A charming work of political theatre representing Singapore at London’s Queer East Festival
When the cloud catches colours is a work of documentary-style verbatim theatre from
playwright Chng Yi Kai. As a part of the Queer East Festival, it is the first work to be brought from Singapore. The play acts out interviews of two ageing, queer Singaporeans, discussing their personal lives under a conservative political context — male homosexuality was only decriminalised in 2022, combined with an amendment to enshrine marriage as strictly heterosexual. While not solely political, we see how lives for a whole generation in Singapore have been made harder by their queerness, whether through police entrapment at cruising spots or housing subsidies not applying to non-married couples.
Chng Yi Kai’s direction never gets bogged down by the bittersweetness of E and Qing’s
stories, rather there is a great deal of playfulness and joy. The text doesn’t stew in nostalgia, but recollects with a meditative approach. There is a sense of zen, of things falling into place, be it the change of societal attitudes or how we navigate the mess of life. Buddhist sensibilities are especially present in Qing’s story as he grasps with the reoccurring sense of loss and instability that comes with a clandestine queer life. Even the diligent activist work of E is marked by her wish for responding with wisdom over anger to Singapore’s conservative factions.
Julius Foo is all bright energy with his puppy dog, but never unrelenting, portrayal of the hopelessly romantic Qing. His face beams as he recalls the loving moments of the past while huddled in his teepee. In other moments he wails and sobs inconsolably over the unfairness of it all. Judy Ngo’s E is especially central to the action, providing exposition for the systemic heteronormativity and classism in Singapore. She has an oak-like stability, she is always pushing forward, always trying to make the most of life. Ngo is a charming narrator, sanguinic and humorous in the delivery of her monologues peppered with Singlish and Hokkien.
The design is another star of the evening. The flooring and furniture look out of a
neon-dipped nursery classroom with blocks of Pantone colours across the floor. This is all blanketed by a layer of white mosquito nets that, when propped up by sticks and pulleys, become sheltering tents or billowing sails. Lim Wei Ling’s world of colour and cocoons is matched with some pretty glorious lighting from Genevieve Peck who’s kaleidoscopic refractions summon a rainbow oasis in the black-box space of The Pit. The plush look and feel of the work elevates it to something filmic, a welcome nostalgia. If this is an indicator for theatre in Singapore, may we see much more of it in London.