Review- INFECTION- Black Sheep Theatre
27-3-15
By: Chloe Chia
“INFECTION” tries to grapple with several large issues: discrimination and pathologization of homosexuality, HIV ignorance and social control, just to name just a few. The drama starts with a premise: “In a world where conformity is law, an infection is spreading.”
In a hypothetical setting of an Orwellian society, the Big Brother is watching, and everyone performs mechanically. In this tightly controlled society, hygiene is prioritized; not just in terms of physically sanitizing your hands, but also your sexuality. Any deviation from the hegemonic heterosexual orientation is deemed perverse and medication is needed to “correct" it. As a manner of social control, the homosexual people are “diagnosed” or labeled as “infected” and thus, institutionalized. The infection is likened to HIV where there is no cure and the characters are infested with a negative social stigma. Discrimination prevails, even within the family unit.
Combining different theatrical styles including physical theatre, dancing and singing, the actors in this production displayed a mixed quality of talent. Even though some of them had little experience in acting, their performance was generally good, growing stronger in the second half of the play. There were some touching moments, one of which was when the three girls found Patient X, Ben Thompson. His cry of pain was heart wrenching. It was a truly moving moment on stage.
What seemed a bit off for me in this production was the integration of musical moments within the context of the script. The first female solo lacked the crescendo it needed to build into the emotional state of bursting into song. It wasn't so much the performances but rather the moment before. This could be easily improved with richer dialogue between Charlotte (Caroline Davis) and her parents prior to the song.
The other part that seems odd was in the act where three female characters were taken to the hospital for injections. In this grim situation, Jade (Carrie Cheung) started to sing in admiration towards the doctor. Perhaps they were trying to deliver a comical effect, but it appeared quite out of tune to the scene’s supposed grimness. Having said that, Sarah’s (Emma Herbert) solo part after facing discrimination in a coffee shop was convincingly emotional, and I think was the best song of the whole play. As a technical note, the volume of the music throughout the play overpowered the actresses’ voices, making it hard to figure out their lyrics and messages.
Being a small budget production, the production values and props are simple and kept to minimal. To add to this with some actors playing several roles, their change of roles needed stronger clarification. At times I got confused on which character they were playing.
Newly founded in November 2014, Black Sheep Theatre is bold and eager to try things out. Having settled in Hong Kong for three and a half years, the director and founder, Daniel Felix-Johnson, envisions a locally rooted improvised theatre that speaks to the people of Hong Kong. The theatre company casts people from all walks of lives; some are opera singers or lawyers. Despite their diverse background, Johnson wants one thing from the cast: personal input and contribution. His theatre is mainly based on devising and improvisation.
I love improv, especially when it’s nicely touched with humour. It can come across as more natural and spark off unexpectedly good results. It is also an immensely risky move, for the outcome could be far from desired. The actors and actresses need to have a rich linguistic vocabulary and clarity of mind to be able to communicate the intended message of each scene when the play relies on witty comebacks and spur of the moment dialogue.
For a play that has so many large complex issues to handle, it feels like “INFECTION” has a whole lot of things to say and struggles to find the voice to say them concisely. Consequently many of the lines regarding the social issues are dangled halfway. For a play that has so much complexity addressing multiple themes, perhaps scripted lines would help do a better job of driving their issues home with audiences.
“INFECTION” connects with the audience. Even though it was not a strong start, the play ended on a strong note. As the cast all came out for the finale song, the director held a broken yellow umbrella walking to the middle of the stage. The iconography is sure to ring a bell with Hong Kong audiences, yet how democracy relates to the issue of HIV and homosexuality requires more interpretation from audience members.
Daniel calls out to his audience to recognize the severity of ignorance and discrimination in Hong Kong society. He pulls off the backdrop cloth to unveil the "Reality" of the world. This company is sincere and the message is imperative to their work. I'm touched by the way they wear their heart on their sleeve.
Like many debuting productions from new artists, “INFECTION” is a bit too ambitious, trying to pull too many strings at once. Even though many of the effects in the production didn't reach their true potential, this company can be applauded for their bravery and willingness to explore new things. As a first production, Black Sheep Theatre exhibits enormous potential which is always exciting.
INFECTION is playing through March 28th. For more information, click here.
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