TITOUDAO by Toy Factory

“Returning to a State of Utopia”

Reviewer: Beverly Yuen
Performance: 12 March 2015

This fifth staging of Titoudao is performed in English, Mandarin and Hokkien with English surtitles. It is based on the life of playwright/director Goh Boon Teck’s mother—Chinese opera actress Oon Ah Chiam—who fought against all odds to become a renowned wayang (Chinese Opera) star in Singapore. Set in the 1940s to the present day, Titoudao shifts between Oon’s life story and her trademark performances as Titoudao, a witty and loyal male servant in a traditional Hokkien opera.

I went to the play with mixed feelings. Having watched and loved the first staging in 1994, I was fearful that my expectations would not be met since revivals are often not as good as the original. To my surprise, I enjoyed the play much more than I did before, and perhaps it is because 21 years later, I saw things that I did not notice in 1994. The theme of search for utopia stands out strongly to me this time. The staging with its shift of characters, the shift from performance to a performance-within-a-performance, and the leaps in time and space, transport the audience to different realities, memories and dreams. With the blurring between reality and dream; life and stage, there is a hint of a distant euphoric land that awaits our discovery. This is aptly denoted by the innocence of child play and kampong days. It also seems to invite the audience to reflect on the past while celebrating the golden jubilee of the country: What have we gained? What have we given up along the way to become what we are today?

Audrey Luo deserves a standing ovation for her powerful portrayal of Titoudao. She possesses a strong grasp of the different emotional states as the Oon of different ages. Her perfect comic timing as Titoudao, her captivating and strong vocal delivery of her solo numbers, her swift shift between various characters give rise to a Titoudao that is adorable and an actress that is lady of strength.

The cross-dressing characters that appear in the traditional Hokkien opera do not merely provide comic effect, but foregrounds the craft of cross-dressing in Chinese opera, be it the work on the voice, songs or movements. Trev Neo is convincing in his depiction of the character Teng Swee Lian, the sister of the self-centred half-sister Lay Kiao (played by Rei Poh). He carries the refined and subtle movements of a lady without any awkward or forced enactment of a feminine figure.

Transitions of scenes with the constant shifts of time and space are highlights of the play. The transitions are made seamlessly by the performers who creatively maneuver the set and change costumes while keeping to their actions of laughing, speaking or playing at the same time. There is also effective use of sudden, sharp and clear transitions for scene change. I especially like how Audrey transforms from old to young and vice versa with a sharp move such as a jump or an acrobatic act. Transformations of characters, time and space, as well as fluid shifts between wayang, real life, and fantasy, bring audiences into worlds within worlds. All these would not be made possible without the strong ensemble cast members who play multiple characters in the over two-hour performance.

Throughout the piece, live percussion by musician Zhuang Haining adds lots of lively moments to the scenes with its sharp rhythmic accents. However, the only pity is that the actions of some performers are not as precise as the percussion accompaniment and consequently, the percussion music seems to overpower some of the actions.

Overall, Titoudao is a play with soul, sincerity and superb artistry.