LET’S GET BACK TOGETHER by Red Pill Productions

“Let’s Get Back Together”

Reviewer: Isaac Lim
Performance: 9 July 2016

Let’s just say that queer-centred plays are a bit over-exposed in the past decade or so. With the increase public discussions over human rights, the spotlight falls too far from this once marginalized community. That said, Let’s Get Back Together presents an earnest take on lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender issues via the verbatim theatre genre.

Director Mark Ng (co-writing the text with Kenneth Chia and in collaboration with Kimberly Arriola) knows the subject well enough to not dwell on any single issue, or a specific group within the larger queer community. The quotes and stories are taken through interviews with 50 or so individuals who identifies as queer or allies. The result is a well-balanced showcase of the struggles the people face and the voices wanting to be heard.

First performed in 2014, the show has been updated with recent events and, perhaps in a bid to present a more balanced viewpoint, a chapter from an opposing camp. The ensemble cast of six actors switch between the many characters they play with ease. However, as the show moved on, many of the characters appear very similar, with barely any distinctions between them. Jo Tan is perhaps the only actor who made sure every character she played is discreet and unique, animating the interviewees with conviction.

The simple set (designed by Elizabeth Kow) comprising translucent screens and moveable white wooden cubes allow for different scenes to take place in different spots across the stage. The screens also create little home spaces for the actors to inhabit, with the help of projections. The multimedia projected (by Kimberly Ong) also help stitch together the various chapters in the 90-minutes-long performance.

Let’s Get Back Together may ultimately not add much to the overall pro-LGBT argument. However, the authenticity (and renewability) of this work makes it a good complement to the already comprehensive queer literature collection in Singapore.