Attempts: Singapore by Rei Poh

Corporate conglomerate ARC has reached out to the public in a bid to decipher a mysterious databank that has surfaced on their Artificial Intelligence (AI) system named J.O.A.N.. Your profiling skills are urgently required to halt this potential international crisis.

Attempts: Singapore is an immersive theatrical experience that draws inspiration from Martin Crimp’s Attempts on Her Life. It takes audience-participants through a non-linear narrative pieced together through the accounts of various witnesses who attempt to describe a missing character named Anne—and in doing so, may incriminate her in the ARC incident. As we collectively try to define her, are we closer to understanding—or destroying—her?

(Source: M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018)

Attempts: Singapore was developed under Centre 42's Basement Workshop (now known as the Creation Residency). Read about Basement Workshop here.

Attempts: Singapore is an immersive theatrical experience that takes audience-participants through a non-linear narrative involving technology, an elusive character named Anne and her involvement in a potential international crisis. The work was inspired by Martin Crimp’s 1997 postmodernist play, Attempts on Her Life, where the audience is presented with 17 unrelated scenarios that give clues about the possible identity of a woman named Anne. Rei Poh had created and staged the first iteration of the piece in Melbourne in 2016 when he was studying for his Masters in Theatre Performance & Directing at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Attempts: Singapore aims to look at the ways and processes that different types of devising and/or interactive performances have adopted, so as to come up with a way to effectively devise and rehearse performances that spectators can partake in. Questions Attempts: Singapore are exploring includes: What are the qualities required from actors or non-actors in devising and rehearsing for participatory performances? What are the ways actors can train and rehearse a participatory performance?

Using the text from Martin Crimp’s Attempts On Her Life, actors are tasked to create images that will be condensed and expanded into possible scenes. The creation process includes having the cast and creative team – including the stage manager, sound designer, and intern – to devise the content of the piece from scratch. In each rehearsal session, the team would look at one or two scenes and come up with a series of images based on the text, which they will then expand into a performance. Often incorporating local context into the piece, and tackle issues that are relevant to Singapore.

With an emphasis on location specific, in-situation creativity, all rehearsals will take place at the performance location at Centre 42. The interactive piece is stimulated and developed through game design and further elevated through training of the actor’s facilitation and technical skills.

In a feminist space, everyone has their own role that they are interested in. It is a space where they can challenge themselves and at the same time feel safe.

- Rei Poh

Read more in the cover story for Blueprint Issue 04: Who run the world? by Gwen Pew below.

Reviews

• Attempts at detective game a success by Akshita Nanda, The Straits Times.
• Looking within with “Attempts: Singapore” by Patricia Tobin, Arts Equator.
• “Attempts: Singapore”: An Uncertain Attempt by Jocelyn Chng, Arts Equator.

Production Information

• Production Facebook Page
• Tickets to the production here
• Other performances at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018