“少数与多数之间的互换与碰撞”

Reviewer: Zekson Tan | 陈迦笙
Performance: 19 July 2016

虽然因应本地多元种族的环境而设置的集选区制度立意良善，可是往往有效的系统和体制都是把双刃刀。尤其其中对于“少数和多数族群”的二分法常引起人们的讨论。而《GRC》这部剧有趣的地方就在于把现实中“少数和多数”的族群做个对调，以轻松诙谐但不失严谨的表演让观众在看戏的时候除了去思考集选区制度的种种面貌，也同时重新审视一直以来对于“少数与多数”的直接定义和看法。

虽然《GRC》要探讨的课题看似严肃，但在故事情节上喜剧元素却占了绝大部分。这部剧恰到好处的拿捏了以本地和邻国政治时事为背景的笑料和讽刺。戏里引人发笑的梗像是对于领取少数族群证明过程的调侃、邻国政客的揶揄和风趣的马来语竞选短片等都是观众所熟悉的。虽然不多，但这部剧在严肃情节上的处理并没有敷衍带过。尤其在戏的后半部，以代表少数族裔的华人竞选者在群众大会的脱稿发言为导火线，让观众有机会一窥充斥着利益、无奈和妥协的政治角力和算计。而戏的结局更是带出了政治中“没有绝对的承诺”这一现实。

但就如同集选区制度一样，这样的情节和內容编排对于《GRC》想要引起观众对于“少数与多数族群”的思辨来说却也是把双刃刀。除了以幽默风趣为主调的呈现方式，《GRC》并不直接点出“少数与多数”间的碰撞和矛盾，而是借着呈现政治现实的局限性，希望观众能够主动的去反思平日里对于“少数和多数”那理所当然的定义。

但这样的氛围和说故事的方式却未必能夠在观众的心里留下足够且深刻的冲击，进而引起观众对于“少数和多数”的思考。当然并不是说单凭一部戏就希望观众能够对于这样的议题展开激烈的思考和探索。但是除了笑声和对政治现象的嘲讽，观众在离场后还能留有多少关于“少数与多数”的思考，就是见仁见智了。

然而就我而言，《GRC》除了让我带着欢笑之后的好心情离开剧场，也让我发觉就算处境对调，不管谁是少数谁是多数，问题还是会存在。所以即使在数据和现实上依然存在“多与少”的不同，但唯有不再以“少数与多数”来自我标签和区分，似乎才是成熟理性的多元种族社会该有的面貌。

“Chasing our dreams…together?”

Reviewer: Jocelyn Chng
Performance: 15 July 2016

Geng Rebut Cabinet (GRC), first staged in December 2015, is revived as part of the W!ld Rice Singapore Theatre Festival 2016. With the latest general election barely over in September 2015, both productions (just over six months apart) ride on raw memories and emotions associated that fateful event.

The premise of GRC is quite straightforward – playwright Alfian Sa’at imagines a world in which the percentages of ethnic Malays and Chinese in Singapore’s population are swapped, making ethnic Malays the overwhelming majority. Against this backdrop, the play traces the activities of five characters, members of the fictional Workers’ Action Party (WAP), as they campaign their way to eventual success during an upcoming general election.

The cast is strong overall, believable as political party candidates, each with their distinctive quirks. There is the experienced but slightly obnoxious minister with the bad jokes, the motherly grassroots leader, the superficial overseas scholar, the capable lawyer with a secret, and of course, the “token minority” candidate.

The effectiveness of the play, despite its overall simplicity, manifests in how uncomfortable it makes me feel within the first few minutes. As the party members have a meeting to plan their strategy for the election campaign, all of them instinctively communicate and banter in Malay, oblivious to the fact that new party member Catherine Seah is ethnic Chinese. It is only after awhile that a fellow new member, Maisarah Hamdan, reminds the rest that they may be being insensitive, prompting Catherine’s slightly apologetic reassurance to the group that she can understand them even though she may not be able to speak Malay well.

Such a scenario would conceivably be all too familiar to minority groups in real-world Singapore. Being part of the majority ethnic group, this forthright demonstration of taken-for-granted insensitivities, succeeds guilting me into reflection.

The play continues along these lines, throwing out every tacky racial stereotype of the Chinese you can think of, such as liking red and having a penchant for gambling, naturally frowned upon in the play’s Malay-Muslim-dominant world.

As is typical in Alfian’s work, the various sensitive issues mentioned in the play are nestled within an overarching cloak of humour. Much of the commentary is amusing in its familiarity to most Singaporeans, from jibes at how Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) make no geographical sense – complete with cheery Powerpoint demonstrations – to a deliberately cheesy music video showing the WAP candidates mingling with their constituents.

If there is one thing to gripe about, it would be the intrusiveness of the sound effects, which at times get in the way of the already effective script.

However, if anyone can make you laugh heartily and feel terrible at the same time, it is Alfian Sa’at. There are no easy solutions to the issues presented, so perhaps the best one can do is to recognise as much and laugh along.