NORMAL (2017). Picture by Joel Lim at Calibre Pictures & Ideas. Retrieved from Checkpoint Theatre's Facebook page. [Last accessed: 26 Mar 2017]
I arranged myself to watch the critically acclaimed, Normal for the month of March. Normal is Checkpoint Theatre's restaging of Faith Ng's 2015 work.
As the title of the play suggests, Normal
explores the lives of students, teachers and staff of the 'Normal' academic
stream in Singapore; Students in Singapore are categorised according to
different streams according to their results from the national placement exams
at age 12.
The play follows notorious student, Ashley (played by Claire
Chung), who has a knack of being in trouble; and her close confidant, Daphne
(played by Audrey Tong). Newly arrived literature teacher, Sarah Hew (played by
Julie Wee), takes on the challenge of having to motivate and teach these
'Normal' girls. Sarah Hew's mission is made more challenging with Trinity
Girls' School's stifling efforts to attain the prestigious 'autonomous'
ranking.
Even though the play is Normal, I feel like
the purported stigma of being 'Normal' was merely a context that was
briefly discussed with the token 'Express' character, Marianne. Instead, the
theme of systemic restrictions is put across more poignantly, questioning the
function of school. How important is it for students to follow the school's
rules? And at what cost?
It is true that Daphne may have trouble completing her
painting. But should teachers egg her on regardless of the seemingly impossible
circumstances? And what if teachers have conflicting stands? Should students'
truths and voices be silenced by a school's image of well-groomed, demure
girls?
These questions also highlight what playwright Faith Ng
describes (in the post-show dialogue) as the 'little cruelties of women'.
This is supported by Eucien Chia's beautifully designed set with its
translucent wire mesh that set the space for corridor gossip; and carefully
plotted spot lights that supported the girls in their moments of truths and the
play's background soundscape of the ever-elusive ensemble.
Playwright, Faith Ng, and Director, Claire Wong, sharing respectively about the creative processes writing and directing the ensemble in the post-show dialogue.
However, perhaps Normal's charm is beyond
presenting a complex issue to debate. Different audience members evidently had different
experiences watching Normal as heard in the post-show dialogue. A
seemingly bashful audience member admitted to having strong suspicions that she
herself had come from the same convent school as playwright Faith Ng and was
thankful for the portrayal of "religious hypocrisy" she experienced
back in the day.
In a time when the Ministry of Education is reportedly
making systemic changes; and a generation of people seem to be slowly peeling
away from the mentality that a student's grades are the be all and end all, I
am curious if Normal would stand in this changing education
landscape to become the homemade classic Checkpoint Theatre has made it out to
be.