Writer-In-Residence 2025/2026

Playwright Nabilah Said joins us as our Writer in Residence from April 2025 to March 2026. This 12-month residency aims to spotlight and platform the Writer in Residence through presentations of her works, and engagements with younger writers and the public.

As part of the residency, Nabilah will also be participating in the New Scripts Garage, offering dramaturgical support and feedback to scripts from the open call. 

Nabilah's final presentation for this residency will be showcased on 28 - 29 March 2026 as part of Spring Collection 2025/26: New Plays from Centre 42. Click below to find out more!

"Whither the mid-career artist?" This was a question that came to mind when I was approached to do this residency with Centre 42. I have been writing plays since 2010, but it was only around 2020 that I started thinking about my work as part of a prolonged practice. Just five years on, I’ve noticed the term "mid-career" being used for myself and my peers - but what does that really mean? 

Eschewing the existential nature of those musings, I decided to think more generatively. What works do I want to create, now that I have room to play? What can I revisit? Who can I play with? A residency, after all, is an opportunity to experiment and do things outside of the norm. Joel Tan offered me the idea of "playwriting as cartography" - how could my practice be as expansive as wayfinding across space and time, but also bring me closer to the places I’d like to return to? In particular, I’m interested to continue to work on my ongoing research project on Christmas Island, but would also like to try other things (old dog, new tricks!). 

My half-joking subtitle for this residency is “old already still want to do things”. That is to say, this will be my way of expanding my skillset, making stronger connections between the people I’ve always wanted to do stuff with, and experimenting outside of the confines of production schedules and project timelines. It’s also a chance for me to better understand my place in this ecosystem.

Lastly, I wanted to acknowledge how apt it is to return to Centre 42. It’s been more than a decade since I was part of its Boiler Room programme, then as an aspiring playwright still finding my footing. I’m less of a fledgling these days, but there’s always room for play, movement, and growth. Maybe this is what I’m in the middle of - a world of possibility, shared with others. As always, I am thankful for Centre 42 for believing in me. 

During this term, Nabilah will be embarking on some projects and participating in some of the Centre's ongoing new writing development programmes. Look forward to her engagements:

• May 2025: 

  Review of SIFA-X edition of script and feedback

• June 2025:

  Research and review of documents about Christmas Island
  Development of an audio drama for the Singapore Night Festival
  Audio-based Jam 1: exploring song, sound, and music 

• July 2025:

  Refinement of script, casting, and recording for Singapore Night Festival audio drama

• August 2025:

  Presentation of new audio drama, The Session, at Singapore Night Festival

• December 2025: 

  Movement-based Jam 2: remix of Inside Voices 

• October 2025:

  Presentation of new audio drama at Territory Week on Christmas Island 

• October - December 2025: 

  Writing and devising with actors 

• December 2025: 

  Public conversation: Nusantara playwriting (in conjunction with Nusantara Open Circle)
  Presentation: Closed-door reading of Territori 

• January - March 2026: 

  Further writing

• March 2026:

  Public conversation: Playwriting as cartography/playing with history 
  Presentation: Nabilah's script, Territori, will be presented on 28 - 29 March 2026 as part of Spring Collection 2025/26: New Plays from Centre 42.