'Thwayya faces the loss of her family farm after five generations of tending the land. Violet’s ancestors were custodians of that land for over 75,000 years, but she left home long ago. Meanwhile, Tsuet-Cheng is returning from Sydney to Singapore for “Tomb Sweeping Day”, a ritual in which families visit cemeteries to talk with their ancestors. These three women don’t know each other – but when two skeletons are discovered in the dried-up creek bed of a remote Queensland farm, their fates become deeply intertwined.
'A hauntingly beautiful blend of music, dance, film, design and dialogue, 宿 (stay) is built on the real-life experiences of the artists. From a densely packed Singapore housing block to the vast Tagalaka country of outback Australia, 宿 (stay) delicately unearths buried trauma and fragile connections that lie at the heart of contemporary life.'
Source: Sydney Festival.
Co-presented by Kurinji (Sydney) and SAtheCollective (Singapore) with OzAsia Festival as part of Sydney Festival, at Carriageworks, 9 - 16 January 2022.
Kurinji (Sydney)
Writer/Director: S. Shakthidharan.
Cast Aimée Falzon (Thwayya, Selene; Vocalist, Piano); Jasmin Sheppard (Violet, Daisy; Dancer/Clapsticks); Charles Wu (An Hoo; Vocalist/Guitar/Bass).
Set & Costume Design: Dale Ferguson.
Lighting Design: Karen Norris.
Digital Designer/Operator: Elias Nohra.
Producer: Fenn Gordon for Tandem.
SAtheCollective (Singapore)
Co-artistic Director / Producer / Music Director: Andy Chia.
Assistant Producer / Production Stage Manager: Chong Jeannette.
Dramaturg: Felipe Cervera.
Performers: Andy Chia (An Hoo, Uncle; Flutes, Vocals), Natalie Alexandra Tse (Tsuet-Cheng; Guzheng), Govin Tan (Desmond; Drums, Percussion, Tabla), Vick Low (Victor; Cello).
A Potocol 2021 Film (Singapore)
Film Producer: Jeremy Chua (Potocol Pte Ltd).
Film Assistant Producer / Unit Production Manager: Sam Chua Weishi (Potocol Pte Ltd).
Film Director: Giselle Lin.
Director of Photography: Clyde Kam.
Art Director: Javeus Toh.
Editor: Shannen Mok.
Production cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic (9 and 11 January only).