Esplanade Presents

Theatre

Potong

An Esplanade Commission
Teater Ekamatra (Singapore)
Written by Johnny Jon Jon and directed by Mohd Fared Jainal

18 – 21 May 2023

View dates and time

1hr 30mins

(Intermission: None)

Esplanade Theatre Studio

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Synopsis

Adam is sent away by his mother, Siti, to undergo the rite of passage of every Singaporean son: National Service. Except, he was born in Australia and has no sense of what Singapore means to him. His return is further complicated by Siti's overzealous need for him to rekindle the ties she severed a long time ago—and experience the quintessential rite of passage of every Singaporean Malay-Muslim son: circumcision.

 

Aided by an uncle and grandmother who are not quite what they seem and an out of sorts ‘maker of men’ doctor, Adam journeys to be a man.   

 

Potong is a theatrical journey that weaves together a rich tapestry of characters and intertwining experiences to unravel the intricate web of self-definition and the role of memories in shaping it. Liberally punctuated with both humour and pain, the play invites you to navigate the complexities around family, humanity, and love.   

 

Written by Johnny Jon Jon and directed by Mohd Fared Jainal, Potong was first presented as part of Teater Ekamatra’s 2018 main season offering, a company recognised for its honest, tender, and sensitive approach to thorny issues. This iteration stars actress Farah Ong in her original role, alongside performers Aisyah Aziz, Irsyad Dawood, and Jada.

Advisory:

Advisory 16: Mature themes and coarse language.

Admission Age:
16 and above.
Language: English, Malay
Surtitle Language: English
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Artist Information

Teater Ekamatra

Teater Ekamatra is an established and exciting Singaporean arts company that spotlights artists of diverse ethnicities. We are living out our vision of being at the heart of theatre, by staging daring works that address socio-political issues. 

 

Teater Ekamatra has been commissioned by notable international arts festivals and has also won numerous accolades, especially at Singapore’s highest platform for excellence in theatre, the Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards, where our trophies have included Best Original Script several times. 

 

Guided by our values of diversity, inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and people-centredness, Teater Ekamatra is committed to our mission of creating engaging art that inspires, as well as incubating emerging talents, and expanding diversity within the industry. 

Aisyah Aziz

Recognised for her sultry, sensual vocals as a singer-songwriter, Aisyah Aziz is well-known for her ability to switch from full to head voice and being able to tackle a dynamic range of music genres. She has collaborated with many other established artists including Charlie Lim, ShiGGa Shay and Malaysia’s Lil J. Aisyah has also been commissioned by FASE and NDP for songwriting.  

 

Aisyah first made her theatrical debut in the award-winning musical, Bangsawan Gemala Malam by Teater Ekamatra commissioned by Singapore International Festival of the Arts 2022. This year, Aisyah Aziz returns for her second stage appearance as Dr Dini in Potong. 

Farah Ong

Farah Ong is an independent artist-an actor, performance artist, voiceover artist, children’s theatre director and a teaching artist.

 

Farah is most alive when performing. She finds the human connection pleasurable when teaching. She tries to understand pain when creating performances. She makes art, sometimes in the most unconventional medium and forms.

 

When not in the realm of making art, she is just a regular human being who wants what most people want - Something to Do, Someone to Love and Some Causes to Look Forward to.

 

She believes that no matter how old we get or how jaded we’ve become - if we look at this world through the eyes of a child, there will be magic in everything.

 

Farah is always a child at heart.

Irsyad Dawood

Irsyad Dawood is a performer/theatre-maker, amongst other things. His practice centers around various forms of performance including, but not limited to, acting, puppetry, and performance art. His recent performance credits include T0701 (Zeugma), Bangsawan Gemala Malam (Teater Ekamatra) and Pandancemic (Singapore Art Museum).

 

He dedicates every work to his mother and late father whom he loves dearly. 

Jada

Jada, a graduate of NAFA's Diploma in Dance, has been performing since the tender age of 16 years old, both locally and internationally. Jada’s first debut performance was in a theatrical production, Dhavusya by Teater Ekamatra in 1997. Jada has since explored being an actor, director, choreographer, and consultant before moving to Kuala Lumpur in 2000. Since semi-retiring from show business in 2016, Jada has worked as a makeup artist, barista, and most recently, a florist. Jada is now coming full circle to return to theatre, and is re-debuting with the role of Saleh in Potong.

 

Jada hopes to learn and grow through this role, and also to experience how the theatre scene has evolved, with the hope that more performing opportunities may present itself.  

Date & Time

18 May 2023, Thu

8pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio

19 May 2023, Fri

8pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio
There will be a post-show talk

20 May 2023, Sat

3pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio

8pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio

21 May 2023, Sun

3pm

Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets & Prices
Standard

Students, NSFs, Seniors & PWDs
(Limited)

Price $38 $30

Esplanade&Me Specials

 

Early Bird

(16 – 26 Mar 2023, limited tickets)
Black: 20% savings
White: 15% savings
Discover: 15% savings (Min. of 2 tickets)


From 27 Mar 2023, 9am
Black: 15% savings  
White: 10% savings
Discover: 10% savings (Min. of 2 tickets, limited tickets)

 

Applicable to Standard tickets only. Terms and Conditions apply.

 

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Tote Board Arts Grant

 

All Junior Colleges/ Centralised Institute & ITEs may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 50% of the programme cost. 

 

For more details, please contact Esplanade Box Office at 6828 8389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com.

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