HERE AND BEYOND by Toy Factory Productions

“Better On Page Than On Stage“

Reviewer: Cordelia Lee
Performance: 21 July 2018

Comprising 12 independent vignettes, Toy Factory’s theatrical adaptation of the anthology Here and Beyond: 12 Stories attempts to bring Singaporean literature to life.

The key word here is “attempts”.

Adapting local literature from page to stage is commendable – it promotes an undervalued genre of work that captures our local sentiments and culture. Good intentions, however, can only go so far if the execution isn’t up to par.

The ensemble is stretched quite thin, with each actor playing multiple roles across the 12 scenes. This has possibly limited the time and energy dedicated to developing each of the characters in the rehearsal phase, which has its consequences.

Accents are sometimes inconsistent with the information provided about a character, which reduces the believability of fictional portrayals. Two Singaporean teenagers (Tan Rui Shan and Abby Lai) grow up on a ranch in Nevada. They live in a bubble, kept at home by their overprotective father and banned from owning anything of Western influence. Although their parents speak a Singaporean-accented English peppered with colloquial slangs, the girls converse in a standard English devoid of any Singaporean accent. They sound nothing like their parents – the people who are their greatest influence. In another scene, the ensemble transforms into the crowd of New Yorkers that Hidayah (Rusydina Afiqah) recounts. Their voices surround her, bombarding her with ignorant questions regarding race, nationality and her command of English. There is just one problem. These “New Yorkers” all sound Singaporean.

Instantly, the flimsy illusion of this fictional world shatters.

This broken illusion is not helped by inconsistent sound design. The awkwardly timed cues and bipolar volume offers more harm than help when establishing setting. A loud bass drone sends reverberations through the seats, overpowering Irfan Kasban’s lines as a judge in one scene. Later, intermission music drags into the next scene, drowning out Rui Shan’s monologue as she competes with it to be heard. As it clumsily fades to silence, we wait expectantly to hear something else, but the intended ambient music does not arrive until a quarter of the way through the monologue. Things also get confusing when the ensemble rolls luggage around while what sounds like the buzz from a crowded football stadium plays over the speakers. My best bet? This is Russia’s airport.

That said, there are rare moments that make these two hours slightly bearable. Petrina Tan’s lighting design consistently builds a dynamic mise-en-scene. Tinted aerial spotlights flash repeatedly along the length of a stationary make-shift car at one point, creating the visual effect of passing streetlamps. With that alone, she creates the illusion of characters driving a vehicle onstage. Acting wise, Irfan’s performance as a toddler is noteworthy. As he fumbles around with imaginary toys and innocently states the obvious, he charms the audience with his heart-warmingly childlike honesty.

But at the end of the day, Toy Factory’s Here and Beyond starts everywhere, gets nowhere, and is two hours I would rather spend elsewhere. It has lots to tidy up, lest someone add the word “hope” behind its title.