The Japan Foundation (JF), in collaboration with Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC), presented “Tiger of Malaya”, written by Alfian Sa’at and directed by Mohamad Fared Jainal, at the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2026 held in Shizuoka from April 25 to 27, 2026, as part of “BIOTOPE,” a people-to-people exchange initiative for theatre professionals from Japan and Southeast Asia. Alongside the performances, a workshop and artist talk by participating artists were also held.
“The Tiger of Malaya” is a work that depicts the process of attempting to remake, as a stage production, the wartime propaganda film of the same title produced during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. On stage, footage from the film is projected onto a set of movable screens. Japanese, Malay Singaporean, and Chinese Singaporean actors perform in sync with the film, occasionally pausing the footage to comment on individual scenes or raise critical questions about them. While the audience was drawn into the humorous and comedic development of the performance, they were also prompted to reflect on the question: “How is history constructed?”.
During the artist talk and workshop, playwright Alfian Sa’at explained creative process behind the production, followed by group discussions on historical memory. Playwrights from Southeast Asia participating in “BIOTOPE — Camp for Playwrights / Theatre-makers” also joined the discussions, leading to lively intercultural exchanges. Participants commented that the experience encouraged them to reconsider their own understanding of history and the ways contemporary Japanese society engages with the legacy of war.
Outline
| Date/Time | Performance: Saturday, April 25, 2026 / 13:00 Sunday, April 26, 2026 / 13:00 Artist Talk: Sunday, April 26, 2026 / 10:30-11:30 Workshop for Theatre Practitioners: Monday, April 27, 2026 / 10:00-13:00 |
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| Location | Shizuoka, Japan |
| Credits | Performance: Playwright: Alfian Sa’at Director: Mohd Fared Jainal Actors: Siti Khalijah Zainal, Ghafir Akbar, Kitagawa Rei, Sugiyama Ken, Darren Guo Production: Teater Ekamatra Organized by the Japan Foundation, Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Artist Talk: Speaker: Alfian Sa’at, Mohd Fared Jainal Moderator: Ken Takiguchi (Dramaturg, Translator) Organized by the Japan Foundation, Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) Workshop for Theatre Practitioners: Instructor: Alfian Sa’at Organized by the Japan Foundation, Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) |
| Contact | Performing Arts Section, Arts and Culture Dept., The Japan Foundation |
