wo(men)

Just attended this play yesterday and was impressed by the themes explored and skillful acting.

The delusions of life and living, the reluctance to give up what's causing one pain, the fear of death while proclaiming one's suicidal thoughts. Of dashed, forgotten, torn, trampled hopes.

A intriguing, rather disturbing, play.

This theatre piece is remarkably Singapore, with broken English, dialects and a HDB setting. Went with the expectation that it wouldn't be too remarkable - like most Singapore plays and most Singapore events - and was taken by surprise. Completely, overwhelmingly surprised.

The hysterical grandmother who attempts and threatens suicide but dare not die. The delusional mother who holds on to fragments of shattered dreams  - she who would fall apart if those pieces of false hope were to be snatched from her. The unfulfilled daughter, her dreams clipped by the vein of insanity running in the family.

This voyeuristic venture into the lives of three women is priceless. The electrifying intensity of the actors, the subtle twitches of the eyes, the eloquent silence of the body language... It's mesmerising.

The lessons imparted, well, they're priceless.