One-person shows seem to be catching on at the Singapore Theatre Company (STC), previously known as Singapore Repertory Theatre.
After the success of Grounded by George Brant in March, and Taha by Palestinian actor Amer Hlelel last month, the STC is set to stage its third such show this year with Paradise Or The Impermanence Of Ice Cream.
Starring New Zealand-based Indian Jacob Rajan, the play has Mumbai as the backdrop and will run from May 16 to 26.
It is the first time that the STC is doing three one-person shows in a row in a year.
“These one-person shows are proving to be popular with our audiences and we thought why not get Rajan to perform here,” said STC’s artistic director Gaurav Kripalani. “We have an appealing story, and I would rate Rajan as one of the best actors in the world.”
Inspired by Ernest Becker’s Pulitzer prize-winning book The Denial Of Death, the play follows the afterlife of Kutisar, a man who tries to avoid death by reliving his past, where a rebellious young woman holds the key to his salvation.
As he grapples with past transgressions, he navigates into the real-life mystery that’s gravely affecting Parsi death rituals – India’s vanishing vultures.
“Paradise Or The Impermanence Of Ice Cream is a delightful show that features exquisite puppetry, inspired sound design and a dash of Bollywood disco,” said Kripalani.
“Rajan channels seven characters, and in the show, love, ice cream and the mysteries of death intertwine in unexpected ways.”
One-man shows are a slight departure from STC’s goal to get the best actors in the world to work with Singaporeans in big productions. But Kripalani believes it is important to be fresh and try something different and exciting as competition mounts.
“When we started 30 years ago, we wanted to differentiate ourselves,” he said. “We said we were going to do an international repertoire of work with Asian actors.
“When I took over as artistic director in 2001, I wanted a change. I wanted Singaporeans to work with the best actors in the world. We have such a wonderful pool of talent here and we were able to do big productions.
“We then had a calling card and could fly the Singapore flag around the world. But then competition got a lot hotter and Covid hit.”
Kripalani pointed out that the going became became difficult because the competition was not just within theatre.
“We’re competing with Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars, who take up a lot of people’s expendable income,” he said. “But I think our biggest competition post Covid is Netflix.
“People got so comfortable watching great entertainment on their sofas. Why would they leave the house?
“That I think is our biggest challenge. We spent years building up an audience base. I do feel we have taken a few steps back.”
So, Kripalani and the team at STC are enticing audiences to come back by reminding them that television and film will never give them the same experience live theatre does.
“Sitting in a theatre is a communal activity,” he said. “You are surrounded by people who are experiencing the same emotions as you. It is a cathartic feeling that you will never get from television or films.”
Has STC hit a jackpot with one-man shows? Is it the way forward?
“It’s been really well received. So, we might do that on a regular basis,” said Kripalani.
