Singapore - The fourth installation of IgnorLAND by Drama Box which brings its audience to Dakota Crescent has been met with an overwhelming response. More than 600 people have registered for the free performances from today till July 10. Only 110 audience members can be accomodated daily and there are 50 people currently on the waiting list.

Han Xuemei, Assistant Artistic Director of IgnorLAND of its Loss shared, “People have responded to the registration very quickly and all the available spaces for the shows have been taken up. We continue to have enquiries thereafter, especially while setting up onsite.”

This community theatre project features sharing by residents who are part of the Dakota Crescent story, a place familiar to most Singaporeans, especially since its redevelopment plans were announced in 2014. During the performances, which takes the form of a self-guided tour, the audience can enjoy some up-close interaction with these residents, and dramatic framing performed by professional actors, to a script written by young local playwright Faith Ng.

Drama Box first conceived and presented IgnorLand in 2007 to study the shared memories and forgotten stories amidst the tearing down and rebuilding of specific places as they bring audiences to the actual sites, enabling them to perceive the surrounding physical environment. The first edition, IgnorLAND of its Name (2007), which was staged at Labrador Park and the Old Nantah University Arch met with great success. In 2009, IgnorLAND of its Desires brought audiences to Geylang to experience its nightlife, where colourful characters and food delicacies rule the streets. The last IgnorLAND (of its Time) resumed in 2014, in Bukit Ho Swee, where for the first time, the community was involved in the creation and performance.

Artistic director of the project Koh Hui Ling explained the motivation behind doing these performances, “We enjoy interacting with actual spaces so we are constantly on the lookout for places and spaces we can use. We usually need time to understand the place and issues that we are dealing with before deciding on what form the performance will take, be it site-specific otherwise. We have had many invitations to do performances at site since the series started in 2007.”

The strong response from the public to IgnorLAND of its Loss indicates an openness with the public to connect and reimagine the social history of these physical spaces. As Han Xuemei pointed out, “Some of the possible reasons for such a response could be the historical and social significance of the place and that it might be torn down to make space for future developments. It could also be that people are increasingly drawn to alternative ways of exploring places, such as heritage trails and audio tours etc. So, IgnorLAND of its Loss, being a site-specific experience, appeal to these people.”