SAF 2012: Very Wagnerian Night
Photo credit: Mats Bäcker
Event: ‘Very Wagnerian Night’ by Charlotte Engelkes (as part of Singapore Arts Festival 2012)
Venue: SOTA Drama Theatre
Run: 19 & 20 May 2012
Main cast: Charlotte Engelkes and Lindy Larsson
I should have known. It was Wagner after all and, with no disrespect to the composer, this felt just like how I would feel about Wagner’s pieces – a tad too long. Well, that’s another thing altogether because I don’t think his music was featured much anyway.
It was a play, or rather, storytelling in 3 parts, as part of Engelkes’ Wagner project The Very Ring, which, I believe, is essentially making reference to Wagner’s 4-opera ring cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen among other works. I’m not familiar with Wagner’s operas, but at least I did recognise one story, which was “Tristan und Isolde“. And it was really a collage of more text than song.
The first segment was “Miss Very Wagner” and has Charlotte going on as being the different heroines in the operas in the role of a (Greek) soprano who has a semi-god mother. The storytelling was rather narrative, and she relates what a good soprano would be and the heroine’s (usual) struggles. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as engaged as I hoped I would be as snippets here and there from the heroic stories were talked about. There were the occasional slight jokes, but you soon realise that the stories were relatively the same, or maybe that’s the whole point. Well, in a way, maybe that’s how stories in operas work. So it goes on and on.
However, despite not getting into the show much, I must admit Charlotte did have a good voice and my, how she worked the props. The pulleys, the sails, the many other hanging props which she moved and tugged around the stage at will as she spoke, and her versatile dress. That’s a lot of manual hard work.
The second segment of the trilogy “Siegfried – The Very Wagner Hero Hour”, was almost similar in style, but now with the focus on the hero played by Lindy Larsson (Charlotte plays the character’s mother). The segment is loosely based on Wagner’s third Ring opera Siegfried. In a similar style, though with less working of props, Lindy plays the hero who did not fear anything until he found love. Good voice too, but the way it was performed somehow reminded me a little of a child’s role-playing game with Siegfried constantly plagued by his mother’s shadow.
Segment three was the preview of “All Is Divine“, the final part of The Very Ring, and a result of a workshop with Singaporean artists that included familiar faces like Darius Tan and Celina Rosa Tan. It’s actually tied to Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, which is essentially a continuation of Siegfried‘s story. Unfortunately, by the time I reached this segment I was already quite tired and trying my best to stay focused on the show, which was slightly a bit more abstract I believe. I must apologise I can’t comment much on this segment as it just slipped past me due to my tiredness.
I guess this wasn’t really my kind of show or I was simply tired out at the end of the day. I did hear some of the audience enjoying it more than me though. That’s the end of the night for me.
Songbird
Event: Songbird (as part of the Singapore Arts Festival 2012)
Venue: Various (starting point at the Esplanade Park)
Run: 24th – 27th May 2012
Gonna Find Me A Songbird
Every now and then you come across a gem of an artistic idea which seems fresh and unique, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.
“Songbird” is essentially an app-based interactive journey that allows you to trace the mysterious disappearance of a singer-songwriter named Songbird, and in the process gather more clues in the hope of solving this mystery.
The entire journey is only made possible with either an iPhone or an iPad, and the team at Studio Now & Then were kind and meticulous enough to make provisions to loan out iPad sets to non-Apple users such as myself.
The adventure begins at the rooftop of the Festival Cafe, where we are greeted with the unexpected no-show of Songbird, who was supposed to take to the stage for a performance.
From there, we constantly consult the sagely iPad to pepper us with morsels of information to aid us in our journey, whilst leading us to various checkpoints such as the Fullerton Hotel, the Stone Benches, the Limousine next to ACM, and The Arts House.
QR codes play an important role in this adventure in releasing to us the various clues, and while the majority of clues were in the form of well-enacted video clips, there was also the odd simulated phone call as well as simulated text messages between the characters in the story and us, the app users.
What I really liked about the entire “Songbird” experience was the sheer attention to detail.
You had the sense that Tara Tan and the entire team from Studio Now & Then had put in many painstaking hours attending to every single detail in the show – from the design of the sleek and intuitive app, to the filming of the various video segments, to the curating of the mini art gallery at the Fullerton, to the opulent limousine experience, to the construction of the exquisite white birdcages.
I also liked the concept of the “press conference” at the Arts House.
It was all these little touches and ideas which made the entire journey such a delight.
Another very clever touch that some might not have realised was that the “show” had already begun a few months ago, when Songbird released her debut single “Maybe” on YouTube. (Catchy song, by the way.)
All this was carefully constructed so as to create this seemingly authentic “Sherry” persona, which would later also receive some mysterious notes from a stranger in the days leading up to the actual performance.
But while the whole “Songbird” journey was physically and technologically engaging, I found myself being strangely detached on the emotional front.
I felt the story itself was somehow unable to draw the participant into it, and soon the whole exercise became more of a casual early evening stroll round the Civic District, visiting spots I would otherwise seldom explore, and looking out for checkpoints.
It came to a point where I was merely interested in visiting all the checkpoints just so we could scan the QR codes, view the clips and move on in the journey.
And as Corrie Tan had already mentioned, I found the ending rather disappointing, as it offered scant resolution to the entire story.
For a story that seemed to build and build, you would have expected a slightly grander finish.
I was half hoping that we would have eventually been treated to a little live performance from Songbird herself, as a small form of payoff for all the walking around the past hour or so.
That would have been a beautiful way to cap off the journey.
But it just seemed to me a bit odd to me that we never really got to meet in real life any of the virtual characters that we’d been conditioned to feel for throughout the journey.
It just made things all seem a bit unfulfilling.
Nonetheless, I found the entire “Songbird” experience to be both fresh and delightful.
Studio Now & Then is definitely on to something in terms of its concept and execution.
It’s got the hardware all figured out – from the all-important app to the hit theme song to the logistics to the branding, so now it’s just a matter of finding a way to fully engage the participant, and making the entire show a truly immersive one.
Only then could you say the show has truly learnt to fly.
男男自语 (A Language of Their Own)
Event: “男男自语” – Translated from “A Language of Their Own” (as part of the Singapore Arts Festival 2012)
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio
Run: 18th – 20th May 2012
More Than Words
I thought long and hard about whether to post a review on this, because it was a Mandarin play with no English surtitles, and those who know me will know that my Mandarin isn’t exactly the best.
However, I’ve had quite a few thoughts on this play the past few days so I figured I’d better write about it, just to get it all off my chest.
“男男自语” – originally known as “A Language of Their Own” – was written in English by Singapore-born playwright Chay Yew (now based in the United States), and was first staged in New York in 1995, and then subsequently staged in Singapore by Checkpoint Theatre in 2006.
It has been translated into Mandarin by playwright and academic Robin Loon, and though the seed of the idea first appeared in 2006, it was only circa 2010 that the serious translation work actually began.
The importance of the concept of “language” in this play simply cannot be overstated, since it even features in the play’s title itself.
From the opening scene, which portrays a lengthy dialogue between Oscar (Nelson Chia) and Ming (Loo Zihan) with nary an overt gesture throughout the scene, we can see that this is to be a very dialogue-heavy play where the weight of the words are intended to take precedence over everything else.
Even stage directions such as a kiss and an embrace are merely depicted through words on a screen, and not physically acted out by the actors.
It might have seemed like an odd directorial decision, but all this was probably a deliberate effort to let the audience focus on the inherent lyricism and gravity in the text itself.
And if we were to bring in the whole notion of the entire script having been translated from English into Mandarin, and in the process unearthing fresh rhythms and nuances from the text, then the concept of language takes on yet another dimension in this production.
Truth be told, I was able to largely follow the play, even though I might have been unable to grasp some of the intricacies of the translated text, either because they just flew by too quickly, or because they were just simply beyond my grasp.
“男男自语” tells the story of a pair of gay lovers Oscar and Ming, and how they are torn apart because of Oscar’s HIV virus, and how they continue to be tormented by the memories of this former relationship even while moving on to new partners.
Oscar goes on to meet Daniel (Robin Goh), while Ming goes on to meet Robert (Timothy Nga), although neither Oscar nor Ming seem to find eventual comfort or fulfillment in their new partners.
Most people would probably single out Nelson Chia and Robin Goh as the two standout performers.
Nelson Chia was the “emotional anchor”, as Adeline Chia so eloquently put it, while Robin Goh plays the campy and free-spirited new boyfriend of Oscar.
It also didn’t hurt that both of them seemed to be the two who were most comfortable articulating in Mandarin.
I’ve heard from various sources that many who had witnessed “男男自语” were moved to tears by this production, although personally, I did not find myself coming close to tears for some strange reason or other.
It could perhaps be attributed slightly to my relative unfamiliarity with Mandarin.
I did, however, feel most sympathy for Daniel, whom I believed would have made a fantastic partner for Oscar, had it not been for the fact that Ming had already come before him and had left an indelible mark in the life of Oscar.
Right man, wrong time perhaps?
The moment at the end, when it was revealed that Daniel himself had also contracted HIV, was heart-wrenching to say the least.
The overall script was as eloquent, lyrical, profound and evocative as the best of Brahms’s symphonies, although one might stop short of comparing the collective performance to a well-played string quartet, due to the uneven acting amongst the four actors.
I’ve never seen the English version of this play, so I am unable to delve into the differences in nuances between the two versions.
And although the idea of language is of the utmost importance in this play, ultimately “男男自语” or “A Language of Their Own” isn’t so much necessarily about the language of the written word, or of racial background, or of sexual orientation.
It is, for all intents and purposes, about the language of love.
SAF 2012: The Flight of the Jade Bird
photo credit: Alex Chan
Event: ‘The Flight of the Jade Bird’ by Mark Chan (as part of the Singapore Arts Festival 2012)
Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Run: 18 & 19 May 2012
The Flight of the Jade Bird tells the story between the Jade Bird and a boy, the bond between them and a tale of loss and choice and sacrifice, and what is important in life. It is a fable set to stage in two acts – “Act 1: The Palace of the Jade Bird” and “Act 2: The Land in the South, Then Return to the Palace of the Jade Bird”, and I would say good fodder for a musical piece. And it was quite a stellar cast.
As the story unfolded, I couldn’t help but feel that it was a strange mix of being a mini orchestral performance, a musical, an opera, storytelling and dance. Strange in a way that it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be out of all these. The artists were great in their own domain, executing the performance with style and precision, but somehow, for most of the 1st act, it felt discordant, as if each were trying to stand out on its own. For one thing, I felt that the lyrics didn’t quite fit in the way it was sung (opera style), or something about it. Though I wouldn’t go as far as to say it was “jarring”, but it kind of made the experience disruptive. At some point, I wondered if having Chinese lyrics would have made a difference. After all, the music and context seemed very Asian. Despite all these, it was a relief that things got a bit better past midway of the 1st act and the performance finally began to take some form in the piece The Long Flight just before intermission.
In contrast to Act 1 which felt a bit draggy (at almost 1.5 hours), Act 2 picked up speed as the storyline progressed quicker along with the music. The discordant I felt in the 1st act was much diminished and everything seemed to fall into place as all the facets blended together and brought the show to a climatic end. A friend of mine commented that the range was not wide enough and indeed, a higher note to the music would have brought the piece to greater heights and reach a better climax, you know, more conjuration of inspiration, adventure and emotions. I would have loved to hear the counter tenor (Phua Ee Kia) reach higher, as I felt he was not optimized to his full potential.
I believe one of the highlights for me was when the dance took centre stage at certain points in the show. For most parts, it was more set in the background, but when Mui Cheuk Yin took the centre stage as the Jade Bird, she mesmerized the audience. Incidentally, I believe these were the points when the story somehow took shape. I remarked to my friend if only we could have seen more. And I believe special mention has to be made of the young Matthew Supramaniam, the boy soprano who sang the Boy part. Although there was unsteadiness initially at the beginning of the show, he warmed up soon enough and performed beautifully with his crystal clear voice and pitch.
To mark it all, a moving thank you speech was given at the end by Mark Chan, who expressed his heartfelt gratefulness for all the artists, and the history behind each of them. I found that very sweet and wonderful to know how the production came together.
Cock
Event: “Cock” by Buds Theatre Company
Venue: Drama Centre Black Box
Run: 10th – 13th May ’12
Written by: Mike Bartlett
Directed by: Rayann Condy
Cast: Walter Hanna, Koey Foo, Rebecca Lee, Ray Condy
“Cock”, the word, may refer to many things. For one, it might make reference to the sexuality context as presented here. However, on another level, it can seem more like a reference to a wakening, or a call to listen up.
The play was all about John (Walter Hanna), a man caught between deciding whether to return to his ex-boyfriend or building a new life with his new girlfriend. Suddenly confused if he’s straight or gay (or maybe bi-), it is about a man’s journey of self-discovery, not just his sexuality, but about who he is. With the boyfriend (Koey Foo), he is in an almost oppressive relationship where he plays the “child”. But with her (Rebecca Lee), he matures and is allowed to take charge, where he discovers he could be something more. I guess in a relationship, it’s really about how someone brings something good out of you, no matter who it is.
Repeatedly, John is questioned about finding out what or who he is, although I think the “what” and “who” one is can be different. What you are or do doesn’t necessarily define who you are. It is who you are that defines what you let yourself be or do. Or maybe that’s the whole point? (I don’t know if this makes any sense)
One of my first thoughts during the show was “that’s quite a lot of talking/conversation going on”. So it would make for a rich script dealing with modern issues and conflict. One can’t decide if you should take John as a two-timing selfish guy who wants the best of both worlds, or the confused lost boy who doesn’t know what to do when caught in-between. However, a decision had to be made, and it was back to the old, or was it really? Even as John’s boyfriend had “won” him back as a “trophy” as John terms it, you know it won’t be the same; with his defiance at the end (about the cushion and lights), you sensed that he might have found a part of who he is, and maybe, just maybe, the future would be at his own terms.
An occasional light humour surfaced from time to time, and though the actors brought emotional and conflict points forward, maybe it could have been pushed a bit further. As I said, I felt there was a lot of “talking” going on, so I could be missing something there.
A Chorus Line
Event: A Chorus Line
Venue: Sands Theater at Marina Bay Sands
Run: 4th – 27th May 2012
Dance Dance Revolution
It’s kinda hard to believe, but in the hallowed ranks of the longest-running Broadway shows of all time, “A Chorus Line” actually stands at an overwhelmingly impressive Number 5, although it will in all likelihood soon be surpassed by ‘The Lion King”, which is only less than a hundred shows behind.
Directed and choreographed by the legendary Michael Bennett, “A Chorus Line” first opened on Broadway in 1975, and although its cultural references may evidently be dated in today’s milieu, the musical still stands out for its incredibly bold and adventurous premise.
One can only imagine how revolutionary this concept musical was back in the 70′s, and the huge list of Tony Awards it has since amassed is a testament to the sheer impact which this 125-minute musical had on the musical theatre landscape.
It is an example of taking an intriguing concept to the nth degree, and doing a heck of a good job out of it.
The story is simple enough – everything happens in a dance studio where director/choreographer Zach conducts dance auditions to select a chorus of 4 male and 4 female dancers for a Broadway show.
The opening scene is where we are immediately thrust into the thick of the action, where all the eager auditionees are being hastily put through their paces.
Shortly after, the group is whittled down to 17, and from there we are slowly presented with the life stories of the remaining auditionees.
“A Chorus Line” has definitely got to be the most dance-intensive musical I have ever seen, and one can only imagine the hours of rehearsals that went into preparing for this show.
But apart from the scintillating choreography, the strength of the musical lies in the fact that we are immediately introduced to the ambitions of all the characters right from the get-go (“I Hope I Get It”), and in this case it so happens that they all have the one singular goal – and that is to secure a place in the chorus.
And thus the thrust of the musical is immediately established, and as the show progresses we are slowly being drawn into the lives of these fascinating characters.
We learn of their backgrounds, we learn of what they’ve been through, we learn of their strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, and we learn how much this job means to them.
They lay bare their soul to the audience, sometimes in heart-wrenching fashion, and you can’t help but develop a strong sense of sympathy for some of these characters.
In many ways you could say that this was the original reality TV show – assemble a bunch of colourful characters with roughly the same expertise all gathered to win a common prize, and in the process stick a candid mic in their faces and see them reveal their innermost hopes, dreams and fears.
You may not develop an affinity for every single character, but you’d inevitably start rooting for at least a few of them.
One point of note though: As much as I was drawn into the entire musical, I was strangely unaffected at the end when the final 8 candidates were eventually chosen.
To me, somehow it didn’t really matter who got the job or not in the end.
I’m not exactly sure why this was the case, but my friend who was with me that night also concurred.
“A Chorus Line” runs from start to end without intermission, and truth be told, an intermission would be inappropriate anyway, considering the entire musical flows seamlessly without actually breaking up into distinct scenes.
It may have been 37 years since this ground-breaking musical first took Broadway by storm, but even till today “A Chorus Line” still rings clear with an astounding sense of novelty and vitality.
Successful shows tend not to run on Broadway for extremely long periods of time without good reason, and in “A Chorus Line” you can be assured that you will have every reason to be thrilled by this exceptional if not unconventional piece of musical theatre.
The Kanjoos (The Miser)
Event: “The Kanjoos (The Miser)” by HuM Theatre
Venue: DBS Arts Centre
Run: 10th – 13th, 17th – 19th May 2012
Generous Laughs
HuM Theatre returns once again with a local adaptation of Moliere’s French farce “The Miser”, in the form of their very own “The Kanjoos”.
“Kanjoos” comes from the lead character’s name Kanjooswamy (played by Subin Subaiah), a local businessman in the toilet fittings business who happens to be the biggest scrooge you’d find anywhere.
A character such as a miser naturally opens up a plethora of comedic possibilities, and Subin (who also had a big hand in writing a lot of parts into the adaptation) gamely milks it for all it is worth, from charging all guests 50 cents to use their living room jukebox, to peering into his neighbour’s home to freeload off his wi-fi, to getting all-round handyman Gerald Chew to ride an exercise bike to serve as a generator to power his house lights.
The reusing of teabags – all hung neatly on the garden clotheslines – for afternoon tea was a hilarious if not elaborate touch.
HuM Theatre delivers on what they do best, and that is providing generous doses of laughs through comedy.
I thought the audience response on Friday night was fantastic, but according to the cast and director, it was even better on opening night, so I think the show doesn’t have too much to worry about in this respect.
As with all their other shows, it is husband-and-wife team Subin Subaiah and Daisy Irani who undeniably hold it all together with their superior comedic acting and unmistakble chemistry.
But their biggest strength might also be their weakness, because as with their other shows, Subin and Daisy’s performances tend to easily outshine the rest of the cast, and in the case of “The Kanjoos”, I found the acting to be rather uneven, even though newcomer Clarice Jena Luo did remarkably well with her faux Chinese-national-accented English.
Credit must also be given to Subin for writing in so many current references – both local and international – into the play, such as the obligatory PAP references, ERP gantries, the Euro debt crisis, Goldman Sachs “muppets” and so on, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The play was typical farce, with the action happening fast and furious.
Things got a bit laborious midway through the second act though, and there came a point where the chuckles started to get a bit forced and you started to wonder where all this was headed to.
It has to be said that there is a fine line between farce and cheap slapstick, and at times “The Kanjoos” found itself bordering dangerously close to cheap slapstick territory.
But whatever it is, one cannot deny the fact that HuM Theatre knows how to put a smile on your face, and in this particular adaptation of Moliere, Subin and Daisy pull out all the stops to make sure that even the worst of penny pinchers have nothing to complain about.
