THE NEST

Rainshadow Studios
Singapore, 2022

Kroetz plays have several distinctive elements: succinct scenes; characters of low socio-economic status; laconic dialogue; a combination of unflinching realism with fable-like narratives.

In The Nest, a low-income couple with an unplanned pregnancy aspire to a middle class family lifestyle. The play uses this scenario to explore interwoven themes such as capitalism, obedience, and environmental destruction.

We set this German play in Singapore circa 1974, the year The Nest was written. The spartan design reflects the script’s anti-materialistic themes and foregrounds the characters. What evolves is a kind of “poor theatre.” The actors evoke a world. A blanket becomes a lake. An infant is created with gesture.

Playwright | Franz Xaver Kroetz
Director | Jonathan Vandenberg
Lighting and Scenic | Elizabeth Mak
Costumes | Johanna Pan
Dramaturg | Gloria Ang Xiao Teng

Martha | Ethel Yap
Kurt | Te Hao Boon