Three's a Crowd When There's Only Two Chairs
Nothing, a physical theatre piece performed by Ng Mun Poh and Melissa Leung, feels like a work-in-progress, or perhaps a showcase of theatre workshopping. The director, Ma, brings little to the table. This is especially disappointing when Ma is known for his eclectic work in Shanghai, constantly exploring a fusion between the traditional and the contemporary. The “key props” of table and chairs are barely utilized, except for a few seconds towards the end.
This feels like a weak primer to what is to served next.
Lab Director Liu Xiaoyi presents two thought provoking works, both based on Kuo Pao Kun’s landmark text, Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral. Subtitled “Was” and “Is”, the two pieces question the notion of “cultural orphans”, of what is past and what is present.
Chinese actors Zhu Hong and Zhao Yutao (both from Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kun Opera Theatre), together with Singapore-based Hung Chit-Wah, Felix, tore apart the original text, and two molecular (& muscular) performances of Descendants are born.
The seemingly disparate performance elements work well with one another yet maintain their independent qualities. These include a contemporary voyager’s seeking self-worth, to a ghost-like figure hunting for something lost. They run parallel with the chosen Descendants text narrated by Liu. While the table and chairs are not put to good use, there is good attempt shown in engaging them for the pieces.
It is in Descendants – Is that the collaboration of artists produce the brightest sparks. An audience member is invited to take a seat on stage, reading aloud the part of the text describing the castration process. This is followed by a movement piece by Zhao, combining “Kunqu” operatic moves with modern gestures that question the loss of traditional culture.
The 1 Table 2 Chairs Experimental Series, in its fourth iteration, is designed as a platform to present “cutting-edge works” that will “breathe life into traditions and the contemporary”. This installment has the most exciting mix of artists to date. However, the “dialogue” which creator Liu has hoped to generate is fairly muted.