Theatre503 and Ellandar Productions, a theatre company championing work by and about British East and Southeast Asians (BESEA) and British Muslims, announces the premiere of No Particular Order by acclaimed playwright Joel Tan 陈文传.
The production is directed by JMK Award Winning director, Joshua Roche with a production design by award winning scenographer and designer Ingrid Hu.
This prescient portrait of global politics and rise of authoritarianism forms part of Theatre503’s relaunch season. Tan’s innovatively written drama told from an unnamed place and spanning 320 years delivers snapshots of both a recognisable world and visions of the future. Through the lives of ordinary people – ornithologists, bureaucrats, soldiers, and tour guides – No Particular Order charts the fall, rise and continuation of a nation, always asking the same question “Is it empathy, or power, that endures?”
Tan describes his chillingly topical play as “an exploration and exposition of what it feels like to live under a tremendous will-to-power”. He adds: “I hope audiences will have a sense of our shared human heritage living under power and what it means to love, rebel, make art and to be kind in spite of it all.”
Tan divides his time between London and Singapore. Described as one of the most exciting Singapore playwrights of his generation, his plays have received acclaim for their lyrical and incisive interrogation of politics and society. His work is regularly produced by Singapore’s leading theatre companies including renowned new-writing venue Checkpoint Theatre, Wild Rice, and Pangdemonium but No Particular Order marks his first fully staged professional production in the UK.
The production runs from 31 May to 18 June and will be available to livestream on the 21 June. More information can be found here.
