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Everything for you
28:36
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Fatih – The Prince & The Drum
01:41:41
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Jangan Tanya, Jangan Canang
11:14
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Kampong
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The Seen and Unseen
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Premieres 10 Oct 2025, 12pm
Available online until 31 Mar 2026, 11.59pm
Gnarly family trees have been the bedrock of theatre, going all the way back to the ancient Greek and Hindu epics.
Ill-starred Oedipus killing his father, marrying his mother, and spawning Antigone, a daughter marked by her unswerving loyalty to her deceased brother, gave rise to a host of tragedies on themes such as civil disobedience and the limits of free will. A continent away, the warring groups of cousins in the Mahabharata and Rama’s love-hate relationships with wife and kin in the Ramayana have sparked performances, films and literature across South and Southeast Asia.
Loving, dysfunctional or somewhere in between, families have long been a source of fascination across cultures. Perhaps it is because we as audiences are also products of families, knowing well the feelings of closeness and estrangement these blood ties give rise to.
From short films to archival recordings of plays and musical theatre productions, the works in this Family Ties collection revolve around familial relationships. The creators of these works also come from prominent artistic families across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In collaboration with Singapore’s NADI Singapura, acclaimed Indonesian film- and performance-maker Garin Nugroho directed Fatih – The Prince & The Drum (2019) a coming-of-age tale of a seafaring prince anchored by his parents’ love for him. Garin’s daughter, noted filmmaker Kamila Andini, is behind The Seen and Unseen, a film that became a work of live performance in 2019, about a pair of twins and the Balinese philosophy of duality that undergirds the universe.
Partners in life and art, Singapore playwright-director Nelson Chia and actress Mia Chee are key players in Everything for You (2024), Nine Years Theatre’s heartwarming ensemble drama about the ties and bonds that keep a family together amidst adversity.
Two short films by prominent Malaysian creatives with sterling artistic lineages round off this collection. Singer-turned-filmmaker Yusry Abdul Halim, an alumnus of Malaysia’s boy band KRU which he formed with his two brothers, directed Kampong (2023), a study of an ageing father. Actress and filmmaker Sharifah Amani, who comes from a well-known family of thespians, is the director of Jangan Tanya, Jangan Canang (2023), about a young couple on the brink of marriage, surrounded by their extended families. It completes a series of riffs and ruminations on lives shaped by our closest domestic relationships.
Texts by Clarissa Oon, Parvathi Ramanathan and Woo Yu Ning
An Esplanade Commission
By Nine Years Theatre (Singapore)
Written and directed by Nelson Chia (Singapore)
In Mandarin with English subtitles
Secrets that bind a family. Relationships among women, including sisters. Putting it all on stage through a “very unique Singaporean kind of Mandarin, peppered with English”, Chinese dialects and influences from other cultures. These were some of playwright Nelson Chia’s concerns which shaped Everything for You 《只在乎你》, commissioned for Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts in 2024. This excerpt of the archival recording of the play is part of the Family Ties collection.
The sequel to Between You and Me 《你我之间》, staged at the festival two years before, Everything for You revolves around a family of three sisters gathering to celebrate Chinese New Year. Despite the initial amicable atmosphere of a reunion, disagreements slowly start to surface. Each of the sisters gradually reveals personal decisions she has made, amidst swirling doubts and questions from other family members.
Oldest sister Shi Qi (Jean Ng) is dating the owner of a funeral parlour, of whom her son seemingly disapproves. Second sister Shi Lin (Sharon Au) is a veteran stage actor, whose bubbly and vivacious demeanour hides the uneasy reality of a mid-life crisis. Youngest sister Shi Jie (Mia Chee) unexpectedly returns from Australia alone without her partner, revealing a shocking piece of news which sends the family reeling.
Everything for You brings to audiences a family who learns to gradually evolve along with the world around them. Earnest and light-hearted, this play is endearing with quotidian concerns, relatable sibling dynamics, and a family committed to navigating all of life’s troubles together.
Find out more about Nine Years Theatre here.
Playwright / Director: Nelson Chia
Cast
Jean Ng
Sharon Au
Mia Chee
Rayson Tan
Johnny Ng
Liow Shi Suen
Wendi Wee Hian
Mitchell Fang
Jayden Lim Jun De
Farah Ong
David Puvan
Producer: Mia Chee
Set Designer: Wong Chee Wai
Lighting Designer: Genevieve Peck
Sound Designer: Vick Low
Costume Designer: Tan Jia Hui
Production Hair: Ashley Lim
Production Makeup: The Make-Up Room, Andy Lim (for Sharon Au)
Production Manager: Cindy Yeong
Technical Manager: Huang Xiangbin
Stage Manager: Keira Lee
Assistant Stage Managers: Justina Khoo, Chong Wee Nee
Surtitle Translator & Operator: Quek Yee Kiat
Props Master: Loo An Ni
Wardrobe Manager: Lim Zhiying
Sound Operator: Raymond Goei
Radio Frequency Operator: Jean Yap
Lighting Programmer: Tan Yi Kai
Stage Crew: Zamier A Bakar
Key Visual: Ryan Loi
Title Calligraphy: Kimie Nagai
Key Visual Makeup: Tinoq Russell Goh (for Jean Ng, Sharon Au & Mia Chee), The Make-Up Room (for Rayson Tan, Johnny Ng, Liow Shi Suen, Wendi Wee Hian, Mitchell Fang, Jayden Lim Jun De, Farah Ong & David Puvan)
Key Visual Hair: Dylan Chan (for Jean Ng, Sharon Au & Mia Chee), Ashley Lim (for Rayson Tan, Johnny Ng, Liow Shi Suen, Wendi Wee Hian, Mitchell Fang, Jayden Lim Jun De, Farah Ong & David Puvan)
An Esplanade Commission
By NADI Singapura (Singapore)
In Malay with English subtitles
“It must be noted that the sound of a drum is the most important ancient voice of the world after the human voice, that is used in various life sounds,” director Garin Nugroho wrote in his programme notes. Fatih – The Prince & the Drum is a percussion-based musical fuelled by over 100 Malay drums of all shapes and sizes, fused with other traditional Malay art forms such as storytelling, martial arts, dance, music, theatre and pantun (an oral poetic form).
The first large-scale commission by Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts in 2019, Fatih tells the story of its titular prince whose journey of self-discovery takes him far from his kingdom of Sritanmira. The prince, Fatih (played by Nizar Fauzie), makes new friends and enemies, uncovering secrets of a forgotten past and discovering a lot more about himself in the process. The full recording of the production is now available to watch.
The Esplanade Theatre transforms into a mythical landscape with three different factions of characters: the dignified Sritanmira kingdom, the peaceful Maialena village, and Tohmah, the antagonistic band of pirates. Their incantatory rhythms evoke violence, heartbreak, passion and every other emotion in between.
After the birth of Fatih, Sritanmira faces its first major crisis where Angker (Rizman Putra), the famed army general, turns on his royal subjects, Raja Menntika (Norisham Osman) and Dewi Thia (Tutut Tuty). Growing up with the knowledge of Angker’s betrayal, Fatih is attacked by Angker and his followers, the Tohmah, while on a voyage to broaden his horizons. Struck with amnesia, our hero is swept away to Maialena, where he learns the time-honoured values of love, sacrifice and goodness in ruling a kingdom.
Director: Garin Nugroho
Music Director, Assistant Director and Original Story: Riduan Zalani
Assistant Director: Jamaluddin Latif
Playwright: Zulfadli Rashid
Choreographer: Tutut Tuty
Choreographer (Nan Jombang Dance Company): Ery Mefri
Set Designer: Wong Chee Wai
Lighting Designer: Yo Shao Ann
Projection Designer: Wulang Sunu
Costume Designer: Tube Gallery by Phisit & Saxit
Co-Founder / Managing Director of NADI Singapura: Mohd Yaziz Mohd Hassan
Co-Founder / Artistic Director of NADI Singapura: Riduan Zalani
Company Manager of NADI Singapura and Translator: Hamizah Binte Abdul Hamid
Company Secretary of NADI Singapura: Nizar Fauzie Norlie
Logistics Manger of NADI Singapura: Saidrudy Mohamed Buang
Producer: Hanie Nadia Hamzah (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
Production Manager: Azy Alias
Technical Manager: Hatta Sulaiman
Stage Manager: Carolene Liew (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
Assistant Stage Manager: Khairina Khalid
Sound Engineer: Eddie Amin
Wardrobe Manager: Badarudin Hassan
Wardrobe Assistants: Artistari Gentari Wardrobe Team
Make-up: HTWR Artistic Team
Crew Manager: Muhammad Hasyir Bin Mohamed Amin
Performers
Riduan Zalani
Norisham Osman
Tutut Tuty
Riba Nizar Fauzie
Angga Mefri
Azreen Sopri
Khoiriyyatun Sabila
Ridwan Ramli
Fareed Sallim
Rizman Putra
Zulfadhli Othman
Rudi Salim @ huggybear
Fadhli Ramlee
Izzathy Halil
Saidrudy Mohamed Buang
Mohd Yaziz Mohd Hassan
Muhammad Amiirul Fatris
Rosemainy
Jamaluddin Latif
Ensemble – NADI Singapura
Abdul Syafiq Abdul Rahman
Ahmad Rabbani Bin Zainol Abidin
Ainul ‘Aqilah Borhan Nurdin
Danial Zulqarnain Putra Bin Hashim
Firdaus Shah
Hanisah Tan
Jumali Ismail
Khairil Shazwan Bin Surani
Muhammad Azfar Syafiq
Muhammad Hamqah
Nasrulhaq Kamsani
Nazri Johar
Nazrul Fathmi
Noorizam Zulkarnain
Noraini Abas
Nurul Ain Yusoff
Ridzman Salleh
Sarina Sahar
Ensemble – Nan Jombang Dance Company
Rio Mefri
Ririn Mefri
Gitra Miranda
Hadi Gustian
Afri Nalis
Guest Musicians
Assorted Flutes: Al Hafiz Jamat
Gambus & Violin: Ismahairie Putra Ishak
Bass Guitar: Din Safari
Guitar: Azrin Abdullah
Accordion & Keyboard: Aidil Akmal
Crew
Muhamad Yazid Bin Jumaat
Muhammad Syaziq Bin Abdullah
Sahrin Shah Bin Abdul Rahim
Shamirul Aizan Bin Mohd Sam
Siti Nursyarfa Binte Shahiran
Muhammad Irfan Bin Haslin
An Esplanade Commission
By Sharifah Amani (Malaysia)
In Malay with English subtitles
Jangan Tanya, Jangan Canang (Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell) features Aisyah and Aman, a couple who stand on the precipice of marriage. In a dramatically dragged-out moment, Aisyah pauses to reconsider this significant decision, amidst the backdrop of worried parents eager to conform to tradition, and the quiet younger generation taking it all in with a detached eye.
The short film hooks you in from the very beginning, as the quotidian is heightened to incite an air of suspense. Taking audiences through relatable Asian intergenerational dynamics, the film adroitly moves from its inner conflict to connect it with the audience’s, inviting your answer.
Directed by Sharifah Amani, a filmmaker with a keen heart to utilise film as a vehicle for social change, Jangan Tanya, Jangan Canang touches on the layered issue that is societal expectations of women’s roles and responsibilities. Sharifah Amani is passionate about supporting youths in their own artistic pursuits as well, leaving behind a more supportive and sustaining industry which extends beyond an individual’s legacy.
Director / Storyteller: Sharifah Amani
Cast
Fatimah Abu Bakar
Melisa Saila
Sharifah Aleya
Mia Sabrina
Ali Alasri
Fahad Iman
Sobri Anuar
Fish Fadzil
Danish Hazriq
Aza Ameena
Asha Ameena
An Esplanade Commission
By Yusry Abd Halim (Malaysia)
In Malay with English subtitles
Kampong opens in stark black-and-white relief, framing its main protagonist, Tuah, lingering in the past. Tuah fills his purgatorial time with writing letters to his son, Budi, playing the violin and gramophone records with no one around to listen with him. All of it underscores his acute loneliness, against the grand scheme of major societal upheaval and progress.
Directed by Yusry Abd Halim, a well-known Malaysian filmmaker with various blockbusters under his belt, this film cleverly plays with the absence and presence of colour and builds up striking imagery. Aziz M. Osman delivers a deeply empathetic portrayal of Tuah, bringing audiences into his character’s inner space with every imperceptible expression and movement.
An Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay & Asia TOPA: Asia-Pacific Triennial of Performing Arts Co-Commission
By Kamila Andini (Indonesia)
Choreographed by Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani (Indonesia)
Performed by Komunitas Bumi Bajra (Indonesia)
Produced by Performing Lines in collaboration with Fourcolours Films, Komunitas Bumi Bajra, Fraught Outfit, Komunitas Salihara. Supported by the Sidney Myer Fund, the Playking Foundation, and by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Department of Communication and the Arts with advice from the Australia Singapore Group.
Based on the film Sekala Niskala (The Seen and Unseen) by Kamila Andini
A magical surrealist play of sounds and movements unfolds on stage in this full archival recording of Kamila Andini’s The Seen and Unseen. Spirit worlds and animal creatures accompany this tale of the magic of birth and the grief of death. However, these experiences are not perceived with a sense of absolute good and bad. The Balinese philosophy of duality or Rwa Bhinneda that is deemed integral for the balance of the universe—ups-downs, sweet-bitter, sekala-niskala (seen-unseen)—guides the performance. Each is complementary and a continuity of the other. How does this continuity manifest in this story of a set of twins? We encounter this mythical tale as part of Esplanade’s Family Ties collection of archival videos.
The depth of this philosophy is incredibly visible in the somatic movements and expressions of the child performers from the Komunitas Bumi Bajra. The children that perform the role of the buncing (twins) and four siblings of yeh nyom (amniotic fluid), getih (blood), lamas (vernix) and ari-ari (placenta) later take on the form of a brood of cackling chicks, and at another moment create the mysterious magical atmosphere of a pond and its creatures of the night. Their eye movements, facial expressions and individual as well as collective sounds display profoundly advanced performance skills that bring an ethereal quality to the stage.
The Seen and Unseen is a collaboration across Indonesian, Japanese and Australian artists engaging with Balinese philosophical and performance styles. The staged performance is based on a previous cinematic rendition of the same story by the filmmaker Kamila Andini. In making this foray into theatre and performance, Kamila and her collaborators reveal a meditation on the workings of the stage and an understanding of the audience’s bird’s eye view that the film camera is otherwise able to more easily manipulate.
In playing with lighting design, scenography, choreography and spatial aspects of the proscenium, the performance The Seen and Unseen gradually reveals elements that may have passed unnoticed by the audience, but had been present on stage. And so, it hints at another expression of the philosophical perspective of duality of the universe!
Director: Kamila Andini
Choreographer: Ida Ayu Wayan Arya Satyani
Assistant Choreographers: Ida Ayu Wayan Prihandari, Ida Made Adnya Gentorang
Composer: Yasuhiro Morinaga
Designer: Eugyeene The
Lighting Designer: Jenny Hector
Dramaturg: Adena Jacobs
Performers
Komunitas Bumi Bajra:
Ida Ayu Wayan Prihandari
I Gusti Ayu Laksmiyani
Ni Kadek Thaly Kasih
Ni Kadek Dwipayani
Ni Komang Trisnadewi
Ida Bagus Putu Radithya Mahijsena
I Made Manipuspaka
I Wayan Amrita Dharma Darsanam
Production Manager: Ching Lee
Sound Engineer: Yosef Herman Susilo
Producer: Annette Vieusseux (Performing Lines)
Co-Producer: Ifa Isfansyah (Fourcolours Films)
Cultural Consultant: Jala Adolphus
Connect with luminaries and compelling stories from Singapore and the region’s performing arts history through Esplanade's first extensive release from its rich archives and those of longstanding artistic collaborators. Experience over 30 full recordings, films and excerpts of performances, across nine thematic collections. Available on Esplanade Offstage from 10 Jul 2025 to 31 Mar 2026. Find out more.
If you’ve enjoyed Replay – Screenings from the Esplanade Archives, help us do more. With as little as one dollar, you can support Esplanade’s mission to make the arts accessible to everyone through original content and gems from our archives, freely available online. As a charity and not-for-profit organisation, every contribution helps keep the arts alive and within reach for all.
Support usContributed by:
Clarissa Oon is Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s Head of Digital & Content (Marketing) as well as an arts writer and former journalist.
Parvathi Ramanathan is a dancer, researcher and writer who has early morning affairs with poetry. She has a foundation in classical Indian dance forms bharatanatyam and odissi and is a certified Dance Movement Therapy Facilitator. In her artistic practice, she engages with the body as a repository of layered identities, immersed in collective political conundrums and affective states. Parvathi holds an MPhil in Theatre and Performance Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Currently based in Berlin, she writes for various dance publications including Tanzschreiber and is a columnist at Tanzraumberlin. She is the co-editor of the journal Indent: the Body and the Performative and designs the Indent Lab.
Woo Yu Ning is an English Literature major at Nanyang Technological University. When she’s not tackling her never-ending reading list, she can be found biking through Singapore.
