A Brief Affair with Boredom

OK, I admit, the title is kinda mean, but I really was bored through last night's staging of A Brief Affair with Infinity.

[Photo courtesy of Little Red Shop]

The inaugural show by Little Red Shop was a one-woman show devised and performed by resident artist Jocelyn Chua. The fluorescent lights on either side of the thrust stage was profoundly annoying, but the stark set, featuring only one chair with a scarf draped over it, looked promisingly minimalistic.

My optimism evaporated, however, the moment the actor entered the stage. Her measured, hesitant steps and exploratory facial expression reminded me at once of the obligatory abstract poise that teenage theatre students seem to favour.

The script was beautifully written, if somewhat OTT with the romanticism. Jocelyn's movement was lovely and controlled and very well thought out. However, what made the audience start to droop 10 minutes into the performance was its lack of sincerity. Again, I felt like I was watching a TSD final year showing from back in college. For an hour-long monologue, I felt she didn't have the range to carry it through, and that she didn't really feel for her characters. The characters came out shallower than a dinner plate and she failed to draw the audience into the young protagnist's abyssal emotional journey.

I have no doubt Jocelyn is a wonderful writer, but I'm sad to say I have no idea how well she could do as a performer. The writing was deeply indulgent and seemed to be lacking a journey, but I think a better exploration of the reality of the characters may have enabled the performer to pull it off. I didn't feel like I was watching real persons, just a caricature of a simpering schoolgirl and little cut-out shapes of some lesser characters.

Still, I'll be looking out for more stuff by this talented writer.