INVISIBILITY and Existence
One of the big concepts Invisibility tackles is existence. Questions about the nature of existence fall under a branch of science known as ontology.
VA: Resources
FOR THE TIME BEING artist: Darren Ng
“Do what you can, what you love and what you believe in. Don’t do it otherwise.” - Darren Ng
IN/VISIBILITY artist: Lim Woan Wen
“Light is like a religion to me. It’s a faith and an anchor in my work as well as my life.” - Lim Woan Wen
INVISIBILITY and the concept of Liminality
Invisibility features several vignettes set in public spaces, such as a park and a public toilet. In these public spaces, the characters perform very private and personal activities, such as intimate conversations with strangers, appreciating art, and even sex. There…
INVISIBILITY and the Hermit Life
Hermit-hood A motif running through the play Invisibility is the idea of hermit-hood. Being a hermit entails living your life in seclusion, away from other people. Hermits choose to live alone for various reasons. There are “push” factors which drive…
Stagings and responses to INVISIBILITY
Past stagings of Invisibility: Date Production Details 1996, Aug 15-25 By The Necessary Stage Venue: The Substation Director: Kok Heng Leun Lighting Designer: Lee Cheng Heng Excerpt of the director’s message: “In this busy city, I often see people working…
INVISIBILITY written by Quah Sy Ren
About the Playwright: Quah Sy Ren is an associate professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Chinese division at Nanyang Technical University. His main research interests are in Chinese Literature and the history of Singapore Theatre. Quah also…
Reflections about the creation process of NINETEEN SIXTY-FOUR
We asked the two key artist-collaborators Nora Samosir and Serene Chen about their personal responses to The Vault, its concept and the working process. Hear their reflections and views about working on the Centre's inaugural iteration of The Vault programme…
#7 – A tense 1964
1964 was a significant milestone in Singapore’s history, a period of tension amidst the uncertainty and hope of forging a new identity. Various views about the Merger: A recording of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s address, in Mandarin and English,…
#6 – The golden age of Singapore music
Plug in to this short 1964 playlist of music tracks by some of the many popular local bands in the ’60s: The Crescendos (pop band) Naomi and the Boys (pop band) The Checkmates (guitar band) The Quests (guitar band) 1960s:…
#5 – Cabaret Girls in the limelight
Singapore. Neon lights at night, 1960s. There were the three “Worlds” which lit up Singapore’s nightlife in the ’50s and ’60s: New World Park. View “New World was famous for its cabarets, Chinese and Malay opera halls, shops, restaurants, open-air cinemas, boxing…
#4 – The local ‘Mad Men’ era
We gleaned an insight into the design aesthetics and advertising sensibilities of the 1960s in Singapore, from the programme books of the staged productions of When Smiles Are Done and A White Rose At Midnight. Many of the advertisers and…
#3 – The exchange: “Let local clubs not be too proud to learn from expatriate clubs.”
The following provides a snapshot of the exchanges between Lim Chor Pee and M.E. Constant (member of Stage Club), sparked off from a Radio Forum in 1964 about amateur theatre in Singapore: M.E. Constant: “Amateurs on stage: a defence”…
#2 – The desire and impetus for local theatre
“A national theatre cannot hope to survive if it keeps staging foreign plays.” ~ Lim Chor Pee. In the early to mid-sixties, there was a brewing sentiment for the need to forge a local identity in English-language (or English-speaking) theatre.…
#1 – What’s on? The (unofficial) theatre guide in 1964.
Here’s a sampling of what a theatre-goer could possibly watch back in 1964: Mar 18: Rowcroft Theatre Club, Akin to Love by Peggy Simmons. View. Apr 8: Alexandra Secondary Modern School, Salad Days by Julian Slade & Dorothy Reynolds. View. Apr…