Theatre Review: The Good and Bad of Secret Theatre Project’s Singapore Debut
PUBLISHED May 12th, 2018 06:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:56 pm
A few months back, we received news that the famed Secret Theatre Project was coming to Singapore, and darn if we weren’t ecstatic; so much so that we even spoke with with the group’s founder and artistic director Richard Crawford. Would it be another round of Se7en Deadly Sins, which took audiences in Hong Kong on a speedboat to a haunted mansion to hunt down a killer? Or perhaps, it’d be like Freakazoid at the Theatre Asylum in Hollywood where the central performer has a total meltdown? Not quite, as it turns out. And don’t worry, this review is spoiler free. Mostly.
What you should first know is that the show in Singapore, which runs from now to the middle of June, is not new. It’s been performed before in Hong Kong – which one exactly we won’t say. What is new is the location, which in a sense makes this version site-specific and, how do they say it, experiential?
Once you purchase your tickets, you are sent directions to the venue. According to the official website, it’s “a secret club, through, a maze, right in the centre of Singapore” (see, no spoilers!) You need instructions and a password to get in, as I confidently recite while entering the joint. It starts out normal at first, and I wonder what could possibly happen.
Depending on whether you’re bringing a partner, you are split up for a period of time as you’re given a task by shadily dressed actors who could pass off for either a swanky cabaret owner or a Stetson-totting cowboy. Before too long, lives are changed forever and hearts are broken – but unless you order too many cocktails from the bar and do something stupid, they aren’t yours.
What’s important is to keep your eyes peeled and your ears open to follow the action, and remember, always watch your back. As most Secret Theatre shows go, each one is based on some cult film out there, and this time it’s by a film director whose name rhymes with ‘maraschino’. If you haven’t watch it, then well, you might be just as confused and disorientated as we were. But I suppose that’s the beauty of immersive theatre, even if its script is sometimes a tad campy and the plot draggy.
Like any story, there are plot twists, and this show is the crème de la crème, even if it is kind of unbelievable. Don’t believe anything you see or hear, because will only get yourself bitten … figuratively, of course. There are moments when things get a bit R-rated (yes, leave them kids at home because there is a minimum age requirement), especially when it comes to certain ‘props’ you are required to utilise. Oh, the things we do for art.
Speaking of which, wear comfortable shoes, because this isn’t one of those shows where you sit around munching on popcorn. The Singapore space might be small compared to some of the others productions, but you’ll still have to get on your feet quite a bit – that, and a bit of talking. If you’re the introverted sort, you might find your energy getting sapped pretty quickly into the two-hour show, so consider yourself warned. For you rambunctious dames and hot-blooded lads, go out and have some fun. Just grab a few drinks while you’re there – it’ll probably make things more exciting than they actually are.
The Secret Theatre Project is happening from 3 May to 10 June 2018 at a secret location in Singapore. Tickets are priced from $150, available here. Do note that there is an age requirement of 21 years.
