Good People
is a deceptively simple play. In many ways, together with last year's
critically lauded Fundamentally
Happy, it appears to mark a shift towards a back to basics
approach for the Necessary Stage. BOTE,
godeatgod
and Revelations
seemed to be more interested in the aesthetics of theatre, in pushing
artistic boundaries and in exploring how evocation of mood could be
used to investigate abstract themes like devastation, destruction and
spirituality. Good People, however, is realist theatre focusing
on a single story - that of terminally ill Radha (Sukania Venugopal)
who has been warded to a hospice under the care of Nurse Yati (Siti
Khalijah) and Medical Director Miguel (Rody Vera) - to comment on concrete
social issues. Although there are comic touches, the play is not the
camp fest of the company's Mardi
Gras or Top
Or Bottom but a relatively somber and low-key affair featuring
a small ensemble cast. It has gone back to basics.
At the same time, there are aspects of the play, both in its creative
process and in the final product, that belie this simplistic description
of Good People. For example, the three actors were cast early
this year before a single line of the play had been written. They then
worked with playwright Haresh Sharma on devising the script through
improvisations which were informed by visits to a hospice and interviews
with hospice personnel. After Sharma had crafted a working script, this
was further redrafted over a few months based on feedback from the cast
and director as well as a preview audience. As a result, the play appears
before the audience fully formed. At 80 minutes, it is tight and focused
with little fat.
The performances also ring true because the roles have been written
not just with the actors in mind, but have actually been co-created
by the actors. On a simple performance level, this means the roles play
to the actors' strengths. The best example of this is probably Siti's
nurse who seems to have an endless store of nasty little verbal jabs
at hand: when Radha notes that there is a garden in the hospice, Yati
replies cuttingly, "Got mosquitoes at night" and quips to Miguel, "They
are already going to die and you want them to get dengue?" Siti has
the perfect poker face to pull off such dry humour and executes each
barb with perfect timing such that they never seem like a writer's device
but a real part of an authentic character.
On a deeper level, it also means that the characters actually reflect
the actors in a very fundamental way: the characters' races and religions
mirror those of the actors playing the part (Miguel is Catholic and
Filipino like Rody Vera, etc.). This adds to the realism of the play
and, since the different characters are influenced by different religious
beliefs, gives the play a natural context for presenting diverse opinions
on the central issue of death. In addition, having different ethnicities
represented in the creative team also allows the play some license in
dealing with issues about race and religion, and the script takes the
bull by the horns. Miguel laments, at one point, for example, how troublesome
Muslims are for praying five times a day. These pointed comments to
expose the hypocrisy and prejudices people still hold with regard to
race and religion are not the main concern of the play but nonetheless
help to give it its edge. Also, as an audience member, I am constantly
reminded that the play would be very different with a different cast
of actors. There is something very powerful about that: it is as if
TNS has captured lightning in a bottle, as if the play exists as it
is only for this specific moment that we, the audience, are privileged
to share in.
The play is also not as linear as it may first appear. For one thing
it cuts across time and there are, in fact, a couple of moments which
are a surreal: there is an unexpected sing-a-long musical interlude
about halfway through the play and an extended closing scene that, in
its complete wordlessness and nearly absolute stillness, is a frozen
image bursting with visual power. These, however, do not overwhelm the
play. They add colour and texture rather than obscure and obstruct.
The play is also not realist in the traditional sense that we are given
insight into every aspect of a character which determines his or her
defining actions. Not afraid to have high expectations of the audience,
the play is boldly ambiguous about some of the characters' motivations
and actions and the characters do not always behave consistently as
well. This, however, is actually more true to life. The script is, in
fact, trying to capture the internal contradictions that all of us have:
no one is entirely and always good or selfish, naïve or calculating.
We are all six of one and half a dozen of the other and switch between
the two depending on the situation and the mood we are in.
And that is at the heart of the play. I see the title "Good People"
as being ironic: declaring someone as "good" is a reductive way to look
at the world around us, as if we can all be divided into us and them,
those who are on the path of righteousness and those who are not. The
fact is that all of us have to make difficult decisions everyday and
what is the ethical choice is actually more subjective than we may realise.
Some may say that religion defines right or wrong; others, the legal
system. The play, however, argues that both are sometimes too big and
unwieldy to appreciate the nuances in life's dilemmas ("Illegal doesn't
mean wrong, just illegal," says Radha). The play uses Radha's personal
situation - what does it mean to sentence to death a woman with only
a few months to live, especially if she actually welcomes that death?
- as the crux of the play but I was actually more interested in how
it was explored through the way Miguel has to deal with the bureaucracy
of his job; his situation is less contrived than Radha's and therefore
something easier to identify with and relate to. Miguel is mocked and
even demonised by Yati and Radha because he is a jobsworth, always going
by the book in carrying out his duties. He is seen by them to be pandering
to his superiors in a bid to secure a promotion. In an impassioned outburst,
however, Miguel pleads his case: that he compromises and strategizes
so that he can perform a greater good - in this case his actions keep
the hospice going so that it can continue to serve the poor people in
the community. This is a reasonable argument, but Yati and Radha remain
unconvinced. He is a good man in his own eyes but to the two women,
he will always be "ambitious, anal-retentive" and, to the end, he is
accused of detesting Radha simply because she is of a different religion.
Whose judgment is correct?
Although Sharma is careful not to overload the play and does his best
to administer a light touch to the various issues being explored in
the play, inevitably, some sections are slightly too heavy with exposition.
The actors, however, help to alleviate this problem with heartfelt and
sensitive performances. I was particularly impressed by Siti who first
came to my notice in How
Did The Cat Get So Fat? This young actress has the skills of
a character actor but the star quality of a lead: there is just something
about her that commands your attention and excites you as an audience
member. In fact, even more than the others, she brings her character
vividly and effortlessly to life with all its complexity and shading.
You are never quite sure what the young and temperamental Yati, still
trying to find her place in the world and being alternately confused
and inspired by Radha's choices, will do next, but Siti makes us believe
in the character and want to accompany her on her journey. Yati is sullen,
playful, lost, angry, scared... and Siti convinces us at every turn
without striking a single false note.
Having said that, I do not mean to take veteran actors Vera and Sukania
for granted either: both have striking stage presence and the steadiness
and experience to deliver strong performances that bring out the full
flavour of their characters. I would also be amiss if I did not mention
the atmospheric soundscape and minimalist but striking set which complemented
the action on stage and helped to make the play feel complete and whole.
The drawing of bedside curtains as a means for transition was overused
as the play progressed but, otherwise, everything came together nicely
to create a clear direction and mood for the play.
I would not describe Good People as a fun way to spend an
evening, by any means, but it is, without a doubt, a beautifully crafted
play which will engage you on multiple levels: cognitively, emotionally
and possibly even spiritually.
First Impression
A longtime follower of TNS, I was not able to keep pace with the company's
more experimental efforts in the early 2000s. However, with TNS' shift
towards more realist theatre, TNS has definitely reconnected with this
audience member. Good People is easily one of the most well-crafted
pieces of theatre I've seen this year: it is a painfully honest exploration
of a variety of important themes - what it means to be truly good or
truly alive, for example - grounded in a clear narrative and rich characters
but still retains TNS' edge and flair for the dramatic and unpredictable.
The three characters - a medical administrator, a hospice nurse and
her patient - do occasionally engage in a little too much exposition
but, for the most part, they are engaging and carefully nuanced: playwright
Haresh Sharma and the cast capture the little inconsistencies and conflicts
people have within themselves and in their interactions with others
and this makes the characters feel more real. What is most impressive
is the way everything - the actors, the sets, the soundscape - complements
each other to form a fully realised piece of work that, although only
80 minutes long, is funny, sad, poignant, intelligent and deeply thought-provoking. |
"The script captures the internal contradictions that all of us
have: no one is entirely and always good or selfish, naïve or calculating.
We are all six of one and half a dozen of the other"
Credits
Playwright: Haresh Sharma
Director: Alvin Tan
Set Designer: Vincent Lim
Sound Designers: Madeline Flynn and Tim Humphrey
Lighting Designer: Mac Chan
Production Stage Manager: Joanna Goh
Assistant Stage Manager: Cecilia Chow
Wardrobe Mistress: Nurhidayah Bte Mahadi
Lighting Operator: Gabriel Chan
Sound Operator: Caleb Lee
Production Intern: Nimrta Kaur Sandhu
Cast: Siti Khalijah, Sukania Venugopal and Rody Vera
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