Civilised

There is no past without colonisation,

and there is no future without it.

As we commemorate the bicentennial of the founding of Singapore, let us take a moment to express our gratitude to our founding father/s for their foresight in transforming Singapore from a small fishing village to a global metropolis. We are civilised!

Let's marvel at how, all over the world, our land has been plundered, our laws kept archaic and our freedoms curtailed by those in power. Let us honour our pursuit of economic success and excess [nothing less will do], as we continue to colonise today—through money, discrimination and land conquests, even in space. We are civilised!

Because after all, through colonisation, we are civilised! We are also schooled and silenced.

Written by Haresh Sharma and directed by Alvin Tan, Civilised by The Necessary Stage is a groundbreaking new work that takes you on a wild ride through the complications and violence of colonisation past, present and future.

Featuring:

Edith Podesta

Ghafir Akbar

Koh Wan Ching

Lian Sutton

and Siti Khalijah Zainal

Set Design by Vincent Lim

Lighting Design by Adrian Tan

Costume Design by Max Tan & Yuan Zhiying of MAX.TAN

Multimedia Design by He Shuming

15 – 18 & 22 – 25 May 2019, 8pm

18 – 19 & 25 – 26 May 2019, 3pm

at The Necessary Stage Black Box