MEENAH AND CHEENAH by Dream Academy

“More than just entertainment”

Reviewer: Meera Nair
Performance: 15 May 2016

I should begin this review with the actual subject matter of this play. After all, a title like Meenah and Cheenah definitely piques curiosity. This production is a series of sketches that poke fun at the stereotypes of the Malays and Chinese in Singapore. After all, in the name of racial harmony and in real life, we simply do not jest about race.

It is in this very act of rebellion that Meenah and Cheenah entertains. Blunt and no holds barred, this show embraces those unflattering stereotypes and makes them funny. This comes as no surprise as lead writer Alfian Sa’at has never shied away from dealing with race issues. The fact that the sketches are built on real life experiences faced by the production team makes it all the more resonant.

But Meenah and Cheenah is not just about race. It also takes potshots at current and historical affairs. In its imaginative take on afterlife, there are parking aunties and CPF… and a pontianak riding one of those two-wheeled electric balancing scooters. Hang Li Po in hindsight is actually victim of human trafficking who faces major linguistic and cultural difficulties when she arrives in Malacca.

Despite charging through a series of unrelated sketches, the production does not feel messy. In fact, the last sketch neatly recalls the start, giving a nice touch of finality and a sense of having come full circle. The flow of the production is also kept up by Siti Khalijah and Judee Tan, who effortlessly bring energy and humour to their gamut of ‘minah’ and ‘cheena’ characters.

This production actively invites its audience to take photographs and videos, fittingly during a sketch on social media influencers. Nevertheless, I am surprised to find more people watching the show rather than taking photographs  even when they are encouraged to do so.

Meenah and Cheenah presents itself as flippant and comic, but it has daringly taken on a topic that we often turn a blind eye to – that of racial stereotyping. As it turns out, this is the third production I have seen in two months that honestly addresses ‘race’, and it is heartening to see that. By bringing these issues out into the light, these productions raise awareness and teach us to take ourselves less seriously, and if the reactions of the audience around me are any indication, it appears to be working.

In short, this production is definitely entertaining; but it does more than just entertain.