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By Jayne Yap
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Jan. 24 2012 |
If you love stagecraft, the coming weeks will be exciting ones for you.
Starting last weekend, three different university productions will be staged at the University Cultural Centre.
Up first is White Collar, which was staged Jan. 19 and 20 by USProductions. Following that, in February, King Edward VII Hall and Sheares Hall will stage Come Blow Your Horn and Black Comedy respectively.
As with all university productions, students power every aspect of the play. The Campus Observer met up with a few members of the cast and crew behind Black Comedy, a play by Peter Shaffer.
“We are concentrating on the entertainment part and try not to be too high-brow,” Hazel Ho, second-year arts student and the director of the production said.
Fourth-year engineering student Rahul Ghai agreed. “Other productions might be more artistic and watching it, you’ll need to ‘exercise’ a bit. With us, you can just watch and enjoy,” he said.
The one-act play will feature a cast of colourful characters, and portray what happens to them in a blackout.
“Sheares has a tradition of doing comedies, but Black Comedy was also chosen for itself,” Ho said. The play has been given a local twist, which, according to the cast and crew, will be a unique selling point among the various other university productions.
With over 60 cast and crew members at work on the play for the past four months, there is visible excitement for show day to arrive.
“Everything is very fast and crazy, and sometimes things don’t turn out well. But as producer, seeing friendships built and people who did not know each other work well together, I feel proud of the team,” second-year Business student Natalie Yap, who is also the producer of the show, said.
Second-year accounting student Kosasih, a added that the whole journey has been a memorable one.
“There are so many rehearsals, and it gets tiring. Even now, as practice is on-going, it’s tough but I enjoy what I do,” he said.
Ho thinks otherwise: “The most memorable moment will be show day and curtain call, which haven’t come yet!”
Other interesting responses from the Black Comedy cast:
What similarities or differences are there between you and your character? Could you identify with your character?
Ng Li Ting: I play the electrician who is exaggerated and in his own world. He’s Indian and doing the accent is challenging. We are similar in that he is happy-go-lucky and I am too.
Wong Liang Jiun: My character is active in expression, both physically and verbally. In real life, I’m more passive, so I have to bring out a different side of me and be more expressive in actions. I like my character and he would make a good friend. He’d be nice to hang out with because he is funny and has a good temper.
Do you think there are enough opportunities for budding actors and students who want to give theatre a try? How can others be encouraged to give theatre and acting a try?
Rahul: Usually, theatre happens in the halls but what would help is if theatre can happen on a smaller scale. There are so many places around NUS like the central forum and performing in these places is more public and would draw more audience. Bring theatre out of the theatre.
(Rahul has been involved with NUS Stage, NUS Arts Festival and The Film Guys. It is his first time with Sheares Production)
Ho: There are opportunities in NUS and you don’t have to wait for one. It boils down to interest so the question is how to get people interested. Like what Rahul said, we can get out of UCC, make theatre more accessible, give it a more informal stage. People could go busking in central forum. In such an informal setting, there’s more room for making mistakes because it’s just “trying it out”.
Calendar of events
19th/20th January – White Collar (USProductions)
3rd/4th February – Come Blow Your Horn (KEVII Hall Productions)
10th /11th February – Black Comedy (Sheares Production 11/12)
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