Theatre
Playwright, director, theatre dabbler since 2010.
Pandan at M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2021
“A strong cast and a boundary-pushing script makes Pandan a classic M1 Fringe offering.
…
Playwright Hazwan Norly's script mixes affectionate sendups with some thought-provoking scenes centring on gender and religion.
While the story might be considered controversial, his writing is never sensationalist, and his warm compassion and a strong sense of humour ensures the narrative never descends into simplistic caricature.” - The Straits Times
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Ahmad Jihad has a secret struggle; one that no one needs to know. Ramlan harbours a dual identity—and multiple uniforms. Ramlah is a happy housewife and livestream baker. Zana plays in the duplicitous waters of online dating. When an old public swimming complex is set to be demolished, what is private gets forced to the surface.
Written by Hazwan Norly and directed by Rizman Putra, Pandan is a contemplative and occasionally surreal exploration of the intersections where our faith, public identities, online avatars and personal ruminations meet. In reckoning with their personal “jihad”, or spiritual struggle, can they find their truest selves?
Pandan was well-received at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2021 with raving reviews from the likes of The Straits Times, ArtsEquator, BakChorMeeBoy.
Korban
It’s Hari Raya Haji, and a sheep that was to be slaughtered as part of the religious celebration goes missing. In finding the lost sheep, Haziq and Wei Ting rediscover what sacrifice, love, and lost mean to their marriage and to themselves.
Written and directed by Hazwan Norly and performed by Wan Ahmad and Wendi Wee Hian, Korban was a commissioned for the Singapore Writers Festival 2019.
Heavy Weight
Written and directed by Hazwan Norly and Nabilah Said, Heavy Weight is a play about two angels talking about the good and evil in life. Performed by Fir Rahman and Ping.
The play was presented as part of the programme entitled "Verso/Recto", at Late-Night Texting 2019 at Centre 42, as part of the Singapore Night Festival.
Pitch Witch
Written and conceptualised by Hazwan Norly, Nabilah Said, and Raimi Safari in response to Edwin Thumboo’s Ulysses by the Merlion.
Kamelia, Mei and Zana are witches on a mission. With everything on the line, will they band together or fall apart? Pitch Witch is a dark comedy about power, identity and national consciousness.
Performed by Bib Mockram, Juliana Kassim Chan, and Tan Hui Er as part of BuySingLit Festival 2019.
Block 15D
Written and directed by Hazwan Norly.
Zack and Rahmat are two strangers who meet at Block 15D. Two years later, they find each other again, and reconnect. However, is their relationship based on chance, or is there a third person at the table, pulling the strings? Performed by Kaykay Nizam and Saiful Amri at Centre 42’s Late Night Texting 2018, as part of the Singapore Night Festival.
MinTak Izin
Written by Hazwan Norly, directed by Bib Mockram, set design by Syaiful Hairi.
Mintak Izin is a work-in-progress physical theatre piece that explores the unconscious sharing of space between man and each other, the environment, and beings of other realms. The piece centres around four characters living in a Malay house, and is inspired by the ideologies behind Malay gestures and mannerisms – the subtle movements a Malay person has been educated to mimic. This piece is supported by digital soundscape, as well as, music created by physical acoustics played on the objects within the play.
Performed as part of Singapore Heritage Festival 2018.
Tompang
Written by Hazwan Norly, and co-directed with Bib Mockram.
Two girls, two hours, two wheels, across the causeway. Jannah and Farah have been close friends for 15 years, but haven’t met each other in five since Jannah became a married woman. They decide to catch up, and take a little ride to JB during Jannah’s lunch hour(s), but Farah’s bike breaks down. Now the two are forced to revisit old wounds.
Performed by Siti Z and Fiza Saini. Tompang is part of the Lunch segment of ETA : 9 MIN, presented at Centre 42's Late Night Texting 2017, as part of the Singapore Night Festival.
Abu
Written by Hazwan Norly and directed by the Art of Strangers. This is a play developed under Teater Ekamatra’s Playwright and Director Mentorship Programme.
One woman, one man, two souls bound by blood, and history. Abu is a play that examines the fates of two siblings in the aftermath of domestic abuse. How does one move forward from death? And more importantly, how does one rise from the ashes and remains of a place that is supposed to be one’s home for so long?