Shermaine Yeo
Local playwright and poet, Alfian Sa’at, takes on a challenge in a new instalment that marks the end of his 6 years of absence from the Malay theatre scene. Presented by Teater Ekamatra, Nadirah, will pull at your heartstrings with the discussion of family issues and the all time sensitive and complex topic of religion.
It centres on Nadirah, a university student who heads her college’s Muslim Society as Vice-President. The eloquent leader gathers her peers to speak about their faiths and how they should have regard for other’s personal spaces. But the well-liked girl is thrown into a situation when her mother decides to remarry.
When Nadirah was 8, her Malaysian Malay father and Singaporean Chinese mother who had converted to Islam had a divorce. Thereafter, her mother took her back to Singapore and years later Nadirah’s mother decides to tie the knot again, but with a non-Muslim man.
The young lady suddenly faces dilemmas:
“How does Nadirah negotiate relations between various religions in school when she has problems handling them in her own house? Is her vice-chairmanship at stake? Can mother and daughter worship different gods? Will Nadirah re-join her father in Malaysia?”
Featuring an outstanding cast of Neo Swee Lin, Siti Khalijah Zainal, Tony Quek, Shida Mahadi and Hatta Said, the production is directed by Zizi Azah Abdul Majid. Nadirah is also a tribute to the late esteemed director Yasmin Ahmad for her ethos of bringing people of different race and religion together with her works.
Find out if “love or faith will prevail” in Nadirah.
Details:
Date: Dec 17 – 19, 2009
Time: 8pm
Venue: The Substation Theatre
Tickets: $16 (Concession), $20 (Adults) from The Substation Box Office or through ticketing@ekamatra.org.sg
Language: Performed in Malay/English with English subtitles
Presented by: Teater Ekamatra