Death
and Dancing is written by English playwright Claire
Dowie. It is about the lives and loves of Max and Max, a gay man and a lesbian
woman. The two characters struggle to define themselves against
society’s expectations and social categories of sexuality throughout the play.
The director Claire
Devine made flexible use of the intimate space to enhance actors' interactions
with the audience. At the same time, in line with the pop-culture setting of
the piece where the characters questioned the meaning of living in a highly fast-paced
and competitive urban society, the audience members were allowed to chew on snacks
and sip glasses of wine while watching the performance.
The actors Rebecca Lee and Zuhairi Idris who played both
characters brought across depth and sensitivity on the themes and issues
explored. The intimate space in Playtent allowed the audience to be ushered
into the inner world of the characters through their strong and energetic
acting. The piece addressed the current dilemmas and challenges faced by many
in the society—the conflict between following one’s heart and pursuing the
dream job or status as defined by the society; and the struggle between being
daring to take risk and settling for a well-tested and secure course of action.
The performance
was well-paced with good use of rhythm and witty interactions with the
audience. Overall, Death and Dancing
was an interactive, fun, intense, meaningful and dynamic staging with competent
performance delivered by the two actors.
