I Theatre. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.
July 13, 2002. 3pm. Reviewed by Judy Tan

It is a preview with a difference at Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, where an exclusive audience has been invited to try out its virgin facilities. Passing through construction workers fixing up tiles along the main entrance, with the humming sound of machineries drilling into my head, the feelings en route to the Studio Theatre conjured an image of ruins. This uncannily mirrors the scenario for Brokenville, which takes place in an anonymous war-torn city. It is a pity that the actual run will not be held at the semi-completed Esplanade itself, for the real smells of concrete dust and cement mix do somewhat enhance the overall atmosphere of a no-man's land.

It's lights off now and while the cast starts off with a slight case of first performance jitters, they managed to get into the swing of things soon enough. One by one, 7 characters gather, drawn by the tinkling sounds from a little girl's musical box. All of them are suffering from amnesia, unable to remember their past, not even their names.

What starts out to be a story telling effort to entertain and calm the little girl, soon propagates a life of its own. The characters, picking up different objects, spin off different tales that emulates attempts to resolve personal issues and make some sense of the world around them. They begin forming distinct identities for themselves, whereby items found on them eventually become their identity, and also their names such as Glitter, Quiff, Tattoo and Satchel.

As they get increasingly involved with invention of stories within a story, the characters begin to open up and connect with each other. Similar to a fairy tale, the ending is predictably happy, as the little girl finally breaks her silence and tells her own story.

Accessible and engaging, this is one production that moms and dads can easily enjoy with their children. Catering more for a teenage audience, the humor and fun allows a youthful spectator to swallow what would otherwise have been a bitterly long journey of spiritual rejuvenation. Perhaps the more perceptive would have fun picking out hints of a darker undercurrent involving choked babies and an Oedipal influence. The witty one-liners thrown in for good measure did not disappoint.

On the whole, the cast (Amber Simon, Caleb Goh, Kate Naughton, Maureen McConnell, Lily McConnell, David Tan, Darren Tan) put up a commendable performance, keeping up the fast pace throughout, and shifting easily across the stage to add variance to the one-act play. But the performance does lose some of its bite when you realize that it was previously staged by a cast of Kosavar Albanian refugees. The local cast just looks a little too first world, a little too clean and well fed to wring out deep empathy from the audience.

The simple but well-conceived set is a study in realism - of broken walls and debris, with none of those fancy set changes to distract you from the crux of the play, which is the fluid story-telling. As in most one-act and one-set productions, the cast work to fully utilize the set and to have you imagine this ravaged land as a castle, a forest, or a beach.

Brokenville, being the final installment of a trilogy of plays by UK writer Philip Ridley, continues to explore several universal themes of love, sacrifice and hope that permeate the preceding plays (Fairytaleheart and Sparkleshark). But not to worry if you are thinking of catching the play, and like me, you have not caught either one of the previous plays. Director Brian Seward assures that it will not diminish your enjoyment of this third piece.
 

Ticketing Information Duration: 17-21 July 2002 Time:3pm & 8pm Venue:Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel Price:$32, $28 plus $1 inside charge Ticket bookings available at: SISTIC Website SISTIC Hotline – 6348 5555 And all SISTIC outlets (Special group discounts & Educational Establishment offer with free tickets for teachers)