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INTRODUCTION

Festival Commission

BANGSAWAN GEMALA MALAM

HOUSE PROGRAMME

By Teater Ekamatra (Singapore)


2 – 4 Jun
Thu - Fri, 8pm | Sat, 2pm & 8pm
Victoria Theatre

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Message from ED

Message from the Executive Director

It seems almost obvious that in the face of the incredible uncertainty of this current moment– that reclaiming and reaffirming the rituals of our daily lives has become ever more important as a bulwark against the shifting sands of contemporary existence. The constancy, history and repetitiveness of social rituals seem almost a comfort and source of solace.
 
For many of us, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) is an annual ritual we all look forward to. This year, celebrate a long-awaited return to whatever new normal awaits us, the SIFA team will deliver bold new artistic experiences for everyone to enjoy,  safely of course.

AHL as the festival organiser is proud to have with us Natalie Hennedige to helm SIFA as Festival Director from 2022 to 2024. As a recipient of the National Arts Council Young Artist Award in 2007 and the JCCI Singapore Foundation Culture Award in 2010, Natalie is known for presenting progressive, cross-disciplinary work exploring contemporary issues.

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Tan Boon Hui

MESSAGE FROM FD

MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

SIFA 2022 reflects a dissolution of categories or labels; to invite, instead, and adopt artistically fluid collaborations and collaborators, gathering within individual creations a range of artistic disciplines, practices and perspectives. The festival invites practitioners of vivid cultural hues from different walks of life to embrace a blending of genres, artistic disciplines and internationality – in performances made by artists with strong and unique perspectives – in the poly-dynamic and universal language of art.
 
This echoes the ways in which contemporary performance is being made in the world. Also, importantly, it reflects how our dialogue with each other on a human level requires nuance because we live in systems of such complexity, within a world having gone through serious bouts of illness and faced with pertinent social and political movements that continue to test our passions and challenge us. The performing arts, therefore, needs to be upheld as space for reflection, openness and nuanced creative articulation to be freely expressed.
 
It was important for me too that SIFA be a platform for originality, propelling artists and performance creation coming from Singapore, while imagining what a meaningful international dynamic looks like within our city's pinnacle performing arts festival.
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Natalie Hennedige

Message from Artistic Director

Message from Artistic Director Mohd Fared Jainal

Ekamatra staged its first classical play in 2002 – Impian Di Tengah Musim Panas, an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at the former Drama Centre, at the foot of Fort Canning Hill. With The Substation and the National Library (Stamford Road) close by, it felt like an enclave for like-minded people, coming together over coffee and wanton mee at the famous S-11 coffee shop. Creative minds, young and old, coming from various disciplines and art forms, in a common bustling space. To share, to laugh, to lament. It was a community. All this before it was completely wiped out of our landscape and existence. 20 years later, here we are, staging another classic, and quite coincidentally, of the same work. 

Classics have never been our staple and we have never done a Bangsawan piece before so this commission has been a particularly delicious challenge. The work we present to you today was made possible by the absolute belief in the work that we do, powered by a spectrum of brilliant and wonderful people of a multitude of strengths and experiences, again in a common space of sharing. A community. 

Since Wayang Parsi first landed on the shores of the Malay Archipelago, Bangsawan has gone through many adaptations and permutations, and each time its identity has shifted. To struggle with the changes also means allowing and accepting the new, for it to stay relevant. From street theatre, to its golden age in big theatres, to surviving the Japanese Occupation, to its inclusion on television and radio, Bangsawan has managed to find its way through time, each time taking on new inspirations and references that help to move it forward, championed by people who are driven by nothing else but that one thing that matters to them – belief. 

After 34 years, this year will be the first time that Ekamatra exists without a physical space. Again, the unfamiliar and the uncharted. It is important to know our identity and boundary, and how that will shift in order to embrace any form of transformation and change, while our objectives and priorities remain intact. Ekamatra will continue to strive forward. To continue building a community, for the community. The pandemic has seen us go through so many heartbreaks over the past two years. Finally, we are back here again in the physical space, reunited with our audience. We are so happy to see all of you.

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Mohd Fared Jainal
Artistic Director of Teater Ekamatra/Production Designer & Dramaturg
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Mohd Fared Jainal
Artistic Director of Teater Ekamatra/Production Designer & Dramaturg

Message from Director

Message from Director Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit

“More strange than true: I never may believe
These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.
Lovers and madmen have such seething brains,
Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend
More than cool reason ever comprehends.” - Theseus, Act V, Scene 1.

It takes a lot of love and a tad of madness to undertake this epic journey and ladies and gentlemen, today you will bear witness to this beautiful production.

Bangsawan Gemala Malam combines my two loves: Bangsawan, a classic Malay theatrical artform, and the magical world of William Shakepeare’s plays.

The comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is a play that’s truly close to my heart. For my first foray into theatre, at 17, I played the role of Moth, one of the fairies. Yes, here in this Victoria Theatre.

Through the years, in so many productions of AMNDs later, I have played the roles of Hippolyta, Titania and even, a heavily pregnant Snout the Tinker (oh sweet wall!).

At 24, I worked on a Bangsawan revival project with Teater Kami. I acted as a Rasaksa called Maha Dewi and became the Extra Turn singer on Indera Bangsawan, also done here in Victoria Theatre.

Fast forward to 2022, for the Singapore International Festival of Arts, the worlds of Bangsawan and A Midsummer Night’s Dream will collide at the Victoria Theatre and this time, I have been blessed with an amazing acting ensemble, made up of the best Malay talents now in Singapore! What joy it is to be working with talented collaborators from Malaysia, Indonesia and of course, Singapore!

I wish to thank SIFA and Teater Ekamatra for this wonderful opportunity to make a work that is truly “magical”! Have a joyous time dreaming, good friends!

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Aidli 'Alin' Mosbit
Director
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Aidli 'Alin' Mosbit
Director

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CREDITS

Credits

Cast
Helena / Telang Biru
Aisyah Aziz
Kelembai
Azizul Mahathir
Lisander / Sedap Malam / Khamis
Fir Rahman
Filostrasti / Ahad / Bunian
Hafeez Hassan
Teseus / Oberon / Isnin
Hatta Said
Demetrius / Sabtu / Kemboja
Irsyad Dawood
Egeues / Rabu
Rizman Putra
Hermia / Kesom
Munah Bagharib
Hipolita / Titania / Selasa
Shafiqhah Efandi
Creative and Production Team
Director
Aidli 'Alin' Mosbit
Playwright
Ridhwan Saidi

Artistic Director of Teater Ekamatra/Production Designer and Dramaturg
Mohd Fared Jainal

Lighting Designer
James Tan
Lighting Designer Apprentice
Mohammad Amirul Bin Azmi
Tai Zi Feng
Music Director
Safuan Johari
Visual Media Designer
Eric Lee
Costume Designer
Max Tan
Props Designer
Akbar Syadiq
Choreographer
Eko Supriyanto
Assistant Choreographer
Riyo Tulus Pernando
Vocal Coach
Babes Conde
Hair Designer
Ashley Lim
Percussion Group
Bloco Singapura
Producer
Shaza Ishak
Production Manager
Khairina Khalid
Assistant Production Manager
Anais Adjani
Technical Manager
Djasman Hussain
Assistant Technical Manager
Noh Sapari
Stage Manager
Elnie S Mashari
Assistant Stage Manager
Rashid Shiddiq
Sri Anum Wahyuni
Crew

Delma Dayanti Binte Remy
Mohamad Amar Danial Bin Md Yunos
Mohammed Zaini

Muhamad Lutfil Hadi bin Muhammad Yacob
Muhammad Harith Bin Mohamed Helmi
Nor Syafiqah Binte

Nur Irfan bin Rosman
Nur Shakila bte Sugirmanto
Sulastri Binte Subari 

Head Wardrobe Master
Rafil Kamaruddin

Wardrobe Team
Ashley Maddala Shi Hui
Muhammad Hafiz bin Ismail
Nur Syaza Binte Kamarudin
Syarilla Binte Djono

Makeup Artist
Haslina Ismail
Jan Shah

Surtitlists
Amirul Abdullah
Ezra Kamal

For their support in Bangsawan Gemala Malam, we would also like to thank Grace Baey, Felix Lee and Toh Hun Ping.

BIOGRAPHIES

Biographies

Mohd Fared Jainal
Artistic Director of Teater Ekamatra/Production Designer and Dramaturg
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Mohd Fared Jainal engages in cross-disciplinary work that delves into the realms of both visual and performing arts, with a particular interest in space, body and design. A strong advocate of physical...



Aidli 'Alin' Mosbit

Director

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Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit graduated with a degree in Drama from Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane, Australia). Aidli writes, directs, acts, teaches, designs lighting and costume...



Ridhwan Saidi

Playwright

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Ridhwan Saidi is a Malaysian playwright, novelist and filmmaker. He co-founded indie publishing house, Moka Mocha Ink, which focuses on contemporary Malay fiction and drama.

Eko Supriyanto
Choreographer
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Born in Astambul South Kalimantan, Eko Supriyanto is one of leading choreographers of his generation.

Safuan Johari
Music Director
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Safuan Johari is a Singaporean sound designer and music producer. In the realm of sound design...

Eric Lee
Visual Media Designer
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Eric Lee makes videos and books in Singapore.

James Tan
Lighting Designer
James Tan is an independent lighting designer and a winner of the Young Artist Award. He was awarded an professional arts scholarship by the National Arts Council of Singapore.

Max Tan
Costume Designer
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Max Tan started his eponymous label MAX.TAN on the back of the recognition he received at the Singapore Fashion Designers Contest in 2007 and began with creating capsule collections to meet the increasing interest for his designs.

Ashley Lim
Hair Designer
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Ashley Lim started his hairstyling career in 1986 and opened Ashley Salon in 1999. He spends most of his time helping his clientele look fabulous and many of his clients have become good friends...

Babes Conde
Vocal Coach
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A double-degree holder of Music (Piano and Music Education), Babes Conde flowed into the mainstream of the Singapore music scene when she moved to Singapore.

Aisyah Aziz
Performer
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The voice of Aisyah Aziz, a Singaporean born singer and songwriter takes you on a musical experience from a sultry, sensual feel with the ability to switch from full voice to head voice.

Azizul ‘izzy’ Mahathir
Performer
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Vanda Miss Joaquim is the stage name of Singaporean drag performer Azizul 'Izzy' Mahathir. Izzy has been a performer for over 20 years...

Fir Rahman
Performer
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Fir Rahman first made waves when he emerged as the winner of a talent search competition on Mediacorp's Suria Channel in 2002. Prior to this, he had spent...

Hafeez Hassan
Performer
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Hafeez Hassan is a movement coach, dancer and choreographer who has been in the performing arts industry for more than 15 years. Starting out as a street dancer...

Hatta Said
Performer
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No stranger to the limelight, Hatta Said has taken part in music competitions and events since his debut appearance in Asia Bagus in 1992.

Irsyad Dawood
Performer
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Irsyad Dawood is a performer and actor, amongst other things. Every performance is dedicated to his mother and father whom he loves dearly.

Munah Bagharib
Performer
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Munah Bagharib's entertainment career started in 2006 as one half of YouTube sensation MunahHirziOfficial, where she co-hosted satirical videos on social and political topics.

Rizman Putra
Performer
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Rizman Putra graduated with a Master of Arts (Fine Arts) from Lasalle College of the Arts in 2007, has been actively straddling between performance, visual arts...

Shafiqhah Efandi
Performer
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Shafiqhah Efandi is an actor andsinger who graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts with a BA (Hons) in Acting.

ABOUT SIFA & AHL

About SIFA

As Singapore's annual pinnacle performing arts festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) presents captivating and diverse works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts. First launched as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977, the festival has gone through several evolutions and inspired generations of arts lovers and practitioners.  
 
Under the helm of Festival Director Natalie Hennedige from 2022 to 2024, SIFA will focus on performance and creation in the physical and online space, around the theme The Anatomy of Performance.
 
Today, the highly anticipated festival is a high point on Singapore's arts and cultural calendar. SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works.

About Arts House Limited

Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts.

AHL manages six arts spaces that aim to support our arts sector and bring communities together. These include two national monuments - The Arts House, multidisciplinary arts centre, and Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

It also runs the performing arts space Drama Centre as well as three enclaves for arts groups and creative businesses - the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre and Stamford Arts Centre. It is the cultural place manager of Singapore's Civic District.

AHL organises two national pinnacle festivals – the Singapore International Festival of Arts focused on the performing arts, and the Singapore Writers Festival - a multi-lingual festival presenting the world's leading literary talents. In addition, it manages Our Cultural Medallion Story – the showcase on Singapore's Cultural Medallion recipients at The Arts House.

Arts House Limited is a public company limited by guarantee under the National Arts Council. First set up as The Old Parliament House Limited in 2002, it was renamed Arts House Limited in 2014. For more information, visit https://artshouselimited.sg/

Special Thanks To

Festival Sponsors
Official Hotel

Official Logistics Partner

Official Outdoor Media Partner
Official Airline

Festival Donors
Jeremy Lee
Mr & Mrs Victor & Michelle Sassoon

FESTIVAL PARTNERS

Organised By
Commissioned By
Supported By
Matched By

RECOMMENDED

Recommended Shows

Delicate Spells of Mind
Available on VOD
MEPAAN
Available on VOD
Ceremonial Enactments
Available on VOD

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

Management
Executive Director:
Tan Boon Hui
Festival Director:
Natalie Hennedige
Senior Director, Strategy and Planning:
Yeow Ju Li
Senior Director, Programming & Producing:
Ken Tan
Director, Marketing and Communications:
Jasmine Gan
Director, Placemaking and Partnership Development:
Lee Mun Ping
Director, Human Resource and IT:
Isniati Ali
Director, Asset Management and Leasing:
Rachel Chu
Director, Finance:
Oh Boon Ping
Director, Corporate Facilities Management:
Saburulla S/O Abdul Gani
Corporate FM
Security Manager:
Shri Ram
Asst Manager:
Ahmad Adli
Finance
Managers and Executives:
Amanda Koh
Chris Tay
Huang Shuncong
Jill Lau
Lyn Yeoh
Samantha Chua
Siti Nur Jazeerah
Programming & Producing
Senior Producers:
Christie Chua
Mervyn Quek
Ye JunMin
Producers:
Fezhah Maznan
Hoo Kuan Cien
Senior Manager, Programmes:
Lisa Marie Lip
Intern:
Ai Honda
Production & Technical
Senior Production Managers:
Mohamed Fazil Bin Sulaiman
Cindy Yeong
Production Coordinators:
Celestine Wong
Melissa Chin
Alexandra Chan
Technical Managers:
Kailash
Muhammad Hannan Bin Mohd Khusni
Technical Coordinators:
Huang Xiangbin
Iswadi Bin Razle
Executive, Administration:
Izyan Nooraini
Marketing and Communications
Principal Manager:
Elizabeth Wong
Senior Managers:
Valerie Koh
Winnie Chan
Manager:
Kelly Roxanne
Project Manager:
Benny Tan
Senior Executive:
Vanessa Tan
Executive:
Megan Lee
Senior Designers:
Mohammad Firdaus bin Wari
Muhammad Hakim Bin Rahim
Festival Designer:
Mylin Soh
Ticketing Specialist:
Allison Lai
Ticketing Assistant:
Chew Ying Ying
Copywriter and Social Media Specialist:
Adeline Loh
Video Editor:
Amelia Su
Interns:
Sue-Anne Gouk
Mohamed Tawfiq Bin Mohamed Ismail
Placemaking and Partnership Development
Manager:
Christine Leong
Project Coordinator:
Natalie Sim
Asset Management and Leasing

Venue Managers:
Sophie Sham
Dorothy Neo
Kenneth Chng
Rina Chan

Manager, Leasing:
Salyn Yap
Debbie Yan
Assistant Manager, Leasing:
Razak Bin Hussein
Junainy Jamila
Human Resource
Senior Manager:
Regina Hong
Senior Executives:
Andrea Wong
Jeffrey Yeo
Event Operations Management
Emma Izzabella Tagoe
Senior Manager, Event Operations Management
Sharon Wang Mei Yun
Manager, Front-Of-House
Sai Sandhya Silvalingam
Manager, Front-Of-House
Chiang Heng Jie Jess
Senior Executive, Front-Of-House
Wong Jia Hui Natalie
Senior Executive, Front-Of-House
Toh Sie Ming (Luc)
Manager, Back-Of-House Hospitality
Koh Ngiap Siong Gerald
Senior Executive, Back-Of-House Hospitality
Patrick Anthony Chan
Manager, Artist Logistics
Au Min Li
Senior Executive, Secretariat & Manpower Management
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