SIFA :: 'Home'

As hectic as my schedule is these few weeks, I also made time to catch some ticketed shows at SIFA venues. I was pleasantly surprised by how much audience participation there was in 'HOME'.

Created by Geoff Sobelle, who also acted in the show, it was a wonderful piece of performance theatre. What a talented cast! The set was amazing, as are the actors who had a comedic sense of timing at the right moments. What a great of absurdist theatre. 

We see a 'house' artistically built from nothing, and the actors made it a home. We see the people in the home simultaneously, going to bed as one resident, and waking up as another, although they presumably lived in it one after the other. We see morning rituals, getting in and out of the bath-tub, kitchen things and daily going-ons. Even the kitchen sink had water coming out of the tap. It was rather magical. 

The show travels internationally, but in each city, it involves and includes local audiences, and even local musicians. It was so fun for the audiences to be invited up to stage to participate in rituals of parties, friendship, marriages, childbirth, and death. The cast happily went around to pick people. I was sitting in the front few rows, and unfortunately, at the sides — quite a sitting duck. I totally shrank into my seat and avoided eye contact. Ahahahaha. 

There was a jar of olives handed out to audiences and passed around. Then we were all asked to help string up the lights. We all felt included. Two members of the audiences (who happened to be Singaporean) were given microphones, and asked to talk about their childhood homes and describe some details. That was an intimate touch. The audiences invited up were absolutely sporting, and performed admirably.  

Since this is a non-narrative performance, it's like a 'live documentary'. We were all made to think what makes a house, a home. As a rental venue, residents come and go, but we pretty much do the same thing. Well, except for serial murderers who might have secret basements or bury corpses in the walls. 

 Folk-rock musician Elvis Perkins provided vocals for the show's original music, with additional vocals lent by chamber choir The Crossing. Elvis also played the guitar and the alto-harp. That was really quite lovely. The show ended with a little band from the collective Jacept Brass that played 'Rasa Sayang' and it was a party all the way through.