Short and Sweet - Theatre Review

Last Sunday, I went to watch Short and Sweet, the inaugural instalment of a play writing competition organised by NAFA (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts). Basically, a collection of 8 new and original 10-minute plays, written and performed by both professionals and amateurs in the local theatre scene.

Some of the plays were very very good. Notably:-

1) Remembering the Kites.
Performed by Lim Kay Tong (who looked alot like Gandalf in this role, according to Aarika) and Sonny Lim (who looked like the Kung Fu Master in KingFu Hustle). This play was about 2 old timers, who seemed to have problems remembering the past, even if their lives, or at least the life they were holding on to desperately, depended on it. Needless to say, with such illuminaries, and a fairly solid script, this was one of my favourites. Unfortunately they ran over 10 mins, so they were disqualified. Yes, we were all, like, WTH?

2) Exchanges
This one was a Wild card winner, meaning the audience didn't have to pick them, because the judges, who have veto, picked this one. A simple tale about a couple who meet after 15 years, and all the pain, joy and memories that accompanies it. Each has a gift for the other, and the play ends without telling the audience what she gave him. This totally consumes us for the rest of the evening. "What was in the bag?" Does anyone know?

And then there were the duds.

1) Haven't.
With a name like that, you have to expect some half hearted portrayal of an afterlife, and that's exactly what we got. I was happy to see that it put some Indian actors to work, but that's all that play was good for. I didn't understand the plot, one of the characters didnt even need to be there, and most of it was existential hogwash anyway. Maybe the playwright "haven't" got it yet. How it was shortlisted baffled me.

2) 4 seconds.
This was another Wild Card winner, but I didn't like it. It seemed like another attempt to exploit the pain and loneliness faced by homosexuals to sell a story. I hate the fact that plays like this armtwist you into accepting homosexuality as "normal". That if you didn't like it, then you were labelled homophobic. Much as I don't like watching 2 men kiss, what bothered me about this play was not the "Give the homo a chance" subtext, but the "homos are "normal" too" agenda. You are not. There is no "normal". Deal with it, the way the rest of us deal with our own failings and insecurities.

The rest of the plays were good, not great. Frostbite gets an honourable mention here because my friend Candice was in it, and she is an amazing and talented actress. Go see her in "ON North Diversion Road".

Short and Sweet is a marvellous idea, an event that we need more of, and publicise more. The audience turnout was dismal at best (although the organisers claim the finals are sold out). But look out for the next one. Local theatre needs this.