In early Singapura, the people wondered whether to stay or to leave.
In early Singapura, the rulers would remake the rules to suit their needs.
In early Singapura, those who dared to question were snuffed out.
Thank goodness it’s all changed.
The second batch of young & W!LD presents a powerfully imaginative, bitingly relevant and darkly funny play that casts new light on our oldest tales! Leaping from the pages of the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), history and myth intertwine in this strange yet familiar world of covenants and curses, tyrants and todak (swordfish). From the slaughtered boy whose unjustly spilled blood stained our soil red to the sultan’s concubine whose wrongful death damned the kingdom – come re-encounter the legends of a younger and wilder Singapore.
First premiered at the OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival 2008, Kee Thuan Chye’s incisive and witty satire is now boldly re-imagined by a new generation of actors in this hard-hitting, rapid-flowing and highly-physical production of thrilling transformations. Watch 7 actors take on a seemingly endless array of roles as they breathe life into a Singapura you’ve never imagined!
One saviour.
One martyr.
One traitor.
One Singapura.
ABOUT THE LEGENDS
Swordfish + Concubine: The Fall of Singapura unravels two tales from the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals). The better-known one is the legendary tale of Hang Nadim, the wise kampung boy who boldly speaks up and saves the kingdom from a bloody swordfish attack but ends up being executed as a threat to political stability. Legend has it that it is his unjustly spilled blood that stained the soil of Bukit Merah red.
The tale of the concubine begins with a covenant made between Sang Nila Utama and Demang Lebar Daun the chief of Palembang – binding Singapura’s future rulers and subjects in a relationship of mutual respect. Generations later, the concubine Nurhalisa is falsely accused & summarily executed. This shameful act breaks the covenant and unleashes a curse upon Singapura – the kingdom is invaded and conquered by the Majapahit.
These tales are an integral part of Singapura’s heritage – both as part of our legendary past, and also as a vivid reminder of how rulers and citizens should honour each other.