Theatre Review: Miss Julie, A Gripping 1940s Tale of Sex, Power, and Privilege by The Singapore Repertory Theatre

PUBLISHED February 1st, 2022 05:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:49 pm

Right in time for the Lunar New Year, the Singapore Repertory Theatre is kicking off festivities with a dangerous tale of power, sex, race, and manipulation: Miss Julie. Adapted from the original Swedish version by August Strindberg, this Asian premiere by playwright Amy Ng brings the audience back in time to the turmoil of post-war Singapore. At its heart is the collapse of the British Empire, against a rising tide of nationalism and self-identity in Asia.

The play kicks off with Chinese New Year celebrations in full swing and Singapore’s streets filled with revelry – carnivals, street dancing, a spectacle of fireworks. Inside the kitchen of a British tycoon, we’re introduced to senior servants: a chauffeur named John and his housekeeper girlfriend, Christine. Fresh from dropping his master off at a carnival, John returns to the mansion bearing engagement bangles for Christine. But just as the couple are about to immerse in their own Chinese New Year celebrations, a party crasher enters: Miss Julie, the only daughter of the tycoon.

As the night goes on, Julie makes shameless advances towards John, eventually uncovering his deep desire for her since the day he began work at the heiress’s home. The ensuing one-night sexual encounter between John and Miss Julie provokes a tangled clash of the three characters. But make no mistake – this is no feel-good love story. The play delves deep into thorny issues of privilege, structural inequality, and forbidden relationships within the 1940s context.

Since COVID-19 struck, this is the first production that has brought together a creative team from different parts of the world – Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Singaporean director Ng Choon Ping does the production justice with striking visuals and strong emotive dialogues, accompanied by the skilled work of crew members and a three-man cast starring Steve Chusak, Heidi Parsons, and Sharon Mah.

Steve Chusak is compelling with his complex portrayal of the well-read, well-travelled mixed-race chauffeur with humble roots. His counterpart, Heidi Parsons’ Miss Julie, steals the show with her sophisticated understanding of her rambunctious and sensual character, who yet conceals insecurities and hidden sadness. Meanwhile, Sharon Mah as Christine grips the audience with her relatable and authentic portrayal of a young Singaporean woman in the 1940s.

A running motif worth pondering is shoes, recurring throughout the play as a symbol of authority and class. The play opens with John polishing the master’s boots; we see Miss Julie asking John to kiss her shoes. Yet towards the end John tosses away the master’s boots – and polishes his own instead. With its layered and gripping story that tugs at the heartstrings, woven in with sharp commentary on social and class hierarchies, Miss Julie is definitely worth a catch.

Miss Julie runs from 25 January to 22 February 2022 at the KC Arts Centre, 20 Merbau Rd, Singapore 239035. Tickets are priced from S$45 to S$70. 

All photos courtesy of Singapore Repertory Theatre