Quarter Mark
29 cast members, 8 families, 3 spoken languages, 2 days, 1 quarter.
Quarters, as its name suggests, is inspired by the multi-racial, multi-cultural, communal living in Public Utilities Board (PUB) staff quarters in 1970s Singapore. In commemoration of SG50, this production essentially spans over two days – the eve and National Day itself. With this unique setting, Avant Theatre brings back waves of nostalgia for the early days of independence and ‘kampong’ spirit. Days when Malay, Singapore’s national language, is commonly spoken and bridged the different ethnic communities.
Despite its massive potential, the almost 3-hour production falls short of delivering more than a smidgen of it. Remaining largely melodramatic, it focuses on quibbles and gossips arising from a range of chaotic scenes. These include episodes involving loan sharks to drunken neighbors to catching a snake to hunting for lost jewelry. Each “crisis” is neatly resolved without much need for unity and collaboration amongst residents.
Director G Selva has done a commendable job in the blockings of the large cast – transitions and groupings are kept neat. The director could have focused on inter-community communications which are brief and delivered less smoothly.
I understand the need to direct audience’s attention on certain bits of conversation, the consequent ‘mute chatting’ is a bit unsettling. The actors are more than capable of keeping their chatter volume down, and this can create a more engaging atmosphere and experience for us.
The 2-storey set is beautifully constructed; complete with 8 housing units and two fully-furnished shops. There are many technical and staging inconsistencies that distracted the audience. For instance, the fluorescent lights along the corridor are only switched on after day break and are left on through the day despite bright ‘sun rays’; and the interior of the units appear to be in perpetual darkness.
There was certainly no lack of community spirit in the production. Many people in the audience seem to be related to the actors, cheering when a familiar face steps on stage. Likewise, the actors clearly enjoy themselves on-stage, playing to the audience. This is a production with a lot of heart, just not a lot of art.