUAN and, not one to stay unknown
Director for long, he was soon cast in theatre productions
Yingxuan is a theatre director, such as The Snow Queen, O Rats the Pied Piper
better known (if at all) perhaps and The Gingerbread Man, which was a nominee
for directing A Good Death by of Best Ensemble Cast in Life Theatre Awards.
Faith Ng for Esplanade’s The Studios (2018) and
Café by Joel Tan for the Twenty Something He was seen in recent theatre productions
Festival (2016), which was nominated for Best including Private Parts, Press Gang, Julius Caesar
Script and Best Ensemble at the Life Theatre and Army Daze 2. One of his many productions
Awards. Other productions she has directed includes a lead role in What The Butler Saw, an
include Mosaic by Joel Tan for the Lit Up award-winning comedy about dysfunctional
Festival (2014) and M1 Fringe Festival (2015), family relationships, laws of attraction, notions
and The Car by Verena Tay for the Esplanade’s of sanity, identity and authority in an exceedingly
Feed Your Imagination (F.Y.I.) series (2017). She comic fashion. He was also in Victor Victoria
is also a frequent collaborator of Checkpoint where he was cast alongside international jazz
Theatre, most recently assistant directing sensation Laura Fygi.
Normal by Faith Ng (2015, 2017).
Shane Mardjuki is proudly represented by
FLY Entertainment.
OON SHU AN
Performer FLY Entertainment Artiste
Photo credit Joel Low Photography
Oon Shu An is an actor who
has been spreading her natural
warmth and infectious energy
across theatre, TV, film and the internet. With
a BA (Hons) in Acting from LASALLE College of
the Arts, she is currently an Associate Artist
with Checkpoint Theatre.
21MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
AMANDA TEE NESSA ANWAR
Performer Performer
Amanda is a graduate of the A video director by day, Nessa
Acting programme at LASALLE has acted under companies
College of the Arts. including Singapore Repertory
Theatre's Young Company, Teater Ekamatra,
In 2011, she trained with the SITI Company and Checkpoint Theatre. She was active in Suria
in New York. She was invited to perform under from 2011 – 2015, and was nominated Best Lead
the Kevin Spacey Foundation in 2012, New York, Actress in the 2017 Tenerife International Film
and in 2014, she she trained with the Suzuki Festival in the indie short film Ketetapan. Nessa
Company of Toga in Japan. graduated from NUS in Philosophy, where she
studied playwriting and screenwriting under
Her most recent theatre credit was W!ld Rice's Huzir Sulaiman and Wee Li Lin respectively.
Press Gang as part of the Singapore Theatre Since then, she has written TV programmes,
Festival. She has worked with the Singapore two award-winning short films, and hosted a
Repertory Theatre in Shakespeare in the Park's travel series InstaScram. She has presented a
production of A Midsummer Night's Dream as full-length play titled Riders Know When It’s
Mustardseed and Macbeth as one of the three Gonna Rain, and is also a founding member
witches. Also, with SRT, she has appeared in of Singapore’s first playwright collective
Hello/Goodbye as Amanda, The Jungle Book Main Tulis Group.
as Kaa/Girl, Bear and Chicken Get Ready for
School as Chicken, Fried Rice Paradise as Photo credit Husrin Tahale
Campari D'Cruz, and Pinocchio the Musical.
Other selected theatre credits include Normal WONG CHEE WAI
by Checkpoint Theatre as Lynette Ang; The Last Set designer
Bull: A Life in Flamenco, also with Checkpoint Chee Wai is a full-time freelance set designer.
Theatre as part of SIFA 2016; Pandemic with UK He has designed and worked with various
company Slung Low as part of SIFA 2012; Liao performing arts companies in Singapore.
Zhai Rocks! with The Theatre Practice; National
Broadway Company by TheatreWorks; Boom, Some of his recent works are Necessary Stage's
Sisters: The Untold Stories of the Sister's Islands Off Centre (2019), W!LD RICE's Supervision,
and Everything but the Brain by Jean Tay with Mama White Snake and Hotel, Leda and the Rage
Sight Lines Entertainment; and《K 变形记》 in (The Studios 2018) and Alkesah (Pesta Raya -
Shanghai with Toy Factory Productions. Malay Festival of Arts 2018) at Esplanade, The
Finger Player's ITSY THE MUSICAL, Nine Years
Film and TV credits include five seasons of Theatre's Art Studio (SIFA 2017), Fundamentally
Mediacorp's Junction Tree as Sofia; NHK Japan's Happy (The Studios 2017), Twelve Angry Men
Basic English for Adults Season 3; NHK Japan (Huayi - Chinese Festival of Arts 2013), Who's
Wildlife’s Here Comes Darwin!; The Band on afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Macau Arts Festival
Okto; and two sports programmes HOW 2 2013) and Art (Huayi - Chinese Festival of Arts
and Sportszine. 2014), Sight Lines Entertainment's Lord of the
Flies, Sling Theatre's Souvenir and 8 Women,
Apart from the stage and TV, Amanda is a Blank Space Theatre's Red and Freud's
voice-over artist for companies such as Darlie, Last Session.
Osim, AIA, MacDonald's and SK-II.
22MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
Ryann firmly believes that the art of theatrical
PETRINA DAWN TAN sound design stems from a strong technical
Lighting Designer foundation. On this premise, he focuses on
Petrina Dawn Tan holds a creating beautiful technical pieces that integrate
Master of Art with Merit in fully with other theatrical elements to create
Collaborative Theatre immersive experiences for audiences. He strives
Production and Design from the Guildhall to create and support works that encourage
School of Music and Drama in London. She individuals to question their own lives and the
practices scenic design and conceptualises world around them a little more.
a range of projects including music festivals,
circus acts and installations with elements of Although Ryann is married to his craft, he also
audience participation. has dalliances with his guitar collection and
other music paraphernalia.
Petrina was nominated for Best Lighting Design
in the M1-The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards
2017 for her work on Manifesto (The Necessary ANTHONY TAN
Stage and Drama Box). Her set and lighting design Costume Designer
on Recalling Mother (Checkpoint Theatre) has Anthony Tan has firmly
been seen internationally as part of Esplanade’s established himself as a
The Studios 2016, Singapore, Brisbane Festival fashion and costume designer
2016 and Oz Asia 2017, Adelaide. in Singapore, often through his works with
various arts companies, and collaborations that
Recent local lighting designs include Guards at span commercial works, theatre, musical and
the Taj (Singapore Repertory Theatre), Souvenir dance. Anthony has been in costume design
(Sing Theatre), Building a Character (W!LDRICE), since 1993; he has accumulated a long list of
Here and Beyond (Toy Factory Productions), collaborative projects including wardrobe
Thick Beats for Good Girls (Checkpoint Theatre) management with Cirque du Soleil.
and Underclass (The Necessary Stage).
Anthony is also a design educator with a leading
Petrina is happy and excited to be collaborating arts institution in Singapore. He graduated from
on Mergers and Accusations with this team! London College of Fashion (UK) with a BA(Hons)
in Design Technology For the Fashion Industry
More at: petrinadawntan.com (1999) and a MA in Costume Design for
Performance (2010).
RYANN OTHNIEL Some of Anthony’s significant works include
SENG The Crab Flower Club ( ) by Toy Factory
Sound Designer Productions for Singapore Arts Festival 2009,
Ryann Othniel Seng is Twelve Angry Men (Esplanade's Huayi - Chinese
currently freelancing as a Festival of Arts) and Art Studio (2017 SIFA) by
music recording and mixing engineer as well Nine Years Theatre.
as a theatrical sound designer, producing
for an art form he strongly believes in.
Initially forgoing a classical education, he dived
straight into the theatre industry, working on
multiple productions. Some of his works to
date are A Good Death (Esplanade's The Studios
2018), Forked (M1 Fringe Festival) and You Are
Here (Esplanade's Kalaa Utsavam - Indian
Festival of Arts).
23MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
AZY ALIAS NATALIE WONG
Production Manager Assistant Stage Manager
Azy studied English Literature but found herself Natalie graduated with a BA (Hons) in Arts
working mainly in theatre after graduation. In the Management from LASALLE College of the Arts.
last few years, she has worked with various local While in school, she interned at The Substation
theatre companies and institutions as a Stage and started working part-time at Esplanade as
and Production Manager. Most recently, she an Artist Liaison Officer. After a couple of
worked at The Necessary Stage (TNS) as their enriching years as an Admin Executive at local
Production Manager, managing shows such Chinese theatre company Nine Years Theatre,
as Off Centre (2019); Underclass by TNS and she decided to take a shot at working freelance
Drama Box; Sanctuary, a collaboration between and has since worked on productions by Dream
TNS and Hanchu-yuei from Tokyo; and Those Academy, Siong Leng Musical Association,
Who Can’t, Teach (2018). Azy also designs for W!LD RICE and Drama Box. She is excited to
the stage. Her design credits include: Glam be working on this production!
Teater Muzikal by Teater Muzikal Collective;
The Orange Production: Drip & Whale Fall –
A Double - Bill by TNS; Absence | Presence
by Just Theatre and Wright Assembly's Alamat
Baharu. Azy can be contacted at
azy.alias.theatre@gmail.com.
TENNIE SU
Stage Manager
Tennie’s experiences in the performing arts
varies from Chinese traditional music to modern
dance and contemporary theatre. She feels
privileged to witness the process from page to
stage and the development of performers.
She is a Production and Stage Manager and
is currently an Associate Production Manager
with Nine Years Theatre (NYT). Her selected
production management credits include:
Lear is Dead and Art Studio by NYT, Cut Kafka
by NYT & T.H.E Dance Company, Both Sides
Now: Wind Came Home and Exit by Drama Box.
Her selected stage management credits include:
Underclass by The Necessary Stage and Drama
Box, Poop! by The Finger Players, It Won't be
Too Long – The Cemetery, Dawn by Drama Box,
Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral by Jeff Chen
and main seasons of Frontier Danceland from
2014-2017.
24MERGERS AND ACCUSATIONS
P RODUCTION CREDITS
Playwright | Eleanor Wong
Director | Chen Yingxuan
Performers | Oon Shu An
Shane Mardjuki
Amanda Tee
Nessa Anwar
Set Designer | Wong Chee Wai
Lighting Designer | Petrina Dawn Tan
Sound Designer | Ryann Othniel Seng
Costume Designer | Anthony Tan
Production Manager | Azy Alias
Stage Manager | Tennie Su
Assistant Stage Manager | Natalie Wong
Captions | Chong Gua Khee
25BY NEO KIM SENG AN ESPLANADE COMMISSION AND PRODUCTION Esplanade Theatre Studio Performances in English: 18 & 20 Apr, Thu & Sat, 8pm 21 Apr, Sun, 3pm 1hr 15mins, no intermission There will be a post-show talk after every performance.
MY GRANDFATHER’S ROAD (RHDS)
D I R E CTOR’S NOTE
My Grandfather's Road started off It is a project about ordinary people and
as a personal project but has triggered their stories. Famous people already have
varied responses from different people. their stories published in books. It is about
It is not a nostalgia or heritage project. what happens when stories are forgotten
It is a way for me to make reconnections and things disappear.
with people and things from my past and
renew these relationships. It is a project about the magic of listening
and seeing. Because every face tells a
It is a storytelling project. It is about stories story… or two or more.
that make us who we are as a people. It is
a project about never-ending stories —NEO KIM SENG
because my mother said that you can
never finish telling family stories.
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