JitFest 2025 - Jit Murad's Visits

Forgot to write about this back in June. Whoops. 

Anyway, bought a ticket to the (public) opening night at PJPAC. I know I've read this beforehand, but not recently. I can't recall if I've seen the earlier production of this back in 2002.. macam yes?

Three women. One room. Dramatically dark hilarity.

VISITS brings together the Woman, her Sister-in-Law, and the enigmatic Nurse, in a surreal encounter inside an upmarket wellness/mental health facility. Funny, moving, and expectedly sharp as his wit, Jit Murad’s masterfully written play explores memory, class, motherhood, and mental health—offering a complex and often hilarious portrait of three women trapped by their own stories.

First staged in 2002, this new 2025 production leans into the surreal and psychological layers of the text while still embracing its biting wit. Part of JitFest2025, VISITS is directed by Ida Nerina and stars Sofia Jane, Nadia Aqilah, and Nabila Huda.

IIRC, it was free seating, so there was a line outside the Nero Event Space (which I forgot was downstairs?) when I got to the foyer. Got the best seat I felt possible at the moment, even if the spotlight was damn silau in my peripheral vision while people were getting situated. They were also busy telling people not to tread all over the all-white flooring, which seems fair after the fact cos the cast was mostly barefoot throughout? I also would not have wanted to be in the front rows anyway, cos there was some audience interaction that I would not have been comfortable with, given my history of forced audience interactions.

the bed is super huge, btw

Pictures don't do this majesty justice

Must've had to customise the bedding?

The mental health theme was pretty evident in this production. As women, we take care of others before ourselves, mostly to our own detriment. On the surface, it seems to be about a tai tai from the wrong side of the tracks who's checked into a bougie wellness retreat after a mental breakdown, with only her sister-in-law and a nurse to check in on her/talk to, but underneath it's a whole lot of issues that I'm not gonna get into here.