Singapore, Singaporeans, Singaporeaness

The last showing of Wild Rice's production, directed by Ivan Heng: The Campaign to Confer the Public Service Star on JBJ was wonderfully executed. Hats off to Pam and Rodney for pulling off the grueling feat of running a two person show casting a variety of characters.

The play is reflective of what's going on in Singapore I would say. A playing out of the public's deepest political fears and insecurities vis a vis the government. And some local stereotypes. Sadly if any other political party were to stage a play as such they would surely be hauled off to court in no time flat.

It was a sell-out performance and quite a few members of the press were there in their personal capacities. Also easily identifiable were quite a number of senior (in every sense of the word) civil servant types (my assumption).

I understand a forum was conducted after the Satuday evening performance. Pity to have missed that. The PAP's dramatic silence is deafening ... in the underhanded promotion of these 'age old' political fears and insecurities.

PAP: your silence advocates consent for those practices. I do not condone practices that insinuate political subjugation of the civil service as caricatured in the play.

Thank goodness for the Art's scene this play has not been bhavanised!

Suggstion to stage and play directors for future performances: kindly stage your plays so that members of the audience who happen to be in the top rows of the circle seats are able to see beyond those in front of them who lean out and obscure the views of everyone else.