"I hate television. I hate it as much as I hate peanuts. But I can't stop eating peanuts." - Orson Welles

***

W!LD RICE Theatre Company: OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival 08
Apocalypse: LIVE!
24th August

In the year 2058, Singapore as we know it has been destroyed by fire and brimstone raining down from the heavens. The country's transition to a new social order and ordinary citizens' attempts to grapple with the tragedy are keenly observed by a newsman in his studio and his lackey on the ground.

This play was refreshing. Although a political play, this stuck out among the other Singaporean political plays, being more subtle than them. Politico-cultural references were not thrown out gratuitously, sequences weren't too over-the-top and (lame) jokes were not belaboured until the audience got the hint and started laughing.

Indeed, the subtlety was belied by audiences not laughing at everything. For example, I seemed to be the only one in the audience laughing with the newsman when a former dissident who'd been chased down at gunpoint, whose posse had been shot, whose spouse had been arrested and whose children had been left for dead (?) said "I can do more for this country from a policy perspective" - maybe I just have a sick sense of humour. One of the final lines will also give you an idea of what I mean: "Singapore has grabbed the bullshit by the horns... As I speak the a-historians have been writing".

Of course, the subtlety could've been increased (with more obscure references and fewer cheap thrills, for example) and the play made more high brow, but that would make it less accessible, so the current balance is good for the local market.

The many digs on the state-controlled media were especially telling, coming from a former journalist.

The take on religion was also very sly, with the creation of a pseudo-Wicca faith with a Goddess and with an ankh as its Holy Symbol. Luckily, Wicca is not a constitutionally protected religion in Singapore (and it won't be until a group of Wiccans riot in the streets) so it can be used as a screen to project religious satire on.

Probably my major beef with the production would be that the Singapore of 2058 looks virtually identical to the Singapore of today, down to having a Prime Minister *static* (hurr hurr). While this seems to be commentary on how things are not going to change, it is not just pessimistic but unrealistic to boot; the dialectic between state and society is dynamic, and even 10 years ago it was different. What more that of 50 years hence?

I also felt that the playwright's voice was too obvious during the scene on pragmatism (when people called in to ask about insurance claims, en-blocs and whether the Great Singapore Sale would still be on) and the ending monologue about staying or quitting.

Yet, these two issues were not by any means showstoppers. Hopefully future (political) plays will take some cues from this one.

Goddess bless!