SINGAPORE, 2 February 2016 – Checkpoint Theatre is delighted to mark the 10th anniversary of Recalling Mother with a new production of this poignant, moving and funny celebration of motherhood and daughterhood. Written and performed by Claire Wong and Noorlinah Mohamed, Recalling Mother runs at the Esplanade Theatre Studio from 24 to 27 March as part of Esplanade’s The Studios 2016.
What started out as a conversation between two friends has since evolved into a decade-long project with a life of its own. “It is perhaps the first and only theatrical project, when restaged, is always revisited as a new creation. The work is a living durational performance where life and art parallel and inform each other,” explained Noorlinah Mohamed.
From exploring the language divide with their mothers in 2009 to tackling aging and dependency in 2016, each instalment of Recalling Mother has been revisited, updated and developed further with unstinting honesty and thoughtful craftsmanship. However, it remains at heart an examination of familial relationships and the universal desire to connect and engage: between mother and child, between the daughters and their craft as theatre practitioners, and between artists and the audience. A post-show dialogue will be held at the end of each performance.
“Heartfelt performances and a tight script …
[this] will make you go home and hug your mother much harder.”
– The Straits Times
Photo courtesy of Checkpoint Theatre. Photo credit: Joel Lim@Calibre Pictures
Written and performed by Claire Wong and Noorlinah Mohamed, Recalling Mother is an English production with some Cantonese and Malay dialogues, and will be performed between 24 to 27 March 2016 at Esplanade Theatre Studio.
As long-time friends and fellow theatre artists, Claire Wong and Noorlinah Mohamed would often meet and talk about their mothers and the complexities of living and not living with them. One mother is Cantonese-speaking and impetuous; the other speaks Malay and is quietly stubborn. Both are smart, sharp and strong. Both are wonderful cooks.
The Recalling Mother project began in 2006 with Claire and Noorlinah examining and charting how their relationships with their respective mothers have evolved over the years. With each performance (in 2006, 2009, 2015, and now 2016), they revisit, update and develop further the exploration of how the bond between parent and child changes.
As they and their mothers grow older, the caretaker has now become the dependant. What happens when the body begins to age? What does love mean to a mind that is beginning to fade? And so, the conversations continue.
Poignant, moving and funny, Recalling Mother celebrates the joys and challenges of motherhood and daughterhood.
Recalling Mother Performance/Ticketing Details
Dates/Times: Thu 24 Mar – Sun 27 Mar 2016
8pm (Thu to Sat); 3pm matinee (Sat and Sun)
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio
Duration: 1 hr 15 min without intermission
Ticket Price: $35 (excludes SISTIC booking fee)
Ticketing Agent: SISTIC – www.sistic.com.sg or Hotline 6348 5555
BIOGRAPHIES
Claire Wong – Playwright, Performer and Co-Producer
Claire Wong is the co-founder, Joint Artistic Director and Producer of Checkpoint Theatre. Trained in both Asian and Western performing arts, Claire obtained her Master of Fine Arts (MFA, Theatre Arts) from Columbia University. She directs and acts for the stage and the camera.
As a theatre director, Claire recently directed Normal (2015) and For Better or for Worse (2013) by Faith Ng, Joel Tan’s The Way We Go (2014) and Huzir Sulaiman’s Occupation (2012). She co-directed Dream Country: a lost monologue, a dance-theatre production by 35 performers for the Singapore Arts Festival 2012. As an actress, Claire has performed in landmark Singapore productions and in international arts festivals (Edinburgh Fringe; Telstra Adelaide Arts Festival; Theater der Welt). She most recently appeared in Checkpoint Theatre’s 2013 production of Atomic Jaya.
Photo courtesy of Checkpoint Theatre. Photo credit: Joel Lim@Calibre Pictures
Noorlinah Mohamed – Playwright and Performer
Noorlinah Mohamed is an award-winning theatre actress, teaching artist, and creative producer of community and public arts engagement projects in Singapore. Since 1988, she has performed with various theatre companies across Asia, Europe, and the US.
As a teaching artist, she has a doctorate in arts education and now researches on Singapore-based arts education practices. She also undertakes artist residencies in schools, develops curriculum as well as professional development in arts pedagogy. Her other passion – community and public engagement – sees her collaborating with various artists and organisations. Noorlinah is the Director of The O.P.E.N., the pre-festival of ideas and public engagement initiative of the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2014-2015. She is also a recipient of several awards, including the JCCI Singapore Foundation Cultural Award (2008) and the Women’s Weekly Women of Our Time Award (2005) for her work in the arts.
Petrina Dawn Tan – Lighting Designer
Petrina Dawn Tan trained in Lighting Design under LASALLE’s BA (Hons) Technical Theatre programme. She is a recipient of the Georgette Chen Scholarship (2009) and the NAC Arts Scholarship, Local (2010).
Her recent lighting design credits include Caucasian Chalk Circle (Singapore Repertory Theatre), La Vie en Rose (Sing Theatre), In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play) (LASALLE College of the Arts), The Tin Can People (NAFA English Theatre), Pigeons (Buds Theatre Company), The Way We Go (Checkpoint Theatre), Intermezzo (Singapore Dance Theatre/da:ns festival 2014), Innamorati (Toy Factory).
She was the Associate Lighting Designer for The Nightingale (Singapore Repertory Theatre) and Assistant Lighting Designer for RED (Blank Space Theatre Company), Cook a Pot of Curry (Wild Rice) and The Art of the Brick (MBS Art Science Museum). Petrina is happy and thankful for the opportunity to be working once again with the Checkpoint Theatre family.
Laichan – Costume Designer
Laichan is a Singaporean fashion designer who also designs costumes for theatre and film. His credits include The Good, the Bad and the Sholay (Checkpoint Theatre), Public Enemy (Wild Rice), Normal (Checkpoint Theatre), Atomic Jaya (Checkpoint Theatre), Freud’s Last Session (Blank Space Theatre), and Dick Lee’s Fried Rice Paradise. He has also designed for the SG50 movie “1965” and the HBO Asia original production “Grace”. Laichan’s eponymous boutique is situated at Raffles Hotel.
ABOUT CHECKPOINT THEATRE
Who We Are
Established in 2002, Checkpoint Theatre creates and presents original theatrical and multi-disciplinary work with strong writing, performance and direction. With honesty and humour, head and heart, we produce and develop vibrant and important contemporary Asian plays that connect with, challenge, and inspire both local and international audiences. We are the home of new Singapore playwriting, and we nurture the next generation of Singapore theatre-makers.
Checkpoint Theatre is a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Grant for the period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2017.
What We Do
- We create and stage theatrical and inter-disciplinary work.
- We focus on playwriting in developing original Singapore plays.
- We mentor emerging theatre-makers through workshops, internships and collaborations, and through providing professional resources and platforms to showcase new work.
- We publish anthologies of original plays written by Singapore playwrights and books on theatre.
- We pursue collaborations with international partners to show Singapore work abroad.
For more information on Checkpoint Theatre, please visit www.checkpoint-theatre.org.
