“A Lesson in History”

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 15 August 2015

Two themes resonate very strongly in this historical biopic that has been specially commissioned for the Pesta Raya stage.

The first is how the titular character is a champion for the common man. The second is the value of integrity in the face of adversity.

It is fittingly poetic then that this production successfully brings across an authentic and utterly believable depiction of the trials and tribulations of our nation’s very first Head of State – replete with allusions to landmark historical events that provide the backdrop to the overarching narrative. The irony of us only now being able to truly see, listen and learn about Encik Yusof Ishak (played sensitively by the talented Sani Hussin) is not lost on the audience. We all walk away with a deeper understanding, awareness and appreciation for a man whose history we knew little about and also did not receive as much public fanfare and media spotlight.

Kudos to the creative team for celebrating the life and legacy of one of our pioneer statesmen. It is evident that director and playwright Zizi Azah Abdul Majid (with dramaturg Haresh Sharma) have been very hard at work and conducted extensive, quality research. They have taken great care to capture not only the essence of the man himself and his relationships with his family, friends and compatriots but also the nuances of that particular time in Singapore’s and Malaya’s past.

Fatimah Mohsin (an iconic tour de force in the Malay wedding industry), dresses the cast in exquisitely beautiful baju melayu and kebayas and even the gentlemen looked dashingly dapper a la HBO’s Mad Men and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.

The ensemble has great chemistry with one another and shuffles between the more tender, emotional scenes as well as the more light-hearted ones with ease. This is particularly impressive considering the fact that all of them (with the exception of the two principals) have to take on multiple roles whilst showcasing a range of regional Malay accents and dialects. Farah Ong excels in bringing out the comic character of the fictitious Sri. Najib Soiman and Erwin Shah Ismail exude confidence in bringing to life the many male characters that have been instrumental to Yusof Ishak’s life while Dalilah Shahril plays the maternal figure of Aishahton to perfection.

To those who may have reservations about viewing a performance in a vernacular that you may not be familiar with, don’t fret. Nothing is lost in translation and in fact, it’d be an opportune time to be reacquainted with our national language as the narrative of this icon of Singapore’s past unfolds before your eyes.

The only misgiving one has at the end of the performance (also known as the big prepare-your-tissues-coz-Siti-Khalijah-is-bringing-out-the-onion-cutting-ninjas moment) is how it is unfortunate that only a select audience would be privy to this wonderful showcase; those who were lucky and quick enough to get their hands on tickets to the sold-out shows.

Yusof (not Yusok, shame on you MAS!) definitely requires a restaging sometime soon. It may not be a glitzy musical played in a larger venue across the bay area and may not run for as long but it can stand as tall and as proud or even more so for finally putting the spotlight on other heroes who set the foundation for the first-world nation we are so proud of today.

“Democratising Theatre for Youth”

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 28 July 2015

ArtsWok Collaborative and the Esplanade have come together to plug what appears to be a gap in the Singaporean theatre scene: the lack of an avenue / platform for youth to showcase their works to the public. And if the maiden run of the festival is anything to go by, future iterations are looking promising … but not before ironing out some kinks first.

The 5 festival plays were conveniently chosen from the 2014 Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for Drama (English) for Junior Colleges and Centralised Institutes. They share a commonality in that they all are loosely based on the festival theme of Causality. In addition, according to the festival’s Artistic Director Alvin Tan, the 5 plays features strong ensemble pieces and they provide an antidote to an otherwise individualistic and competitive world. What he fails to point out however, is how most of the works being presented are not actually written by the youth themselves and the direction is also usually provided by an adult – a teacher in charge of the school drama club or an arts practitioner, roped in to help mentor and train the students for the competition.

The standout pieces were Hwa Chong Institution’s The Female of the Species and Raffles Institution’s 10,000 Cigarettes. The former showcases the casts’ acting chops really well by getting them to play stereotypical female personas ranging from the gossip schoolgirl to the wife dealing with the partner’s infidelity at the cusp of ending the relationship. Alex Broun’s darkly humorous play 10,000 Cigarettes on the other hand is given a whimsical treatment by RI with lots of physical theatre thrown in to complement the brilliant banter. Catholic Junior College’s Poop handles Chong Tze Chien’s writing with great sensitivity and care. This showcase features committed performances by the three female leads playing the roles of Emily, Mother and Grandmother. The use of white masks for the cast, whilst simple, conveys the theme of hallucinations, spirits and the afterlife across clearly.

What ultimately soured the experience though, was ironically the very people this festival was supposed to cater to and celebrate. Admittedly, some of the issues presented on stage are not your everyday, run-of-the-mill topics the average school-going Singaporean student would identify with but neither are they so highfalutin that it would be beyond their grasp. It is irksome then, to have them react (oohs, ahhs and ooh la las) rather loudly and inappropriately to the littlest of things. One of the male actors from CJC gave the whole experience a rather positive spin during the Question and Answer segment by stating that the experience taught him that as an actor his job was not just to deliver the lines but to also react to the audience and pace the performance accordingly. For me (and the rest of the ticket-paying adult audience) though, part of a youth theatre festival must at the very least in its outreach efforts, be concerned with cultivating a sense of decorum that is unfortunately sorely lacking in young theatre audiences.

The short interval where the Q&A is conducted for the group that came before is neither purposeful nor insightful as the questions are over-determined and banal, and they do not mask the fact they are time-fillers while the next group is prepping to perform. Regardless of the audience demographic, the facilitator need not have dumbed down the questions.

Peer Pleasure certainly holds a lot of promise but for it to be a successful youth theatre festival, it must aspire to be a theatre of the youth, by the youth and for the youth.

“Sweet Concoction”

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 3 May 2015

Teater Ekamatra kicks off their 2015 season with a showcase of the works of two graduates of their playwright-director mentorship programme and if this double bill is a sign of things to come, then it sure looks like it is going to be a stellar year for the company.

The first offering ‘Tart’, written by Nabilah Said and directed by Irfan Kasban, is delectable on so many levels. The script authentically captures the social milieu of the modern-day Malay Muslim demographic and is chockfull of astute depictions of the community’s concerns. These range from the very trivial phenomenon of makciks calling in to radio station deejays to the more serious chasm between the tudung-ed and non tudung-ed members of the community and how they view each other.

It is quite clear that the playwright (Nabilah Said) has an excellent ear for dialogue as the repartee between the three characters is on point from start to finish and is further enhanced by the convincing portrayals by all three actors, who give committed performances and do not veer into gross caricatures.

Under the guise of a simple reunion ten years in the making, to bake pineapple tarts together, we bear witness to how the three protagonists of Shiq (Umi Kalthum), Marina (Tini Aliman) and Huda (Nessa Anwar) go through this rite of passage together, to exorcise their inner demons and to shake off ghosts that still haunt them from their past.

This theme of having to go through an acid test of sorts and coming out stronger is further reflected in the inter-textual reference in the form of a recording of Irfan Kasban’s ‘Tahan’ that was running in the background as a television show being screened in Marina’s living room as the play went on.

The second play, ‘Abu’ written by Hazwan Norly and directed by The Art of Strangers, is definitely broodier compared to its earlier counterpart. We are presented with two siblings (played by Ruzaini Mazani and Siti Zuraida) who are facing strained ties because Kakak upped and left the family a long time ago due to extenuating circumstances, which we later find out is probably to escape from an abusive father. The prodigal daughter only returns home to reunite with her younger brother upon the demise of their mother and so begins their journey of rekindling their strained relationship. Do they wish to go down the same destructive path or would they emerge as phoenixes from the ashes of their checkered past?

Because of the short turnaround time, the sets for both plays are simple but they do not feel minimalistic. In fact, the designers are ingenious in creating two very believable live-in spaces for the characters by outlining the floor plan on stage. The hanging props in ‘Abu’ also seemed to mirror the baggage and unresolved issues that are hanging in the air between both siblings.

I am on tenterhooks; eagerly anticipating future offerings by these new talents that I am sure will be as sweet smelling as the aroma of pineapple jam that greeted us as we entered the theatre.

“Sins and Salvation”

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 13 May 2015

In a play that primarily comprises five vignettes that centre around Geylang – the one locale in Singapore which can simultaneously boast of having a rich history of Malay heritage and at the same time play host to a seedier underbelly of what is known to many as the nation’s red-light district – some narratives are more memorable than others.

The standout storylines were the ‘MYID’ sections (the longest of the five vignettes on offer and interspersed with the others in between) – detailing the efforts of a government agency in trying to relocate the residents and businesses of Geylang to make way for a new development in the area known as Casa Geylang – and the TVB-esque ‘Brothers in the Net’ section which portrayed the trials and tribulations of a gang leader and his triad of men as they surround themselves in vice rings of prostitution and drugs.

Generally the space in which the play was performed is not ideal for a full-fledged theatre performance – it has a very small stage with no proper rigs for lights and it does not have the traditional wings on stage left and right for the actors to make their entrances and exits, resulting sometimes in awkward blocking choices. Worst of all, the space lacks sound-proofing and when a public announcement is made in the mall that houses the space, the audience is rudely distracted from the production. But despite these challenges, the ensemble still manages to press on and deliver fairly committed performances. In fact, I believe that not having access to the technology usually afforded by technical production elements, works in their favour and allows the audience to focus on the acting and the quality of the script.

The production sure was wild – there were heaps of sexual innuendos thrown at the audience, some through double entendres and others through not so subtle physical actions and the audience (one suspects they are primarily made up of friends, family and supporters of the cast) lap up every single of one of them.

As if that isn’t enough, the audience is assaulted with over-the-top performances that were punctuated by F-bombs galore and lots of screaming and yelling that meander into amateur theatre-making territory. There is even a cross-dressing element thrown in but one questions the overall intent and purpose of such a directorial choice (apart from engendering cheap laughs) as there is obviously no dearth of female cast members to choose from.

Despite the hits and misses, it is ultimately very promising still to note new, young talents coming to the fore, despite the fact that there is still much room for them to grow and find their footing as actors. Principally, they must practise restraint in order to turn in more nuanced performances.

The Ha-Ha Show? Not Quite.

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 22 April 2015

I have to be honest that I came to this show with gargantuan expectations, having watched prior runs of Kumar’s stand-up comedy shows a number of years ago.

And it certainly looks promising.

As you make your way into the theatre, you are greeted by red and white ribbons adorning the corridors (akin to an SG50 or National Day Celebrations event) and the theatre is swathed with bright lights and atmospheric (euphemism for grandiose) music once you enter. In fact there is even a photo booth with props outside the theatre for you to take fun shots with your company for the night and even chances to take part in a lucky draw by completing an online survey. All very fun and carnival-like.

But it stops there.

Once the show proper gets underway, you are reminded how the meat of any comedic performance must be the material. And this is when all the superficial facade of the glitzy performance starts to crack. A lot of the material is really quite hackneyed: digs at local politicians, national campaigns and businesses, foreign nationals and even our silly Singaporean antics. Granted, nothing is sacred because Kumar will take on anything regardless of race, language or religion. But this was a vegan roasting at best.

The show takes a risk with an audience interaction segment in the middle of the show. This is often tricky as audience reaction is unpredictable. Nevertheless, Kumar is in his element and deals with everything thrown at him and milks it for all its worth. It is during times like these where you see glimpses of Kumar’s brilliance as a comedian – his ability to find and create humour from the ad-lib moments instead of adhering to a set script.

The show can do with tighter direction to avoid coming across as overly-kitschy. To be perfectly honest, what is the point of the different voiceover effects? And getting Kumar to lip-sync to Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Roar?

Aesthetically, there are (few) hits and (many more) misses. Kumar looks elegant in all his dresses, sari and Wonder Woman outfit. However, the set design is sparse and largely unimaginative. The audience, fully aware of the five-star motif and theme of the show, is presented with – yep, you’ve guessed it — five huge LED-lit stars emblazoned across the otherwise deserted Esplanade Theatre stage. Oh yes, did I forget to mention that these stars yoyo up and down in between scenes and provide a convenient screen for Kumar to perform one of his many costume changes? To be fair, the final scene did introduce a shiny, shimmering curtain as the backdrop in addition to the stars but this is yet another distraction. Ultimately, there are few things that added a purposeful dimension to the performance – which unfortunately is an apt description for the entire show.

“What’s in a name?
That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.”

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 10 April 2015

“If you want to know my name, you have to get to know me first!” proclaims Ashley (Claire Chung), in her explanation as to why she adamantly refuses to abide by the school rule that requires all students of Trinity Girls School (TGS) to put on their nametags as part of the school uniform as it is clearly stated in the Student Handbook, a fact often harped on by the disciplinarian Miss Wong (Noorlinah Mohamed).

The preoccupation with naming or labeling conventions is a recurring motif in this play which questions the associations we tag to many things: the different academic streams – Special, Express, Normal, EM1, EM2, EM3 – and academic achievements like Bands 1, 2, 3 and 4. It is no coincidence too that the Shakespearean play that the class was studying was the tale of the star-crossed lovers ‘Romeo and Juliet’, themselves plagued, not by choice, by unfortunate last names. In trying to make the play more relatable for her students, Ms Sarah Hew (Oon Shu An), asks, “What is a Normal? It is nor hand nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a Man.”

Even the school as an institution is in the process of being conferred ‘Autonomous’ status as Principal Mrs Lim (Karen Tan) reminds her students and staff. Gaining autonomous status will allow the school to plan their own curriculum and activities as compared to other government-run schools. Ironically, in a bid to attain this coveted status, the school administrators seem more bent on adhering to the status quo rather than breaking boundaries.

The inclusion of Marianne’s (Lim Shi-An) character, the exemplary star student, the Limited Edition Barbie, as a foil to Daphne (Audrey Teong) and Ashley, the defective dolls is important to further drive home the point that we are all susceptible to seemingly innocuous labels and have our own demons to struggle with.

For a play that is so conscious about the effect that labels have on the selected parties, it is somewhat strange that in the costume design, the principal actors and the ensemble cast were “labeled” differently – the former with white blouses and the latter with black ones underneath their pinafores.

There are, of course, production elements that impresses: like the multi-purpose set which replicates different parts of school like the corridors, the elevated podium at the assembly ground and the black see-through mesh is even reminiscent of classroom blackboards but more importantly allows us to observe the ensemble in the background while still focusing on the principal actors in front.

Director Claire Wong’s decision to incorporate physical gestures and vocalized soundscapes is successful in evoking a believable convent school setting complete with the pre-requisite hymns.

After the curtain call, Checkpoint Theatre announced that there is an intention to restage the play in future and so begs the question: are you going to let this reviewer’s idiosyncratic take colour your own viewing of the play and enter the theatre with preconceived notions?

Or are you able to keep an open mind and get to know and assess the play on its own merits first before passing judgement?

“Pigeons”

Reviewer: Muhammed Faizad Bin Salim
Performance: 30 January 2015

Would you feed pigeons, encouraging them to populate and embrace them as part of the landscape or would you avoid them like the plague and hope you won’t be blessed by their droppings?

Or worse still, would you make it your life’s mission to eradicate them off the face of the earth?

What on the surface appears to be a glimpse into the lives of two ordinary teenage boys very quickly degenerates into something much darker. Ashley (played endearingly by Ebi Shankara) and his best mate Amir (Khairul aka Kaykay) swiftly become pawns in the larger socio-political game of life.

The dark themes in the narrative are echoed in the lighting design – for a significant amount of time at the start of the play, Karl (played by Lian Sutton) has his face hidden from the audience’s view as he walks and delivers his lines. He lurks in the background, in the shadows silently observing the other characters. Towards the end of the play, in the café scene, it comes to light (quite literally) that Karl is no innocent bystander but a menacing mastermind.

Overall, the cast has great chemistry with one another and does justice to the script – although some are more successful than others when delivering the British accent. There are genuinely hilarious scenes of the two protagonists just getting high, wasted and crashing a car as well as cute, flirtatious scenes between Ashley and Amir’s sister Aminah (Nur Sahirrah Safit) which are crucial in varying the tempo and the mood of an otherwise serious play.

The set was simple and meant to mimic a cartoonish / fantasy world (according to director Claire Devine in the programme booklet). I am not quite sure if it achieved that desired effect. The set changes could be a bit faster and more fluid as the changes affect the momentum of the play and makes the different scenes come across as separate vignettes instead of being part of a larger narrative.

Be warned also of the abrupt ending to this 75-minute play: it was rather strange having the house lights come on immediately after something horrific happens to one of the protagonists and having a front-of-house staff address you as school-going children, demanding that you vacate the building immediately because of what has just transpired. It was the only time in the play that the audience was addressed directly. Whilst not quite gelling with the rest of the play, it does make you think of how complicit the audience was in the turn of events both in the play as well as in real life.

Are we passive observers of the injustices that surround us?

Have we been unwitting perpetrators of hate, racism and bigotry?