[LJ2ME] Applause: LOUD!
Entering the theatre and taking my seat, I found myself, as did other members of the audience, taking in the sight that was the stage set. Shrouded in an eye-tearing haze that lingered and was picked out by the spotlights, the stage was strewn with articles of clothing and swathes of fabric to the front and piled up high to the rear. A Calvin Klein underwear here, a patchwork quilt there, the chaos on stage represented the state of affairs after Singapore is under siege from an unidentified source. A militarian coup ("Encik"... "Sir"... "Prime Minister"... "King"...) has usurped government. A charismatic religious leader ("Goddess bless"...) tries to rebuild society.
The premise is good and as the play progressed, the themes it explored and developed were as relevant today as in the futuristic forecast of the year 2058. These issues presumably still and probably will affect Singapore, and how our people and government respond and react are hinted at.
As visually arresting the set was, it was the tour de force acting from the tight ensemble that one left the play remembering. Brendon Fernandez carried the whole play through from start to finish as he fronted a news programme covering the renaissance. His partner-in-crime, played by an unfamiliar yet sterling Risa Okamoto, trudged through the wasteland filling us in on the situation at ground zero. Strong support also came from veteran Janice Koh who was effortlessly efficient and an unknown but clearly talented Loong Seng Onn. Providing the laughs were Gene Sha Rudyn and Lee Weng Kee whose facial expressions alone carried the weight of their lines and more.
There were elements of multimedia which were foiled by technical glitches that somehow played out and mirrored the potential problems if, when, the country is under attack. This would have passed unnoticed if not pointed out by an apologetic Ivan Heng after the show. And he actually suggested looking for him for free tickets should anyone want to see the play without the flaws for comparison. DIdn't take him up on his offer. Wonder how many did.
This debut play by Ken Kwek was a refreshing change from the failures of the first two of the Singapore Theatre Festival I caught over the past fortnight. Perhaps the fact that his work was about the future allowed him a free rein over his imagination and literary creativity whereas the others had to deal with the past and what they had to work with they could not change after all.
Now, if you'd indulge me a little, let me take you away from the scene. Before the play began, I was taking in the laundry on stage and was anal-retentively considering inventorising the items when random thoughts plagued me.
Where did they get all these clothes from? Are they new or old? Did the director ask the cast and crew to empty their wardrobes? Did a karang-guni man sponsor the show? Are the clothes clean? WHAT'S THAT I SMELL?!
I was quick to put it down to the post-apocalyptic rubble, but a further investigation and nausea-inducing sniff fest ruled out the set pieces and identified the culprit. Despite me glaring at her and pinching my nose, the lady beside me didn't get what I was trying to bring across. WHAT'S IT WITH WOMEN TAKING THEIR SHOES OFF IN PUBLIC?!
Apocalype: LIVE! wasn't the catastrophe the title referenced. But I know how the world is coming to an end... Death by Athlete's Foot...
The premise is good and as the play progressed, the themes it explored and developed were as relevant today as in the futuristic forecast of the year 2058. These issues presumably still and probably will affect Singapore, and how our people and government respond and react are hinted at.
As visually arresting the set was, it was the tour de force acting from the tight ensemble that one left the play remembering. Brendon Fernandez carried the whole play through from start to finish as he fronted a news programme covering the renaissance. His partner-in-crime, played by an unfamiliar yet sterling Risa Okamoto, trudged through the wasteland filling us in on the situation at ground zero. Strong support also came from veteran Janice Koh who was effortlessly efficient and an unknown but clearly talented Loong Seng Onn. Providing the laughs were Gene Sha Rudyn and Lee Weng Kee whose facial expressions alone carried the weight of their lines and more.
There were elements of multimedia which were foiled by technical glitches that somehow played out and mirrored the potential problems if, when, the country is under attack. This would have passed unnoticed if not pointed out by an apologetic Ivan Heng after the show. And he actually suggested looking for him for free tickets should anyone want to see the play without the flaws for comparison. DIdn't take him up on his offer. Wonder how many did.
This debut play by Ken Kwek was a refreshing change from the failures of the first two of the Singapore Theatre Festival I caught over the past fortnight. Perhaps the fact that his work was about the future allowed him a free rein over his imagination and literary creativity whereas the others had to deal with the past and what they had to work with they could not change after all.
Now, if you'd indulge me a little, let me take you away from the scene. Before the play began, I was taking in the laundry on stage and was anal-retentively considering inventorising the items when random thoughts plagued me.
Where did they get all these clothes from? Are they new or old? Did the director ask the cast and crew to empty their wardrobes? Did a karang-guni man sponsor the show? Are the clothes clean? WHAT'S THAT I SMELL?!
I was quick to put it down to the post-apocalyptic rubble, but a further investigation and nausea-inducing sniff fest ruled out the set pieces and identified the culprit. Despite me glaring at her and pinching my nose, the lady beside me didn't get what I was trying to bring across. WHAT'S IT WITH WOMEN TAKING THEIR SHOES OFF IN PUBLIC?!
Apocalype: LIVE! wasn't the catastrophe the title referenced. But I know how the world is coming to an end... Death by Athlete's Foot...