Performance Review: The Crab Flower Club

Date: 22 Aug 2009

Time: 8:30 pm

Location: Drama Centre Theatre (National Library)

Kaki: YD

Rating: 3 stars

Language: English

Synopsis:

Five sisters prepare a feast of crabs for their father. This work is partly influenced by poems in Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xue Qin. As the women plan to start a poetry club, bouts of ‘live’ painting and interludes from the works of Franz Liszt punctuate the drama.

Review:

Ok, from a non-artsy point of view, it was fairly entertaining. However... HOWEVER, there were some definite kinks in the program. Such as the fact that there was one particular actress, who had a definite chinese lilt to her voice. It is actually ok, but just a little jarring at times.

Having said that, her performance was good... and so were the rest. But for the topics covered, am just wondering if a chinese play would have done more justice to the topics, and the intricacies... at times, with the dialogue, etc, I felt that they were banging us over the head with the topic of rape, chastity, the helplessness of ladies then. It could have done with a more delicate touch.

But I understand the concerns, for an "ang moh" audience, who may not have grown up with Chinese literature, these may require some headbashing and "in your face" dialogue before it can be made obvious. Some things, to me, are best left unsaid, as the entire experience of why and what and how can be left to the intepretation of the audience. Ah well... still, applause for the show.