Elderly man who is wheelchair bound. The foreign domestic worker hired to take care of his every day. The care-giving daughter stretched to her limits juggling her multiple responsibilities. That's Singapore's soon-to-be cookie-cut family and it's also Thomas Lim's latest offering at W!ld Rice's Singapore Theatre Festival, Supervision.
Directed by Glen Goei, Thomas Lim's Supervision is unflinching in its lines as it melds three budding issues of Singapore: surveillance; the elderly in Singapore and our foreign domestic workers (FDWs). It was crystallised when daughter, Jenny (Janice Koh), warned her father (Patrick Teoh) about Yanti (Umi Kalthum Ismail) socialising with other FDWs in the neighbourhood, joining their apparently notorious "network".
Taken from: Singapore Theatre Festival site
Directed by Glen Goei, Thomas Lim's Supervision is unflinching in its lines as it melds three budding issues of Singapore: surveillance; the elderly in Singapore and our foreign domestic workers (FDWs). It was crystallised when daughter, Jenny (Janice Koh), warned her father (Patrick Teoh) about Yanti (Umi Kalthum Ismail) socialising with other FDWs in the neighbourhood, joining their apparently notorious "network".
"Aren't you part of a network too?" elderly father, Kian Keong, asks, driving home the zinger, when Jenny relays the horror stories from online employer forums. The irony brought the house to laughter.
Other moments were more solemn and salient. The heated argument that brought the show to climax was the show down between Kian Keong and Jenny. Was there a need to put cameras in the toilet? Was it right to put cameras in both Yanti and Kian Keong's bedrooms?
"What's there to be ashamed of?" Jenny screams. She has helped her father personally. There was little she hasn't already seen.
At this point, Kian Keong rolls up slowly in his wheelchair and says, "It's because I asked you to help me."
Thomas' lines that hit the bull's eye are emphasised with the carefully constructed set; It's multi-media set with 4 huge screen projecting the "live" cameras showing every corner of the house. Not only do they capture the intimate moments in the house but also, the characters out in the world. And this is the other brilliance of Supervision, the constant link it has to the living breathing world, outside the theatre. As our Singapore state employ more cameras for a myriad of reasons, how does it affect our every day? What prejudices do we have of our FDWs and of the elderly? What are the struggles they face beneath the surface?
Thomas' lines that hit the bull's eye are emphasised with the carefully constructed set; It's multi-media set with 4 huge screen projecting the "live" cameras showing every corner of the house. Not only do they capture the intimate moments in the house but also, the characters out in the world. And this is the other brilliance of Supervision, the constant link it has to the living breathing world, outside the theatre. As our Singapore state employ more cameras for a myriad of reasons, how does it affect our every day? What prejudices do we have of our FDWs and of the elderly? What are the struggles they face beneath the surface?
Special commendations need to be given to Umi Kalthum Ismail's portrayal of Yanti. Apart from being able to hold Yanti's accent throughout, her portrayal has been heartfelt. Her earnest portrayal brought laughter when she reacted to motion-sensored "barks" and - as one hopes - sympathy to being precariously sandwiched between the strict caregiver and the wimps and wants of the elderly care recipient.
In a post-show discussion I only got to catch partially, moderator, Alfian Sa'at asks Thomas Lim if Grandmother's Tongue and Supervision are about to be a part of an silver generation themed trilogy. To which, Thomas' coyly replies he is not sure. And for the record, I say, go ahead. Like Jolovan Wham shared, Supervision brought more sympathy to an increasingly common household dynamic. It is a Singaporean play that resonates. And if not a sobering reminder to all the stakeholders involved that they are not alone, it is a much-needed wake up call to brace ourselves for what's to come ashore in sunny Singapore.
In a post-show discussion I only got to catch partially, moderator, Alfian Sa'at asks Thomas Lim if Grandmother's Tongue and Supervision are about to be a part of an silver generation themed trilogy. To which, Thomas' coyly replies he is not sure. And for the record, I say, go ahead. Like Jolovan Wham shared, Supervision brought more sympathy to an increasingly common household dynamic. It is a Singaporean play that resonates. And if not a sobering reminder to all the stakeholders involved that they are not alone, it is a much-needed wake up call to brace ourselves for what's to come ashore in sunny Singapore.