4 – 7 Aug 2016Thu & Fri, 8pm • SAT & Sun, 3pm & 8pm

ESplAnAdE ThEATrE STudio

About Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Board Members

1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981 Tel: 6828 8222 Fax: 6337 3633Customer Service Hotline: 6828 8377 SISTIC Hotline: 6348 5555

Esplanade’s Community Programmes are supported by Tote Board Family, comprising Tote Board, Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club.

Mr Lee Tzu Yang (Chairman) Mr Benson Puah (Chief Executive Officer)

Mrs Rosa Daniel Ms Kathy Lai

Mrs Christine Ong

Mr Ramlee Bin Buang Ms Saw Phaik Hwa

Mrs Mildred Tan-Sim Beng Mei

Mr Yap Chee Meng

Dr Ming TanMrs Valarie Wilson

Mr Andre YeapMr Kenny Powar

Esplanade is Singapore’s national performing arts centre and one of the busiest arts centres in the world. Since its opening in 2002, the centre has presented more than 31,000 performances, drawing an audience of 22 million patrons and 84 million visitors. This architectural icon, with its distinctive twin shells, houses world-class performance spaces complemented by a comprehensive range of professional support services. Its two main venues are the 1,600-seat Concert Hall and a Theatre with a capacity of 2,000. In March 2014, Esplanade’s Concert Hall was listed as one of the “world’s 15 most beautiful concert halls” by Hamburg-based building data company Emporis.

Esplanade’s vision is to be a performing arts centre for everyone and it seeks to enrich the lives of its community through the arts. The centre’s programming is guided by its mission – to entertain, engage, educate and inspire. Its year-long arts calendar of about 3,000 performances presented by Esplanade, its collaboration partners and hirers cater to diverse audiences in Singapore and span different cultures, languages and genres including dance, music, theatre, visual arts and more. More than 70% of the shows that take place each year at the centre are non-ticketed. In May 2015, Esplanade was chosen as one of SG Heart Map’s 50 special places.

Esplanade regularly presents world-renowned companies and artists that attract international attention and add to Singapore’s cultural vibrancy. The centre is also a popular performance home for arts groups and commercial presenters who hire its venues to stage a wide range of programmes. These carefully curated presentations complement Esplanade’s own diverse offerings for audiences.

Esplanade works in close partnership with local, regional and international artists to develop artistic capabilities, push artistic boundaries and engage audiences. The centre supports the creation of artistic content and develops technical capabilities for the industry nationally.

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is operated by The Esplanade Co Ltd, which is a not-for-profit organisation, a registered Charity and an Institution of a Public Character.

Visit www.esplanade.com for more information.

Dr Jennifer Lee

Esplanade is a proud member of

Association of Asia Pacific Performing Art Centreswww.aappac.net

All rights reserved. UEN: 199205206G Information correct at time of print.Please note that photographs and videos of patrons may be taken at this event for use in our archival and publicity material.

Selamat datang and welcome to the 15th edition of Pesta Raya, Esplanade’s annual

Malay Festival of Arts!

When the team began planning for the festival, we reflected on each of our

experiences at age 15. 15 was an age where many of us spent time discovering who

we are or wanted to be. It was also a time we would started on the interests and

passions that would later stay with us all through our lives. For me, I sung my lungs

out to every boy band or girl band song that came on the radio with friends, planned

school concerts, and practiced tarian choreography when Hari Raya was around the

corner. On the home front, I (am sure I am not the only one) shamelessly broke out

in dance moves memorised from music videos while spring cleaning. Fast forward 20

years, the music of these artists from when I was 15 are still memories that I hold on

to dearly today.

And so for the 15th edition of Pesta Raya, we wanted to present Malay productions,

art forms and personalities that not only influenced their respective generation,

but had a long-standing appeal and impact across generations. We will honour the

musical legacy of S. Atan; celebrate pop icon KRU who will be kicking off their 25th

anniversary with a concert tour in Singapore; restage The Necessary Stage’s well-

loved play Rosnah but in Malay for the first time; and feature rising star of the new

generation, Sufi Rashid. To share the richness and evolution of the Malay culture,

we also have traditional art forms like dikir barat where many influential and iconic

personalities in the Malay entertainment scene in Singapore started out), and pop

yeh yeh, a music genre unique to the Malay culture. The young and young at heart

can also look forward to dance, storytelling, hip hop and R&B and even a special

collaborative performance by artists from Japan, Indonesia and Singapore!

With this meeting of generations, we hope that the festival allows you to both

discover the rich culture, tradition and heritage of the Malay community in Singapore,

and also acquaint yourselves with the many iconic productions and personalities that

have shaped the Nusantara’s arts and entertainment scene. In the process, perhaps

you will also glimpse into what the future holds. A mentor once told me that each

generation creates their own tradition, and this year we hope you will experience this

for yourself in the festival.

Hanie Nadia HamzahLead Programmer Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts

festival message

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Rosnah 2016. I’m meeting an old friend. She’s a little

older now, but very much a woman of her time.

Many thanks to Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit, the first Rosnah,

who, after two translation cycles, made Rosnah more

intimately present in its mother tongue.

Rosnah is one of TNS’ beloved monologues, having

undergone several re-stagings, each one a different

version, but still a relevant story each time it is retold.

Strangely enough, the retelling of Rosnah has been in

tandem with Singapore’s growth (whatever we want

to take that to mean) and the maturity of the creative

team since its inception.

Rosnah’s premiere was raw and bold. It was at the Tampines Regional Library’s foyer

with the protagonist walking amongst the audience to tell her story. An international

collaboration had fallen through after we began workshops with Aidli Mosbit, Haresh

and myself in Scotland. Alin had kept a journal on her first trip to the UK. We decided

to be resourceful with the materials and experiences collated, instead of letting them

all go to waste despite the project being aborted. Then Haresh went away for his

postgraduate studies in Playwriting; a year later, I did the same. Both of us were

in Birmingham. The thoughts of being away from home for a long period of time,

together with Alin’s notes, all informed the creation of Rosnah.

While I was away, Rosnah was staged at The Substation with the set designed by

Kok Heng Leun. Alin took the role and the idea that Rosnah had visited Alin to tell

her her story came into the structure of the narrative. When I returned from my

studies, we did a postmodern, minimalist version of the work, which was performed in

Melbourne. Then years later, when Siti Khalijah Zainal came into the scene, I introduced

Alin to her. Alin then directed Siti in Rosnah for the 2006 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival

at the Drama Centre Black Box.

Director’s message

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Some years later, Siti expressed her desire to take on Rosnah again. She felt that she

has grown as a person and an actor, and wanted to take on the challenges anew.

I made a note of that, just in case a window of opportunity opened in our artistic

calendar. Lo and behold, Esplanade approached me soon enough and proposed re-

staging Rosnah in Malay. I jumped at the opportunity and alerted Siti. So who should

translate? Of course it should be Alin! Haresh took a look at the various versions

of Rosnah. Which one should we re-stage? He decided to make some significant

structural adjustments of having Rosnah, who grew up and studied overseas in the

‘90s, tell her story to Siti, an actor. So the storytelling is by Siti about Rosnah, a

woman growing up in the ‘90s. Yet another version, another story-telling framework

has emerged—and this time in Malay. Materials have not changed much but a multi-

layered perspective is now to be expected from this staging.

We are blessed with an accomplished and collaborative design team which comprises

Bani Haykal, Lim Woan Wen and Wong Chee Wai, who together have created

imaginative environments for this new retelling of Rosnah.

This is what happens in life as it does with art. When it is processual, the work is

always in transition. Being in transit is most unsettling for some of us—perhaps for

Singaporeans who are so used to stability. But what richness can be harvested when

one is ready and open to changes, moving from the known to the unknown, to re-

know what one used to know so as to know it anew.

Like an old friend.

alvin tan

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4

a Note from aiDli mosbit

Together with Alvin and Haresh, I devised Rosnah in Glasgow in winter 1994. I

was 21 years old and being entrusted to perform a one-woman play was really

a big feat! I have performed Rosnah at the Tampines Regional Library (1995),

Guinness Theatre of Substation (1996) and in Melbourne for the Austral-Asian

Drama Conference (1997). In 2006, I directed Rosnah for the M1 Singapore Fringe

Festival with the very young Siti Khalijah Zainal playing the title role.

This year, after 22 years of dreaming up this character called Rosnah, I was given

the opportunity to once again work with my favourite collaborators and this time to

translate the play from English to Malay. Strangely, after 22 years, the words within

Rosnah are even more relevant and applicable to people who question the idea of

mobility vs. rootedness as we live our lives as global citizens. Where is home, truly?

And as we travel the world, are our luggages and hearts heavy? I am glad you will

get to meet Rosnah again! Thank you, Pesta Raya. To Alvin and Haresh… “poster,

mana, poster”… thank you for thinking of me! And to Siti K, my dearest Begum, and

everyone watching this play… Enjoy the show!

Aidli Mosbit in the 1996 production of Rosnah at The Substation

Photo courtesy of The Necessary Stage

syNopsis

Rosnah is a young Malay Muslim woman who leaves home

for the first time to study in London. As she navigates

her new environment with determination, she forges

new connections with friends who differ from her in all

respects—personality, race and religion.

Is she able to balance tradition and liberal ideals without

losing her identity?

One of The Necessary Stage’s well-loved early plays by

Resident Playwright and Cultural Medallion recipient

Haresh Sharma, Rosnah is a monodrama about a

Singapore Malay Muslim woman who journeys through

youth and womanhood to discover her own voice.

First staged in 1995 at Tampines Regional Library, then at

The Substation’s Guinness Theatre in 1996, Rosnah starred

Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit and was subsequently performed in

Melbourne in 1997 to critical and popular acclaim. The

play was revived in 2006 as part of the M1 Singapore

Fringe Festival, directed by Aidli herself while Young Artist

Award recipient Siti Khalijah Zainal took on the titular role.

Performed in Malay for the first time, Siti reprises her

role in this 2016 staging, directed by Cultural Medallion

recipient Alvin Tan (Founder and Artistic Director of The

Necessary Stage).

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6

rosNaH’s JourNey

1995 – performed at tampines library

1996 – performed at the substation

1997 – performed in melbourne

2006 – restaged for m1 singapore fringe festivalDirected by Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit & Performed by Siti Khalijah Zainal

2016 – translated into malay and staged for Pesta RayaPerformed by Siti Khalijah Zainal

1995 – Developed in glasgow

soNg lyrics

lagu Kurang syaratby Bani Haykal

sanggup kau tunggukan aku

tanpa harapan tanpa bukti

selama badan aku

hanyut di celahan bibirmu

langsung kewujudan aku pupus

sanggup kau lupakan aku

buat sementara buat apa?

nyawa takde minda

hidup takde makna lagi

qiamat belom niat tunjuk diri

chorus

maafkanlah sayang

senikata hilang

impian terserempak malapetaka

lagu hanya hiasi

otak yang mati

khalayan aku mimpi seram kau

hidup, mati, ulang lagi

jangan ubah diri

hidup mati, ulang lagi

jangan ubah diri

verse

sanggup kau dendangkan

bukan ape bukan nak caci

aku memang terharu

walaupun suara kau tak merdu

dodoian lagu kurang syarat aku

sanggup kau layankan aku

takkan mesra takkan merana

bila aku terhempas

ke sempadan neraka dan negeri

silap jalan takot lupa diri

you, willing to wait for mewhere there is no hope and no proof (of it)for as long as my bodydrowns in the gap between your lipsmy being will never cease to exist you, willing to forget mewhat for, if only momentarily?souls have no mindsour lives are indeed meaninglessand the apocalypse has no intention to reveal itself chorus please forgive me, lovethe lyrics are missingmy dreams stumbled upon a calamity a song merely furnishesa brain that’s not workingmy daydream is your nightmarelive, die, repeatdon’t change ourselveslive, die, repeatdon’t change ourselves verse you, willing to sing to menot that i’m trying to insulti am indeed moveddespite you not able to carry a tunelulling my unfinished song you, willing to entertain mewithout happiness, without miserywhen i’m tossedto the intersection of hell and stateone wrong step and i fear i’ll forget who i am

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siti KHaliJaH ZaiNalPERFORMER

Siti made her debut as a full-time theatre actress after she attended the year-long

Theatre for Youth Ensemble programme in 2003 held by The Necessary Stage.

Since then, she has been working with a wide range of theatre companies, both

locally and internationally, and she considers herself very lucky.

She won Best Actress for her role in Model Citizens and Off Centre at the 2011 and

2016 The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards respectively. She was awarded the Young

Artist Award by the National Arts Council in 2014.

alviN taNDIRECTOR

Alvin is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Necessary Stage and a leading

proponent of devising theatre in Singapore, having directed more than 70 plays

which have been staged locally and at international festivals. He has been awarded a

Fulbright Scholarship and in 1998, was conferred the Young Artist Award for Theatre.

In 2010, Alvin was conferred the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French

Ministry of Culture, in recognition of his significant contribution to the arts. The

following year, he was awarded Best Director at 2011 The Straits Times Life! Theatre

Awards for Model Citizens by The Necessary Stage.

Alvin was previously invited by the Ministry of Education to design a drama syllabus

at ‘O’ level for implementation in schools. In 2014, Alvin was conferred the Cultural

Medallion for his artistic excellence and contribution to Singapore’s arts and cultural

landscape. He is also currently the Artistic Director of Peer Pleasure, an annual youth-

oriented theatre festival in Singapore.

biograpHies

HaresH sHarmaPLAYWRIGHT

Haresh has been the Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage since 1990. He was

awarded the Cultural Medallion in 2015. To date, he has written more than 100 plays

which have been staged in over 20 cities. His play, Off Centre, was selected by the

Ministry of Education as a Literature text for ‘N’ and ‘O’ Levels.

Haresh has 10 publications of his plays, including Trilogy, Shorts 1, Shorts 2 and Don’t Forget to Remember Me. His works have been translated into Malay, Mandarin, Greek

and Italian. He was awarded Best Original Script for Fundamentally Happy, Good People and Gemuk Girls at the 2007, 2008 and 2009 The Straits Times Life! Theatre

Awards, respectively.

He has participated in several writers’ festivals including the inaugural Singapore

Literature Festival in New York (2014), the New Delhi World Book Fair (2015), the

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (2015) and the Hong Kong Literary Festival (2015).

Haresh is the first non-American to be awarded the prestigious Goldberg Master

Playwright by New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts in 2011. In 2014, he was

conferred the Southeast Asian Writers (or S.E.A. Write) Award (Singapore), which

recognises and honours literary excellence in the ASEAN region.

aiDli ‘aliN’ mosbitTRANSLATOR

Aidli Mosbit graduated with a degree in Drama from Queensland University of

Technology. Aidli writes, directs, acts, teaches and has produced arts education

programmes. Together with Noor Effendy Ibrahim and Alfian Sa’at, Aidli published an

anthology of Malay plays in the book, BISIK. Aidli is the Founder/Director of Panggung

ARTS and she was the recipient of the Young Artist Award for Theatre in 2008. Aidli

is currently working in Temasek Polytechnic as the Section Head of the Arts Division

while pursuing her Master of Education.

9

10

baNi HayKalSOUND ARTIST

Bani Haykal experiments with text + music.

His work stretches across several disciplines including installation, performance and

theatre. He investigates the cultural, social, political and economic complexities of

music, particularly to strategies employed during the Cold War. As a soloist, he works

primarily with acoustic instruments, both traditional and/or hacked and various

analogue configurations. He is a member of B-Quartet and Soundpainting ensemble

Erik Satay & The Kampong Arkestra.

lim WoaN WeNLIGHTING DESIGNER

A graduate of the National University of Singapore’s Theatre Studies programme,

Woan Wen received the inaugural National Arts Council Arts Professional Scholarship

in 2001 and went on to train in stage lighting design at The Hong Kong Academy for

Performing Arts. She has won multiple Best Lighting Design awards at The Straits

Times Life! Theatre Awards and was conferred the Young Artist Award in 2011 by the

National Arts Council.

WoNg cHee WaiSET DESIGNER

Wong Chee Wai is a full-time freelance set designer. He has designed and worked

with various performing arts companies in Singapore.

Some of his recent works include Michael Chiang & Dick Lee’s Beauty World (2015),

Pangdemonium’s Tribes (2015), W!ld Rice’s Hotel (2015), Monkey Goes West (2015),

Public Enemy (2015) and The House of Bernarda Alba (2014).

proDuctioN creDits

Playwright Haresh sharma

Directoralvin tan

Translatoraidli ‘alin’ mosbit

Performersiti Khalijah Zainal

Sound Artistbani Haykal

11

Rosnah rehearsal

Lighting Designerlim Woan Wen

Set DesignerWong chee Wai

Production Stage Managerlee Xin ci Keira

Assistant Stage Managerazyyati binte alias

SurtitlistNawwarah Hanis binte mohamad ghazali

12

about tHe Necessary stage

Formed in 1987 by its current Artistic Director Alvin Tan, The Necessary Stage (TNS) is

a non-profit theatre company with charity status. Its mission is to create challenging,

indigenous and innovative theatre that touches the heart and mind. TNS is a recipient

of the National Arts Council’s Major Grant FY2014-FY2016, and is also the organiser

of the annual M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. It also has the honour of being the only

arts company in Singapore helmed by two Cultural Medallion recipients: Artistic

Director Alvin Tan and Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma.

2016 sees TNS celebrating its 29th anniversary. Having presented more than 100

original plays in Singapore and abroad, it remains focused on breaking new ground in

original local content and intercultural exploration. For its main season, it produces an

average of two plays a year at its black box and other venues. The plays are original,

mostly devised pieces created in a collaborative process that is based on research,

improvisation before scripting, and input from all members of the production. It is

also committed to international exchange and networking between Singapore and

other countries through the staging of the company’s plays abroad, and inviting

foreign works to be presented by the company in Singapore, through dialogues,

workshops and training opportunities as well as creative collaborations leading to

intercultural and interdisciplinary productions.

TNS has also curated and presented the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival from 2005–

2014. While it continues to be the organisers of the festival, as part of its new strategy

to refresh the direction of the Festival, it began a rotating Artistic Directorship, with a

new Artistic Director from the Singapore arts scene being appointed on a three-year

basis to helm the curating of the Festival. TNS has also been unwavering in its efforts

to nurture new talents and local content, through platforms such as the Theatre for

Youth Ensemble, Playwright’s Cove, commissions at the Fringe Festival, Theatre

for Seniors, and most recently, The Orange Playground (TOP). TOP is TNS’ newest

initiative in creative research and development, providing artists with an exploratory

environment where risks can be freely taken within and with the creative process.

For more information, visit www.necessary.org

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meseJ perayaaN

Selamat datang ke edisi ke-15 Pesta Raya, sebuah pesta tahunan hiburan dan kesenian

Melayu anjuran Esplanade! Apabila kami mula membuat perancangan untuk pesta ini,

kami mengimbas kembali pengalaman kami semasa kami berusia 15 tahun. Usia itu

adalah suatu masa di mana kami menghabiskan banyak waktu untuk mengenali diri

dan mengorak langkah. Ia juga adalah sebuah masa kami memilih minat-minat tertentu

yang akan mencorak kehidupan kami. Dari pengalaman saya, saya dan teman-teman

gemar bernyanyi bersama dengan sekuat-kuatnya apabila lagu-lagu kegemaran kami

dari kumpulan ‘boyband’ atau ‘girlband’ berkumandang di radio. Apabila Hari Raya

menjelang tiba, kami akan merancangkan acara untuk konsert di sekolah dan gigih

berlatih tarian Melayu untuk dipersembahkan. Di rumah pula, (saya pasti bukan saya

seorang sahaja!) saya akan menari semula langkah-langkah tarian daripada muzik

video semasa mengemas rumah. 20 tahun kemudian, lagu-lagu daripada artis-artis

semasa saya berusia 15 tahun masih kekal dalam ingatan sehingga ke hari ini.

Jadi, untuk edisi ke-15 ini, kami ingin membentangkan persembahan-persembahan

Melayu, mempamerkan pelbagai jenis kesenian dan juga personaliti-personaliti yang

bukan sahaja telah mempengaruhi generasi pada masa itu, malah mempunyai daya

tarikan dan telah meninggalkan kesan kepada generasi yang mendatang. Kami memberi

penghormatan kepada warisan muzik S. Atan, meraikan ulang tahun ke-25 perjalanan

seni ikon pop, KRU dengan sebuah konsert jelajah di Singapura, mempersembahkan

semula sebuah teater ‘Rosnah’ dari The Necessary Stage yang buat pertama kalinya

dipentaskan dalam bahasa Melayu dan mempersembahkan bintang yang semakin

menyinar untuk generasi baru ini, Sufi Rashid. Untuk mengongsi kekayaan dan evolusi

budaya Melayu ini, kami juga mempamerkan pelbagai jenis kesenian Melayu seperti

dikir barat, di mana terlahirnya ramai personaliti-personaliti ikonik dan juga pop yeh

yeh, sebuah genre muzik yang unik kepada budaya Melayu. Untuk yang muda dan

mereka yang berhati muda, mereka boleh menyaksikan persembahan tarian, hip hop,

R&B, sesi bercerita dan juga sebuah persembahan kolaborasi antara artis-artis dari

Jepun, Indonesia dan Singapura!

Dengan perjumpaan yang merangkumi pelbagai generasi ini, kami berharap pesta ini

akan dapat memberikan anda peluang untuk meneroka budaya, tradisi dan khazanah

masyarakat Melayu di Singapura dan juga supaya ia dapat mendekatkan diri anda

kepada persembahan-persembahan ikonik dan personaliti-personaliti yang telah

membentuk dunia seni dan hiburan di Nusantara ini. Pada masa yang sama, anda

mungkin dapat membayangkan bagaimana dunia kesenian dan hiburan pada masa

hadapan. Seorang mentor pernah berkata kepada saya yang setiap generasi akan

menciptakan tradisi mereka tersendiri dan pada tahun ini kami berharap anda dapat

mengalaminya sendiri di pesta ini.

Hanie Nadia HamzahLead Programmer Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts

14

Rosnah 2016. Saya akan bertemu dengan kawan lama

saya. Dia kini lebih dewasa dan seorang wanita yang

mendahului zamannya.

Terima kasih diucapkan kepada Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit,

pelakon pertama yang memainkan watak Rosnah

dan setelah dua kali menjalani proses penterjemahan,

kini Rosnah lebih intim kerana ianya dipersembahkan

dalam bahasa ibunda.

Rosnah adalah di antara pementasan monolog yang

dekat di hati TNS. Walaupun ia telah dipentaskan

berkali-kali, namun setiap daripadanya berbeza,

Rosnah tetap relevan. Rasanya pelik kerana setiap kali ia dipentaskan, ia sejajar

dengan proses pembangunan yang dilalui Singapura dan kumpulan kreatif kini pula

lebih matang.

Pada pertama kali ia dipersembahkan, Rosnah begitu mentah tapi berani. Di ruang

legar perpustakan daerah Tampines, protagonis berkeliling penonton sambil

mencerita kisah hidupnya. Sebuah kolaborasi antarabangsa telah diberikan kami

semasa kami sedang memulakan bengkel bersama saya, Aidli Mosbit dan Haresh

Sharma. Alin telah menyimpan sebuah jurnal tentang penggembaraan pertamanya

di UK. Kami berpendapat yang isi kandungan yang menceritakan pengalamannya

begitu berharga dan kami tidak ingin mensia-siakannya walaupun projek ini terhenti

di tengah jalan. Haresh kemudian mengambil ijazah lanjutan dalam bidang penulisan

drama dan setahun kemudian saya pula membuat yang sama. Ketika itu kami beada

di Birmingham. Rosnah tercipta daripada perasaan berjauhan dari tanahair dan nota-

nota yang telah dicatat oleh Alin.

Semasa pemergian saya, Rosnah dipentaskan di Substation dan setnya telah direka

oleh Kok Heng Leun. Alin menerajui watak tersebut dan dia harus menceritakan kembali

pengalamannya yang kemudian ianya dijadikan sebagai sebuah struktur naratif.

Apabila saya kembali dari pengajian saya, kami melakarkan versi ‘postmodern’ dan

minimalis dan ianya kemudian dipentaskan di Melbourne. Beberapa tahun kemudian,

apabila Siti Khalijah Zainal mula bertapak di dunia seni, saya memperkenalkannya

kepada Alin. Alin kemudian mengarah Siti dalam Rosnah pada tahun 2006 untuk M1 Singapore Fringe Festival bertempat di Drama Centre Black Box.

meseJ Dari peNgaraH

15

Beberapa tahun kemudian, Siti menyatakan niatnya untuk memainkan watak Rosnah

sekali lagi. Dia merasakan yang dirinya dan juga sebagai seorang pelakon sudah

matang dan ingin sesuatu yang lebih mencabar. Saya memegang niatnya itu sekiranya

ada ruang terbuka di kalendar artistik kami. Tanpa disangka, Esplanade telah bertemu

dengan saya dan mereka berhasrat untuk mementaskan kembali Rosnah dalam

Bahasa Melayu. Saya tidak ingin untuk melepaskan peluang ini dan terus memberitahu

Siti. Tapi, siapakah yang akan menterjemahkannya? Sudah tentu Alin! Haresh pula

mengkaji semula versi-versi naskah Rosnah yang ada. Yang mana satukah harus kami

pentaskan? Dia kemudian membuat keputusan untuk menukar struktur jalan cerita

Rosnah yang membesar dan belajar di luar negara pada zaman 90an. Dengan versi

baru ini, terhasilnya sebuah struktur cerita yang kini akan dipentaskan dalam Bahasa

Melayu. Isi kandungannya tidak banyak berubah tetapi perspektif yang berbilang

lapisan akan ditonjolkan dalam pementasan kali ini.

Kami amat bersyukur sekali kerana dikurniakan dengan tenaga kerja yang amat

berwibawa di dalam bidang pengkhususan mereka. Mereka terdiri daripada Bani

Haykal, Lim Woan Wen dan Wong Chee Wai, yang telah mencipta sebuah suasana

yang begitu kreatif untuk kami berkarya dan menceritakan semula naskah Rosnah ini.

Inilah yang akan terjadi dalam kehidupan dan ianya sama untuk seni, Apabila ia adalah

prosesual, pengkaryaan akan sentiasa berada di dalam keadaaan berubah-ubah. Bila

di dalam persinggahan, mungkin ramai yang tidak selesa olehkerana orang Singapura

sudah biasa dengan kestabilan. Tapi kejayaan dapat diraih jika kita mempunyai sikap

terbuka terhadap perubahan, keluar dari ruang keselesaan dan mengenal semula

seperti pertama kali mengenalinya.

alvin tan

16

meseJ Dari aiDli mosbit

Pada tahun 1994, saya telah melakarkan jalan cerita Rosnah bersama Alvin dan

Haresh, dan ketika itu cuacanya adalah musim sejuk. Ketika itu juga, saya berumur

21 tahun dan sebagai seorang wanita yang membuat persembahan secara

solo adalah suatu pencapaian yang membanggakan! Saya pernah membuat

persembahan Rosnah ini di Perpustakaan Daerah Tampines (1995), Guinness

Theatre of Substation (1996) dan di Melbourne untuk Austral-Asian Drama

Conference (1997). Pada tahun 2006, saya mengarah naskah Rosnah untuk M1

Singapore Fringe Festival bersama pelakon muda, Siti Khalijah Zainal yang

memainkan watak tersebut.

Selepas 22 tahun mengimpi-impikan watak yang bernama Rosnah, tahun ini

saya diberi peluang sekali lagi untuk bekerjasama dengan rakan-rakan usaha

sama kegemaran saya dan menterjemahkan naskah ini dalam Bahasa Melayu.

Yang menariknya, setelah 22 tahun, kata-kata yang diungkapkan oleh Rosnah

kini lebih relevan dan sesuai untuk mereka yang sering menanyakan persoalan

tentang ‘mobility vs rootedness’ sementara menjalani kehidupan sebagai seorang

rakyat global. Di manakah rumah kita sebenarnya? Sementara kita menjelajah

dunia, adakah bagasi dan hati kita berasa berat? Saya amat gembira yang anda

akan dapat bertemu dengan Rosnah sekali lagi. Terima kasih Pesta Raya. Kepada

Alvin dan Haresh.. “poster mana, poster”… terima kasih kerana mengingati saya!

Dan kepada Siti, Begum kesayanganku dan kepada mereka yang menonton

pementasan ini .. selamat nikmatinya!

Aidli Mosbit sebagai Rosnah, persembahan di The Substation (1996)

Foto ihsan dari The Necessary Stage

17

siNopsis

Rosnah adalah seorang wanita muda Melayu-Islam yang

telah meninggalkan tanahairnya buat pertama kali untuk

menyambung pengajiannya di London. Semasa mengenali

persekitaran barunya, dia telah berkenalan dengan teman-

teman baru yang berbeza dengannya dari segi personaliti,

bangsa dan agama.

Dapatkah dia mengimbangi anggapan tradisi dan liberal

tanpa kehilangan identiti dirinya? Rosnah merupakan

antara naskah pertama dihasilkan karyaan penulis tetap

The Necessary Stage yang juga merupakan seorang

penerima Pingat Budaya, Haresh Sharma. Rosnah adalah

sebuah monodrama yang menceritakan perjalanan

seorang wanita muda Melayu-Islam yang menetap di

London, melalui susah senang kehidupan dari masa belia

sehingga dewasa dalam mencari jati dirinya.

Dipentaskan buat pertama kali pada tahun 1995 di

Perpustakaan Daerah Tampines dan kemudian sekali

lagi pada tahun 1996 di The Substation’s Guinness

Theatre, ia dibintangi Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit. Pada tahun 1997,

pementasan ini telah merantau ke Melbourne di mana ia

telah mendapat sambutan yang menggalakkan.

Pementasan ini dihidupkan semula pada tahun 2006 di

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival dibawah arahan Aidli dan

dilakonkan pula oleh pemenang Anugerah Artis Muda, Siti

Khalijah Zainal.

Kini, buat pertama kalinya, pementasan ini dilakonkan

dalam Bahasa Melayu, dan diterajui sekali lagi oleh Siti

Khalijah dibawah arahan penerima Pingat Budaya, Alvin

Tan, yang juga merupakan pengasas dan pengarah

artistik, The Necessary Stage.

18

perJalaNaN rosNaH

1995 – Dimulakan di glasgow

1995 – Dipentaskan di perpustakaan tampines

1996 – Dipentaskan di substation

1997 – Dipentaskan di melbourne

2006 – Dipentaskan semula untuk m1 fringe festivalDiarah oleh Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit dan Dilakonkan oleh Siti Khalijah Zainal

2016 – Diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa melayu dan dipentaskan untuk pesta rayaDilakonkan oleh Siti Khalijah Zainal

19

liriK lagu

lagu Kurang syaratby Bani Haykal

sanggup kau tunggukan aku

tanpa harapan tanpa bukti

selama badan aku

hanyut di celahan bibirmu

langsung kewujudan aku pupus

sanggup kau lupakan aku

buat sementara buat apa?

nyawa takde minda

hidup takde makna lagi

qiamat belom niat tunjuk diri

chorus

maafkanlah sayang

senikata hilang

impian terserempak malapetaka

lagu hanya hiasi

otak yang mati

khalayan aku mimpi seram kau

hidup, mati, ulang lagi

jangan ubah diri

hidup mati, ulang lagi

jangan ubah diri

verse

sanggup kau dendangkan

bukan ape bukan nak caci

aku memang terharu

walaupun suara kau tak merdu

dodoian lagu kurang syarat aku

sanggup kau layankan aku

takkan mesra takkan merana

bila aku terhempas

ke sempadan neraka dan negeri

silap jalan takot lupa diri

20

siti KHaliJaH ZaiNalPELAKON

Pada tahun 2003, Siti membuat penampilan pertamanya sebagai pelakon sepenuh

masa setelah beliau memasuki program Theatre for Youth Ensemble selama setahun

yang dikelolakan The Necessary Stage.

Sejak itu, beliau telah bekerjasama dengan berbagai kumpulan teater, di dalam dan di

luar negara. Beliau merasakan dirinya amat bertuah sekali.

Beliau telah memenangi Pelakon Wanita Terbaik The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards

untuk lakonannya di pementasan Model Citizens pada tahun 2011 dan pementasan

Off Centre pada tahun 2016. Beliau juga telah diiktiraf Anugerah Seniman Muda Majlis

Seni Kebangsaan pada tahun 2014.

alviN taNPENGARAH

Alvin merupakan pengasas dan pengarah artistik The Necessary Stage dan juga

penyokong utama dalam perancangan teater di Singapura. Beliau telah mengarah

sebanyak 70 naskah pementasan yang dipersembahkan di tanahair dan juga festival-

festival antarabangsa. Beliau telah dianugerahkan biasiswa Fullbright dan pada tahun

1998 dan diberi pengiktirafan Anugerah Seniman Muda untuk teater. Pada tahun

2010, Alvin telah dikurniakan Chevalier des Arts er des Lettres dari Kementerian

Kebudayaan Perancis untuk sumbangannya kepada bidang seni. Setahun kemudian,

beliau dianugerahkan Pengarah Terbaik pada tahun 2010 oleh The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards untuk pementasan Model Citizens oleh The Necessary Stage.

Alvin telah dijemput oleh Kementerian Pendidikan untuk melakarkan sukatan pelajaran

subjek drama peringkat ‘O’ untuk dilaksanakan di sekolah-sekolah. Pada tahun 2014,

Alvin telah dianugerahkan Pingat Kebudayaan untuk kecermelangan artistik dan

sumbangannya kepada lanskap seni dan budaya di Singapura. Kini, beliau adalah

pengarah artistik untuk Peer Pleasure, sebuah festival tahunan teater berorientasikan

belia di Singapura.

biografi

21

HaresH sHarmaPENULIS

Haresh merupakan seorang penulis tetap untuk The Necessary Stage sejak tahun

1990. Beliau telah diberikan Pingat Kebudayaan pada tahun 2015. Sehingga kini,

beliau telah menulis lebih 100 naskah yang telah dipentaskan di 20 buah negara.

Pementasannya, Off Centre telah dipilih oleh Kementerian Pendidikan sebagai teks

sastera untuk peringat ‘N’ dan ‘O’.

Haresh mempunyai 10 naskah pementasan yang telah dibukukan. Ianya termasuk

Trilogy, Shorts 1, Shorts 2 dan Don’t Forget to Remember Me. Karyanya telah

diterjemahkan kepada Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin, Greek dan Itali. Beliau dianugerahkan

Skrip Asli Terbaik untuk pementasan Fundamentally Happy, Good People dan Gemuk Girls di The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards pada tahun 2007, 2008 dan 2009.

Beliau juga telah menyertai beberapa festival penulisan termasuk Singapore Literature Festival di New York (2014), New Delhi World Book Fair (2015), Ubud Writer and Readers Festival (2015) dan Hong Kong Literary Festival (2015).

Haresh merupakan penulis pertama yang bukan rakyat Amerika untuk menerima

Goldberg Master Playwright oleh New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts pada

tahun 2011.

Pada tahun 2014, beliau diberi anugerah Southeast Asian Writers (atau S.E.A Write) yang meraikan kecemerlangan kesusasteraan di rantau Asia.

aiDli ‘aliN’ mosbitPENTERJEMAH

Aidli Mosbit mempunyai ijazah dalam jurusan drama daripada Univeristi Teknologi

Queensland. Aidli menulis, mengarah, berlakon, mengajar dan telah melakarkan

program pembelajaran seni. Bersama Noor Effendy Ibrahim dan Alfian Saat, mereka

telah menerbit himpunan naskah-naskah pementasan Melayu ke dalam sebuah buku

yang dinamakan BISIK. Aidli juga merupakan pengasas dan pengarah Panggung

ARTS dan seorang penerima Anugerah Seniman Muda untuk teater pada tahun 2008.

Aidli kini bekerja di Politeknik Temasek sebagai Ketua Seksyen di Bahagian Kesenian

sementara menjalani ijazah lanjutan dalam pendidikan.

22

baNi HayKalPEREKA BUNYI

Bani Haykal gemar bereksperimen dengan menggunakan teks dan muzik.

Karyanya bercabang kepada pelbagai disiplin termasuk seni arca, persembahan

dan teater. Beliau selidik kerumitan muzik dari aspek budaya, sosial, politik dan

ekonominya terutama sekali strategi-strategi yang digunakan semasa Perang Dingin.

Sebagai pemuzik solo, beliau selesa dengan alat muzik akustik tradisional atau yang

telah diubahsuaikan dan pelbagai rangkaian analog. Beliau merupakan pemuzik

B-Quartet dan kumpulan Soundpainting Erik Satay dan The Kamping Arkestra.

lim WoaN WeNPENATA CAHAYA

Beliau merupakan seorang siswazah dari Universiti Kebangsaan Singapura dalam

pengajian teater. Woan Wen menerima biasiswa National Arts Council pada tahun

2001 dan kemudian berlatih dalam rekaan pencahayaan di The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Beliau telah meraih beberapa anugerah dalam Pencahyaan

Terbaik di Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards dan telah menerima Anugerah Seniman

Muda Majlis Seni Kebangsaan pada tahun 2011.

WoNg cHee WaiPEREKA SET

Wong Chee Wai adalah seorang pereka set bebas sepenuh masa. Beliau telah mereka

dan bekerjasama dengan pelbagai kumpulan seni di Singapura.

Antara karyanya termasuk Michael Chiang & Dick Lee’s Beauty World (2015),

Pangdemonium’s Tribes (2015), W!ld Rice’s Hotel (2015), Monkey Goes West (2015),

Public Enemy (2015) dan The House of Bernarda Alba (2014).

23

seNarai proDuKsi

Penulis Haresh sharma

Pengarahalvin tan

Penterjemahaidli ‘alin’ mosbit

Pelakonsiti Khalijah Zainal

Pereka Bunyibani Haykal

Penata Cahayalim Woan Wen

Pereka SetWong chee Wai

Pengurus Pentaslee Xin ci Keira

Penolong Pengurus Pentasazyyati binte alias

Sari KataNawwarah Hanis binte mohamad ghazali

Sesi Latihan untuk Rosnah

24

teNtaNg tHe Necessary stage

Ditubuhkan pada tahun 1987 oleh pengarah artistik, Alvin Tan. The Necessary Stage

(TNS) merupakan sebuah kumpulan teater tanpa untung yang berstatus amal. Misi

kumpulan ini adalah untuk mencipta sebuah kumpulan teater yang mencabar, asli,

memberi pembaharuan yang dapat menyentuh hati dan minda. TNS merupakan

penerima National Arts Council’s Major Grant FY2014-FY2016, dan penganjur acara

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. Ia juga adalah satu-satunya kumpulan seni di Singapura

yang mempunyai dua penerima Pingat Kebudayaan iaitu Pengarah Artistik, Alvin Tan

dan Penulis Tetap Haresh Sharma.

Tahun ini, TNS menyambut ulang tahunnya yang ke-25. Lebih 100 naskah asli telah

dipentaskan di Singapura dan di luar negara. Fokus kumpulan ini tetap sama iaitu

memberikan kelainan dalam isi kandungan dan penerokaan antara budaya. Untuk

musim utamanya, TNS menerbitkan 2 persembahan setiap tahun di black box dan

juga lokasi yang lain. Naskah-naskahnya adalah asli yang dicipta menerusi proses

usaha sama yang berdasarkan kajian, improvisasi sebelum ditulis dan input dari ahli-

ahli produksi. TNS juga komited kepada penukaran dan perangkaian antarabangsa

antara Singapura dan negara-negara lain. Ini dapat dijalankan menerusi pementasan

naskah kumpulan ini ke luar negara dan menjemput naskah luar untuk dipentaskan

oleh TNS di Singapura melalui sesi dialog, bengkel-bengkel, peluang latihan dan

juga usaha sama kreatif. Usaha ini akan dapat menjadikan TNS sebuah produksi yang

antara budaya dan disiplin.

Dari tahun 2005 hingga 2014, TNS juga telah diberi kepercayaan untuk menganjur

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival. Untuk memberi kesegaran pada festival itu, TNS telah

memulakan ‘Artistic Directorship’ dengan melantik seorang pengarah artistik baru dari

pesada seni Singapura. Beliau akan diberi kepercayaan untuk mengurus festival itu

selama 3 tahun. TNS juga telah memberi sokongan dan galakan dengan membimbing

bakat-bakat baru dan menyelia isi kandungan tempatan menerusi wadah-wadah

seperti Theatre for Youth Ensemble, Playwright’s Cove, Theatre for Seniors dan baru-

baru ini The Orange Playground (TOP). TOP adalah usaha terbaru TNS dalam kajian

kreatif, pembangunan dan memberi ruang bebas kepada seniman-seniman untuk

berkarya dalam sebuah suasana yang kreatif yang tidak terhad.

Untuk keterangan lanjut, sila lungsuri www.necessarystage.com

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