“As someone who dropped chemistry in secondary school, who never took physics, I never expected myself to attempt researching for a play that borrowed ideas from quantum physics and religion. During the 3 months research phase, I was guided to ruminate on the reasons, the internalised experiences, values, standpoints I had that had drawn me to the research material of my choice. It was a trying yet cathartic process; it required the excavation of memories, some buried for good reasons. I would look at all the beliefs I had gleaned, the practices I defended with a fire, watch them shaky in their stilts, re-watch the play out of events that had seemingly cornered them into my hands. Occasionally I was asked to vocalise these reflections, but only a shred would I be able to speak. It wasn’t only regarding this did my speech fail me. I’ve lost count of the number of times during Boiler Room discussions where I was unable to express myself eloquently, all because of how blown away I was by some new perspective. I think this in many ways is testament to how insightful this entire process has been so far–the way one steps into a distant country–everything foreign in the most exciting way.

During this 3 months, the Boiler Room playwrights were instructed not to jump into writing, instead to be open to new stimulus, to let the subject matter stew. With no immediate translation of research to page, there were times where I doubted the gravity of what I had to say, that my voice wasn’t suited for writing something as ambitious as what I had decided upon. I wouldn’t say I’ve discovered a clear path around this, that such thoughts won’t ever hound me again, but it is easier to renew one’s conviction when one is constantly being challenged, and from that, led to see with fresh eyes, the things one had needed to express; I have the Boiler Room team to thank, for doing precisely that.”