PUBLISHED October 14th, 2013 01:18 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 03:20 pm
Checkpoint Theatre received so many requests to re-stage Atomic Jaya that they have come up with a brand new production to celebrate the play’s 15th Anniversary.
So what is ‘Atomic Jaya’ and why is it so popular? Written and directed by Huzir Sulaiman, the play is a wicked satire on what would happen if Malaysia decided to build an atomic bomb. If you know something about life and politics on the other side Causeway, you will appreciate this political parody, especially when you think of the slogan ‘Malaysia Boleh’! It pokes fun at everything Malaysian, and has reached some notoriety for its satirical incisiveness.
The upcoming production also marks the 15th anniversary of the play that was first staged in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 to rave reviews. Then, it starred Malaysian actress Jo Kukathas, who played all the roles. It was first staged in Singapore in 2001 and again in 2003. In 2003, Huzir and Claire Wong under Checkpoint Theatre performed it in Singapore and KL, with cameos by Gani Abdul Karim (in Singapore) and Fahmi Fadzil (in KL). For this outing it will star Claire Wong and Karen Tan.
Atomic Jaya has proven so wildly popular with Singapore audiences that playwright Huzir Sulaiman and actress Claire Wong get asked by fans every week when they will bring it back. The real-life husband and wife team has finally relented and has put up a new production this month to appease their longstanding fans – and create new ones!
Here is a synopsis – which will not give too much away. Why spoil the fun? The physicist, Dr. Mary Yuen, is surreptitiously recruited by the ambitious General Zulkifli for a top-secret national project to build the region’s first atomic bomb. But first, they must source for uranium, which seems to be available only through illegal means. As she gets drawn deeper and deeper into the ambitious scheme, she meets a madcap assortment of characters from uranium smugglers to cabinet ministers, and a special canteen lady. As the plot twists, turns and thickens, Dr. Yuen finds herself swept from one hilarious situation to another, while she grapples with a growing moral dilemma.
In Atomic Jaya, Huzir Sulaiman sets his sights on a broad range of targets in Malaysian society. His satirical arrows are aimed not only at the Malaysians but also at American and British journalists and an American Secretary of State. And his barbs are not always politically correct, which adds to the enjoyment. According to Sulaiman, no offence is taken as the play celebrates the craziness of life in Malaysia!
In case you are wondering about the word ‘Jaya’, it’s a Malay word meaning ‘big success’. Fortunately, there is no successful regional nuclear program in real life but judging by its track history, this restaging is bound to be a success!
We interviewed Huzir Sulaiman and Claire Wong to find out more about the upcoming production:
Why has Checkpoint decided to restage Atomic Jaya fifteen years after its premiere in 1998?
Claire: It’s a really funny play that audiences love. It’s become something of a contemporary Asian classic and has had productions, workshops and readings all over the world – in Tokyo, London, New York, and of course Singapore and KL – regularly since its premiere, and has been published and excerpted several times. So it seemed right to celebrate its 15th anniversary with a major new main stage production
Huzir: Almost every week for the last ten years (since the 2003 Checkpoint production) someone asks us, “When are you going to stage Atomic Jaya?” Well, here it is!
Claire: Atomic Jaya is one my favourite plays and is also, deservedly, one of those ‘evergreen’ plays that withstand the test of time very well. The story and characters are really compelling. The themes remain relevant, with some aspects being more striking today because of current socio-economic and international political conditions. The script allows the actors and the director to be very creative and inventive while also demanding from them a high degree of skill to execute well. This means it becomes a real joy and lot of fun to watch as a performance, while also giving the audience a lot of food for thought.
What was the original inspiration behind ‘Atomic Jaya’?
Huzir: I was inspired by the burgeoning sense of national pride in Malaysia in the late 90s, that pretty much amounted to hubris, with all these mega-projects being willed into existence in a (pretty successful) attempt to put the country on the map. So I thought to myself, what would be the most extreme version of a mega-project? The atomic bomb seemed like a good way to explore the foibles of a nation with crazy ambitions.
The world in 2013 is very different from the one in 1998. Will ‘Atomic Jaya’ be updated for a present day audience?
Claire: In terms of the production, it will be very new and different, but as for the text, the funny (and maybe also a little tragic) thing is that in terms of both the Malaysian scene as well as the international arena of countries with nuclear ambitions, very little has changed. So the play is still amazingly relevant as it was written.
Huzir: I’m fortunate that the play still resonates with audiences as it is. As a director, what I’m exploring is new ways to tell the story with these two very accomplished actresses, Karen Tan and Claire Wong.
What will appeal to the audience about Atomic Jaya?
Claire: It’s a really funny script, where everyone and everything is both skewered and celebrated. You get to see everyone from generals to canteen ladies to politicians to socialites to dodgy expats, and everyone has a part to play in this madcap satire. What I really like is that it’s a story told with a lot of love. At Checkpoint Theatre, we make theatre with honesty and humour, head and heart. So, this play captivates because the stories make us laugh and ponder – we recognize the characters and we feel for them, inasmuch as they make us reflect and think about our own lives and loves.
Huzir: Audiences will have the pleasure of watching two of the finest actresses on the local scene play 17 characters between them. Karen and Claire are hilarious together, and it’s really something to watch.
Both of you have acted in Atomic Jaya before. Are there new challenges when it comes to directing/performing in the play?
Huzir: On a directorial level, I am really interested in exploring different ways of having these two actors tell a story with so many characters. That’s been a really fruitful and exciting aspect that we’ve worked on in the rehearsal room.
Claire: It’s both a pleasure and a challenge to take on Huzir’s writing again: he writes with great precision, and each character speaks with a different speech pattern and accent. So it demands a great deal from the actor, but it definitely repays the effort!
Huzir: It is always challenging to create work that is authentic and complex, that challenges and inspires. As the director together with my actress and the creative team, we have had to dig deep. We have had to rely on not just our skills and experiences in theatre making but also our own life experiences to find the layers of meaning and to create an experience in the theatre for the audience that will continue to resonate long after the curtains close.
So, I hope this has whetted your appetite for some incisive, thought-provoking satire.
Atomic Jaya will be on at SOTA (School of the Arts) from 24 October to 1 November 2013. Please contact www.sistic.com.sg for tickets.