Theatre review: There’s method in the madness in Ophelia

SINGAPORE — Based loosely on the tragic drowned heroine in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Cake Theatrical Productions’ recently concluded Ophelia kicked off this year’s edition of The Esplanade’s The Studios series.

And as it played out in a nondescript, grimy white space with windows and fluorescent lighting — reminding us of everyday spaces such as an old primary school classroom or an abandoned HDB flat — it was hard not to enjoy the performances of the two cast members. Veritable marvels from Malaysia (and familiar faces in our local theatre scene), Jo Kukathas and Thomas Pang were completely arresting: The former, who played the older Ophelia, was almost childlike in her sheer, wonderful abandon, while young Pang as Hamlet was always in razor-edge control of everything from his gravitas-laden voice to the angle of each finger, and whether he was executing a waltz, fighting invisible opponents or staggering around following his father’s ghost (portrayed rather effectively by an upside-down mop).

In Ophelia, Hamlet is an auteur, guiding his actor Ophelia to be the best version she could be. With her straight-talking and eyelash-fluttering kookiness, Kukathas’ gloriously counter-intuitive Ophelia was a fun foil to her haunted, controlling prince, who wants a beautiful-but-helpless feminine ideal that will be suitably impressed by his own epic emotions.

In an effort to find this balance, Hamlet and Ophelia frenetically inhabited several different identities, becoming fellow politicians or even a woman warrior and her stay-home spouse. In the speedy succession of scenarios, Pang’s mastery and Kukathas’ freedom shone through.

While Ophelia was often extremely amusing, it was certainly not just a fluffy comedy. There were some harrowing moments of drowning, assisted by lighting designer Andy Lim and sound designer Philip Tan. And with Pang’s eight-pack regularly on show, PG moments of sexiness, too, as evidenced by the breathy female giggles heard throughout the show.

There were also instances exploring various forms of relationship abuse: Hamlet was sometimes seen manhandling Ophelia, but also manipulating her in more insidious ways. These were perhaps summed up by him shooting her in the face with a Nerf gun — which was silly, even funny, at first, but eventually becomes cringe-worthy as the attack continued unrelentingly.

The relationship that emerged between them was, in many ways, familiar to anyone who has been marginalised or oppressed: Whenever Ophelia wanted to do something for herself beyond loving Hamlet, the latter took it as a personal affront and an attempt to emasculate him — which warranted punishment. Yet Ophelia, in her various incarnations, was unable to walk away from Hamlet.

While exploring this dynamic could have potentially become very heavy-going, director Natalie Hennedige inserted clever moments of meta-theatre, with crew members entering the scene, sweeping the floor or otherwise going about their business, as the actors indulged in histrionics — a self-aware nod to the seeming self-importance inherent in theatre or in personal relationships. Yet it was also an insightful touch that these crew members didn’t remain outsiders for long and soon found themselves intensely interacting with the characters.

Young playwright Michelle Tan has created a piece that resonated with issues of self-actualisation, especially for women. But the impact was perhaps watered down by the sheer length of the show, which ran for two hours without an interval. (On the night I watched, at least two people left halfway through — either for a visit to the loo or because they had lost interest.)

That said, Ophelia was definitely a fresh take on the drowned heroine — the river is seen not necessarily as a tragic space but one of escape or even rebirth. And the eponymous protagonist, one who has had male figures doing the choosing for her all her life, does at least get to make an important decision: To be or not to be?

Hopefully, audiences had left the theatre wondering if that really was her only choice to make.