The Studios: Escape to Batam at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

Two of Singapore theatre’s most formidable multi-hyphenates craft a lyrical spectacle of the past and present, speaking to all who have known the harsh bitterness and gentle longing of awaiting a new normal.

What do stories of war tell us about human resilience and how we care for those closest to us? How does telling these stories help us to comfort and to heal?

Created by Claire Wong and Huzir Sulaiman, Escape to Batam is a delicate tapestry of the past and the present, weaving the remarkable lived experiences of Ming, who spent his boyhood on the rural island of Batam to escape the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, with his daughter’s personal stories of family, loss and grief felt in the years since her father’s passing. Drawing parallels from their different life journeys, daughter Claire finds herself discovering what it means to live with the pain of loving those who have left us, and how to carry on for those who are still with us.

Director-Playwright Claire leads a phenomenal ensemble cast of Adib Kosnan, Chaney Chia, Genevieve Tan, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, and Neo Swee Lin. Poignant and humorous by turns, Escape to Batam draws deeply on Claire and Huzir’s mastery of the written word and the theatrical medium to create a powerful new play that transcends generations.