JOURNEY TO NOWHERE by The Finger Players

“Journey to Nowhere: Subversive, political take on a renowned classic tale”

Writer: Isaac Lim
Performance: 23 October 2020

Journey to Nowhere is a witty, twisted interpretation of the once-banned Ming dynasty literary classic, Journey to the West. I found it provocative, yet fun to watch.

Written and directed by Oliver Chong, and performed by the graduating cohort of NAFA’s Diploma in Theatre (English Drama), it was staged and streamed online as part of The Finger Players’ season Present/Future. Chong first created Journey for another art school, and the play was previously performed in 2009, in the shadow of a global financial crisis and the swine flu pandemic, and when Obama first took office in the US. Times may have changed, but the work remains fresh today, especially in the chaotic times of another pandemic, with political struggles happening internationally, and in the digital age of impersonations and fake news.

Journey is about the power struggle between gods, humans and monsters. The narrative loosely follows the original classic, with some contemporary twists to the characters. An alcohol-abusing Monkey is banished from the Heavens by God because of his mischief. He is tasked to help a monk, Tripitaka, travel to the Western Heavens to collect true scriptures. Along the way, they are joined by Bobby (later revealed to be Pigsy), a lovelorn, half-pig and half-man creature, whose fiancé commits suicide because of their arranged marriage. The trio runs into demons and monsters, including Rabbit, who swaps bodies with a human being in a bid to deceive and kill people and collect hearts for good karma.

In this Journey, Monkey refers to God endearingly as Father, and is promised ruling powers if he completes this task of guiding Tripitaka to the West. The princely God, who appears suave and charming and dressed like a Korean boyband member, is a fresh departure from previous sage-like depictions of the character. Tripitaka too, is a hip monk, played by a female actor with a bald headpiece.

The fantastical genre allows for some choreographed violence and extreme gore. There are some stylised wushu fighting between Monkey, Bobby and Rabbit. We see palpitating hearts removed from the characters to prove innocence, and supposed sacrifice of (puppet) babies to create an elixir of life.

The simple set, with three black and white concentric circles on the floor, creates a mystical playground for the drama. The key characters travel around the circles on their journeys, seemingly lost or going nowhere at times.

The graduating students aren’t only tasked with acting in Journey. They jump around and perform gymnastics on stage effortlessly. Part of the ensemble is tasked to play a variety to instruments, including a mix of percussions made with everyday items like cans and wooden boxes, to create a layered sonic soundscape, designed by Jing Ng. They don intricately designed masks designed by Chan Si Lei, who experimented with 3D printing for the first time. In a shift away from the classic tale, Monkey is given a white choker in place of a headband, which suffocates him whenever Tripitaka chants the magic phrase.

Journey presents us with a world where beasts are at odds with rebels. Living in a country where no rebels are allowed, I found comfort in the play’s familiar setting, as much as this familiarity should actually be unnerving. In a year where political upheavals are happening across the world, along with misinformation and frauds tearing the Internet apart, Journey reminds us to look beyond masks and appearances, to look within for possible answers, and asks for us to constantly question the ruling powers.