Another Country (2015)

4 June 2015 – 16 June 2015 @ Damansara Performing Arts Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Synopsis

50 years ago, Singapore and Malaysia divorced after a brief marriage of two years. But, doomed lovers that we are, we just can’t stay away from each other, no matter how often we squabble over water, airspace and food. We toil in each other’s cities, relax on each other’s islands and get fined on each other’s roads. We laugh at each other’s laws but envy each other’s liberties; separated by history, we are united by our dreams for a better home.

Directed by Singapore’s Ivan Heng and Malaysia’s Jo Kukathas, Another Country takes us on a trip through our shared memories and divergent dreams with the most provocative, humorous and unlikely texts, curated by Singaporean playwright Alfian Sa’at and Malaysian playwright Leow Puay Tin.

From Singapore, we have texts taken from a Catherine Lim short story, a Michael Chiang play, the Singapore Ministry of Culture’s anthem to our glorious but short-lived union in 1963 and more, all to be delivered by a cast of Malaysia’s most acclaimed actors.

Meanwhile, five of Singapore’s finest actors boldly tackle the Malaysian texts, which include excerpts from a Jit Murad play, Mark Teh’s salutation and Tunku Abdul Rahman’s recounting of his dream before the race riots of 13 May 1969.

Will we find more similarities, or more things to squabble over? Will we recognise our homes in each other’s stories? To whom do these stories belong? And, most important of all… to whom does Hainanese chicken rice really belong?

Cast

FROM SINGAPORE: Sharda Harrison, Gani Karim, Janice Koh, Lim Yu-Beng, Siti Khalijah Zainal
FROM MALAYSIA: Ghafir Akbar, Sharifah Amani, Anne James, Alfred Loh, Iedil Putra

Creative Team

Directors: Ivan Heng & Jo Kukathas
Curators/Playwrights: Alfian Sa’at & Leow Puay Tin

Lighting Designer: Adrian Tan
Multimedia Artists: Koo Chia Meng & Andrew Ng
Sound Designer: The Gunnery
Costume Designer: Ix Wong
Make-up Designer: Beno Lim (M.A.C)

Production Manager: Leong Mun Hoi
Technical Manager: Terence Lau
Stage Manager: Justina Khoo
Producers: Tony Trickett & June Tan

(Source: Wild Rice Website)


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credits


artefacts

Causeway Connections
From the birthright of cendol to maritime disputes, the relationship between Singapore and Malaysia can go from testy to downright tense. But our expulsion from the Federation in 1965 not only created two separate nations, it also gave rise to two English-language theatre scenes. Looking back on the history of Singapore theatre, the relationship between us and our northern neighbour plays a significant role, with works emerging from cross-Causeway competition and collaboration, as well as from the historica
Causeway Connections
Published: 11 January 2019