Immerse yourself in Malay literature and theatre with Baca skrip: #____, a monthly series of online play readings presented by local contemporary theatre company Teater Ekamatra via Zoom. Putting the spotlight on the written text, the platform revisits seminal works by Singapore Malay playwrights. While it's all performed in Malay, each reading comes with an accompanying Malay text and English sur-titles.
August 28 marks the end of the series – for now, anyway. Since it's National Day season, the final play reading is none other than the acclaimed – and woke – playwright Alfian Sa'at's Causeway. Alfian is known for his vocal observations of the world and communities he's in, and so, the alternate dimensions he creates for his often complex characters are never an easy terrain to navigate. And for some audiences, they're a hard pill to swallow.
Written at the age of 21, Causeway is one of Alfian's earlier works which landed him a Commendation Award by the Malay Language Council in 1998. It explores the relationship between Singaporeans and their closest neighbour Malaysia. Directed by Fasyali Fadzly and performed by an ensemble cast of seven, the eight-chapter play takes the audience through a traffic jam on the causeway where various conflicts take place. Through these different scenarios, it attempts to construct a bridge that transcends the limiting frameworks of ‘bilateral relations’.
Through such plays, Teater Ekamatra invites all to examine and analyse the complexities of race, gender, and politics contextualised within domestic spaces – particularly that of the Malay-Muslim community. Baca skrip: #____ was also created in the hopes of providing a 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. Secure your tickets via bacaskripcauseway.peatix.com to not miss this final edition.
