LUMEN | A NIGHT WITH SHAKESPEARE AT FORT CANNING GREEN
Underneath the clear skies and glittering stars , a group of Year 3 and 4 Josephians spent an evening picnicking on the lawn of Fort Canning Park , while gazing upon a sensational , flamboyant rendition of William Shakespeare ’ s A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream . Kelvin Cahya Yap shares his experience of reigniting his love for English Literature with fellow Josephians beyond the typical books and classroom .
The performance before us was Shakespeare in the Park – the first show by the Singapore Repertory Theatre ( SRT ) in five years . A contemporary take on a literary masterpiece , SRT ’ s rendition of A Midsummer Night ’ s Dream seamlessly interwove the original narrative of the play with a modern , industrial setting and a glitzy , baroque ensemble to produce a riotous , whimsical performance that represents a stunning return to form after years of disruption .
The play revolves around the intersection of four pairs of lovers : Theseus , the king of Athens , and his fiancée Hippolyta ; Lysander and Hermia ; Demetrius and Helena ; the fairy King Oberon and the fairy Queen Titania , with the fates of all eight sweethearts swayed by the mischievous fairy Puck and his magical fairy troupe . At the same time , an embedded narrative of the Mechanicals – an amateur acting troupe consisting of Athenian labourers performing the play Pyramus and Thisbe – runs alongside the pairs of lovers .
As the ostentatiously garbed Puck drives the plot with his well-intentioned blunders , he breaks out into song and dance with his Fairies , aided by techno beats and polychromatic strobe beams . With their eclectic dance numbers and splashy audience interactions , the Fairies regaled the students with their eye-catching performances .
Simultaneously , the elopement and exploits of the four human lovers were accentuated by their fervent expressions and their splashy struggles . Dressed in spotless business attire and speaking in sombre tones , the human lovers ’ tussles drew the audience into the ardent drama of their lovers ’ spat .
Finally , the clumsy , dilettante style of the Mechanicals , and their fervid , but atrocious rendition of Ovid ’ s classic Metamorphoses induced bouts of hilarity that reinvigorated the night . With their metastory interspersed with witty slips of the tongue , the audience was rolling with laughter and wholly engaged . Capping off the night was a spectacular display as the genderbent Francis Flute – one of the Mechanicals – broke into a diva-esque ballad , stunning the audience with his flamboyant show of vocal talent . Together , the stark contrast in these three worlds colliding formed a truly enthralling , highly memorable experience for us .
As we were serenaded by the charming lilts of the skillful performers , a selection of delicious food and soothing beverages were shared amongst the students , with such highlights as a rotisserie chicken , homemade brownies and sparkling water passed about . As we unwound to the soothing rhythm of iambic pentameter and the merry antics of the boisterous Fairies , we shared not only in the nourishing of our bodies but the nourishing of our minds . We found not only whimsical delight in the play but an inspiring addition to our curricular studies – to observe lines and directions on paper pales in comparison to witnessing the words of the play come to life in the passion of the characters .
The long shadow of the pandemic had robbed much of our secondary school lives , with many outings , camps and gatherings scrapped . For most of us , this was the first play we had the opportunity to attend , and to be able to share in this unique , novel experience with our peers was a truly memorable , poignant opportunity to strengthen our friendships and bonds .
The play was a wholly enjoyable and truly unforgettable event for many of us , and we all found respite in the humour from our humdrum routines as we were rejuvenated in our appreciation of drama and the arts . As a rite of passage for all Literature students , the play also signified a bittersweet moment for us the graduating Year 4 students – the play was one of our last large-scale activities before we begin to hunker down for our final exam preparations , marking the end of our halcyon days .
As Lysander wistfully notes in the play ’ s first act , ‘ the course of true love never did run smooth ’. Although we face trials and tribulations in our study of literary texts , often testing our resolve and straining our passions , this drama has strengthened our appreciation for poetry and literature and has hopefully built an enduring love for the study of literature for all of us .
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