27/01/2025
Thank you for your support for Nusantara Open Circle (NOC) 2025! The inaugural edition took place on Saturday, 24 January 2025. We presented three plays in progress from playwrights from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore:
In the monologue Usaha (Attempt) by Moli Mohter, a Malay woman attempts to reclaim her agency, while treading the line between the modern, the traditional and the spiritual.
Makan Malam (The Dining Table) by Aziz Azthar is an energetic five-hander about family which buzzes with dark humour even as gender roles and caregiving issues arise.
In Kari Kelapa Raja (King Coconut Curry) by Arief Hamizan, the talk of angels, institutions and revolution intertwines with the end of a relationship and a meta-commentary about race.
Each play had a feedback session where we asked questions about the issues the playwrights were exploring, and learnt more about their practice. We capped the day with a discussion with the playwrights and representatives from our partners, Panas Panas Theatre and Indonesia Dramatic Reading Festival.
While we tried to cover the gamut of issues including the intersections between language, literature, performance, publishing, translation and what unites and divides us in this region, we also tried to keep the vibe light-hearted and communal. Some people said it felt like a reunion or the first day of Raya, and that initiatives like ours are long overdue.
What’s next for NOC? There will be a development phase and open call launching in February. Stay tuned! (If you want to be part of our mailing list, pls fill in the form in the link in our bio)
We would like to thank everyone involved in making this event possible, including Esplanade, our partners and playwrights, our esteemed bunch of actors, our crew, and those who took time out of their busy weekend to attend NOC – a great mix of theatremakers, writers, producers, academics, students, and theatre- and Nusantara-lovers! We also had an audience online, for those who couldn’t join us in person.
We’re still learning. As we plan for the next edition, we welcome feedback. You can leave them in the comments or via DMs! Thank you and may we meet again soon.
