Alep, Remy, Nizam and Risha – the only girl in the gang – all love their motorbikes. They remember the day they received their 2B licenses. They can tell bikes apart from the purring of the engines. And they relish the easy give of a kickstarter under the soles of their feet.
Riders Know When It’s Gonna Rain is a coming-of-age story of friendship that blossoms in the little-known, frequently misunderstood mat moto subculture in Singapore. It captures the bright, reckless spirit of youth: from the desire to rebel and an addiction to danger, to the fierce loyalty that springs up between kindred spirits. When their adventures take an unexpected detour, the four childhood friends learn that the road to adulthood can be bumpy and treacherous.
Written with an insider’s intimate understanding of the culture and lingo of Singapore’s motorbiking community, Nessa Anwar’s tough, tender play is an affecting portrait of youths living in the fast lane.
Riders Know When It's Gonna Rain was first commissioned for and performed at the 2015 Singapore Writers Festival, as part of Checkpoint Theatre’s ‘What I Love About You Is Your Attitude Problem’.
Performed in English and Malay, with English surtitles.
Riders Know When It's Gonna Rain was presented by W!LD RICE at the Singapore Theatre Festival 2016 as a Double-Bill with Hawa.