My first show at the theatre in a year — Pangdemonium's 'Girls & Boys' helmed by Nikki Mueller. Written by Dennis Kelly in 2018, the Singapore adaptation is directed by Tracie Pang. To be honest, it isn't quite my kind of storyline, but hey, it's safe enough to return to the theaters again. I'd much rather sit in a theater to watch actors on stage than to watch a film.
It was a stunning one-woman solo show. 90 minutes. It's a helluva challenge. Nikki Mueller nailed it. We watched her slip into the role as the unnamed protagonist. We listened to her speak of her happiness, her life with two young children Danny and Leanne, then the marriage crumbled, and the nightmare came. The set was simple — we see a small apartment's living room, dining counter and kitchen area. The actor took us through her life, using only her voice and her body language and her face to animate the people who mattered to her, what traversed those years.
The Singapore show kept the Britishness of the script. Nikki Mueller kept the accent going, and captured all the slang. I really liked the Broadchurch reference. It was an ill-fated marriage that began in love at an airport in Southern Italy, leading to kids, and the subsequent breakdown of the relationship, career highs and lows, and the ultimate tragedy. (The talented Carey Mulligan played this role in the play's debut in March 2018 at Royal Court in London. It was directed by Lyndsey Turner.)
The Singapore show runs till 14 March. Pangdemonium had asked audiences not to give away the play's plot or spoilers. So I shan't say anything much more about it, and I'll update this post after 14 March.
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