Events

Photos by TUCKYS PHOTOGRAPHY |

ECLIPSE

The Necessary Stage
(Singapore)

Absorbingly told by [2008 staging's actor] Umar Ahmed, Eclipse suggests that ancestral memory is never as meaningful as the allegiances of everyday life.

— The Guardian UK

A young man from Singapore is going to Hyderabad, Pakistan, with his father's ashes. He is headed to where his dad was born. This is the same way millions of people took during the 1947 Partition — this was when India was split into two countries: India and Pakistan. It’s also the path his parents and grandparents took.

Eclipse is written by Haresh Sharma, a playwright who won many awards. It tells the story of three generations of men. They struggle with their dreams and their past, which were shaped by big events in history.

The play was first staged by Scotland’s 7:84 Theatre. Back then, it was a short show at Traverse Theatre. It got a lot of praise from experts. Later, it was expanded into a full-length play for the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival in 2008.

Almost 80 years have passed since the Partition. This new version gives a fresh take on the story. Associate Artist A Yagnya directs the show. The performers are:
1. Shrey Chargava, a Singapore actor who won many awards
2. Sveta Kilpady, a singer who does Indian classical music

(Playwright Haresh Sharma) has demonstrated a deftness and maturity in scriptwriting, a deeper inquiry into life and humanity, as well as an evident progress in terms of his creations.

— 联合早报 Lianhe Zaobao [translated from Chinese]

A young Singaporean man is making a journey to his father's birthplace in Hyderabad, Pakistan. With him are his father's ashes. As he makes the arduous trip, he retraces the original journey made by millions of people—including his parents and grandparents—in 1947, during the partition of India and Pakistan.

Written by Cultural Medallion recipient Haresh Sharma, Eclipse is a play that looks at three generations of men struggling with their dreams and their journeys, offering an intimate look at personal stories affected by historical events.

First presented as a short play to critical acclaim by Scotland’s 7:84 Theatre at Traverse Theatre, Eclipse was developed into a full-length production for the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2008.

Almost 80 years after the Partition, this staging with a fresh new direction by Associate Artist A Yagnya stars award-winning Singapore actor Shrey Bhargava. It also features Indian classical vocalist Sveta Kilpady.

There will be a dialogue with the artists after the performances on 16 and 17 January 2025, with speech to text interpretation available upon request for the dialogue on 17 January 2025. Please email your request to info@singaporefringe.com by 6 December 2024.

“Eclipse was first written as a short play in 2007. Scottish theatre company 7:84 commissioned four writers to create 20-minute plays on the theme of separation and union in nationhood. Instead of writing about Singapore-Malaysia, I decided to focus on India-Pakistan. The Partition which happened in 1947, left 15 million people displaced and 1 million dead. My father was one of those displaced. He and his family fled from Hyderabad, Sind and eventually relocated to Mumbai. The play was developed into a full-length version and staged in 2008, and later published in 2014.

“It is timely that the work is being restaged in 2025. This simple monologue that tells the story of partition through the eyes and voice of a young Singaporean man—and his father and grandfather—speaks of larger issues concerning nationhood, identity, and colonialism. In the play, the character of the grandfather leaves Hyderabad, Sind to work in Japan, where he eventually loses contact with his family. The father moves from India to Singapore where his son is born, and his family is raised. In these tales of migration and displacement, characters find opportunities to create a sense of belonging and attempt to define what home truly means.

“There are many moments in history—and even in the present—where individuals and communities are forced to make life-changing decisions in the most helpless of ways. Where they have to flee or fight because of the decisions of politicians and colonisers. Their struggle and suffering are not a consequence of their own actions but are beyond their control. In such situations, they can only respond in their best interest and that of their family.

“Eclipse tells the story of one family. But it gives voice to countless more.”

— Haresh Sharma, Playwright

“A Scottish theatre group called 7:84 asked four writers to create 20-minute plays. The topic was: separation and unity in countries. Instead of writing about Singapore and Malaysia, I chose to explore the India-Pakistan Partition of 1947. The Partition forced 15 million people to leave their homes, and 1 million people died because of it. My father had to leave too. His family escaped from Hyderabad, Sind, and later settled in Mumbai. The play was made into a full-length version and performed in 2008. It was later published in 2014.

“It makes sense that the play is being performed again in 2025. The play is a simple speech by only one actor. The play shows Partition through the eyes of a young Singaporean man, his father, and his grandfather. Eclipse explores big ideas like:
1. Nationhood: What makes people feel connected as one country?
2. Identity: What makes you who you are?
3. Colonialism: When one country controls another, often by force

“In the play, the grandfather leaves Hyderabad, Sind to work in Japan. He loses contact with his family. The father moves from India to Singapore, where his son is born and grows up. These stories talk about people moving to new places, sometimes without choice. The characters try to figure out where they belong and what home really means.

“Throughout history and even today, people and communities are forced to make huge decisions. They have to run away, or stay and fight because of what leaders and colonisers decide.

“Their struggles and suffering aren't their fault. They can’t control that these things happen. In such tough times, they can only do what's best for themselves and their family.

“Eclipse tells one family's story, but it speaks for many others too."

— Haresh Sharma, Playwright

Download artist biographies

Date & Duration
15 to 18 January 2025, 8pm
18 January 2025, 5pm
60 minutes with no intermission

Location
Practice Space, The Theatre Practice

Price
$38

*20% discount for students, NSF, senior citizens and PwD cardholders

Accessibility Features
Open captions in English for all shows

Rating
To be advised

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