“Mommy has a new friend.” Ack!
Think about it. Your mother tells you she’s dating someone. Nevermind that she’s divorced, you’re already 20 and have got very little attachment to your estranged father. You’re Muslim. Your mom is, too. But the boyfriend’s Christian. Tension galore!
I’m glad I finally caught this award-winning Teater Ekamatra piece. When I told a friend I liked Pariah – the second Yasmin Ahmad “tribute” play by Alfian Sa’at – he said Nadirah was (much? even?) better.
It does seem more cohesive. Granted it was a restaging with the same cast and director (Zizi Azah Abdul Majid), but it does feel more comfortable in its own skin and less rough around the edges. Less heavy-handed perhaps and more subtle in pursuing its topical agenda (which is not to say in-your-face and OTT isn’t effective), in its deft handling of religious issues, Nadirah’s heart shines through clearly.
The titular character (whose name references the Muslim name of Maria Hertogh, the Dutch child at the centre of the racial riots of 1950) finds out her mother and a Christian man plan a civil wedding. Nadirah’s fellow Malay Muslim friends, a liberal woman and a conservative guy, act as sounding board as she grapples with the situation.
Unlike Cooling Off Day, which some might say was more of an exercise in reportage, we’re in full view of Alfian’s writing flair, in particular, his knack for the some of the funniest lines you don’t get until, like, two seconds later. And dude, you get plus points from this football fan for milking the Liverpool vs. Man Utd metaphor for all its worth to explain the rivalry between two religions.
The cast’s uniformly steady performance made this such a pleasure to watch and yours truly was particularly drawn to Shida Mahadi as Nadirah’s happy-go-lucky best friend and, most of all, Neo Swee Lin, who provided us with the play’s emotional pivot with her wonderfully sensitive turn as the mother.
(Nadirah is, erm, sold out. Ack!)
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