Jules Chan, Daniel York Loh, Pia Laborde-Noguez
(Picture: Lidia Crisafulli)In Singaporean writer Joel Tan’s bracingly experimental play, short, disjointed scenes explore the ramifications of authoritarianism in an un-named society. It lasts 90 minutes and covers over 300 years, taking in war, migration, moments of great terror and great tenderness, and the function of art in protest or in expressing collective trauma. If it’s not entirely satisfying or successful, you can’t fault the ambition.
Joshua Roche’s stark production draws intriguingly muted performances from four actors of mixed gender, ethnicity and age, as required by Tan. Their often affectless delivery makes some stories all the more shocking. Designer Ingrid Hu covers the ceiling in fabric swags from which coloured feathers fall at significant moments. The sound and lighting design is deft.
