Monologue 1: Jalanan Malam (Night Walk)

Al from A Clockwork Orange (Transcreated by Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid)

“Dengan dada yang kosong, aku berjalan tanpa hala tujuan saudara. Ke lorong-lorong yang pernah mendakapku dulu. Baunya yang busuk mendakapku semula. Tempat ini sahaja yang tak banyak berubah. Aku terlihat seorang pemain nada yang sedang sibuk dengan pemain kasetnya. Aku rindu alunan nada. Mungkin dalam kotaknya itu ada penawar rasa gundahku. Aku lontarkan syiling ke arahnya. Minta diubat gundah-gulana.

Bagai sirih pulang ke gagang. Tanpa aku pesan, pelayan itu membawakanku sepaket Tuak Bahagia. Aku togok puas menghapus rindu dan dahaga. 

Aku kenal mereka. Sejenis Lauk yang pernah ku tibai dahulu. Yang paling aku cam, yang lopong giginya. Dia yang bawa buku untuk cekik tuak. Aku senyum. Mereka cam aku juga. Bulu roma di tengkuk ku mula berdiri. Rasa perit mula berpusu-pusu.”

“With an empty heart, I walk aimlessly my friend. To the alleys that once embraced me. The stench caressed me again. This is the only place that didn’t change much. I saw a tone maker who was busy with her cassette player. I miss melodious tones. Maybe in her tapes there’s a cure to this misery. I tossed a coin to her, seeking an antidote for my despair.

[Singing]

Like a betel leaf returning to a twig. Without me ordering, the waitress served me a packet of Tuak Bahagia. I downed it to quench my thirst and desires.

I know that lot. A bunch that I’ve whacked before. The one I recognised the most was the one with the gap teeth. He brought a book to down his tuak. I smiled. They recognised me too. The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand. The pain came rushing in.” 

Virtual Environment Treatment

Users will have a god’s eye view of a miniature theatre (diorama) for this scene to be acted out; featuring the protagonist (Al), Tone Maker (musician/singer) and the Bunch (3 Droogs). A reimagination of a dystopia where Anthony Burgess’ English working class is transposed to the minority Malay culture that is flattened within Singapore’s CMIO framework. The entire stage covers Al’s night walk movement from the alley to the bar. Temporally, it will be on a loop for users to chance upon. To complete/close-off the loop, the entire scene should be reversed/rewind in real time (audio will be reversed as well). Subtitle captioning is required. The diorama could be located on a desk (roughly waist height) anywhere in the room.  

Monologue 2: [Song] Zikir Keampunan (The Gospel of Forgiveness)

Agamawan from A Clockwork Orange (Transcreated by Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid)

“Oh aku dulu sesat, lagi menyesatkan.

Sehingga tersentak, dikurnai harapan.

Oh aku mengaku segala kekhilafan.

Sujud aku nangis, memohon keampunan.

Padamu Tuhan sucikanlah diriku,

Sucikanlah diriku yang kekotoran.”

“Oh I used to be astray, deep in iniquities,

Till I was yanked to be blessed with hope.

Oh I confessed to all my sins,

Prostrated I cry, pleading for forgiveness. 

To you God, sanctify me.

Cleanse me of my unclean self.”

Virtual Environment Treatment

A life-size nondescript confession booth located at a corner or side of the room. A visual prompt inviting users to come into the booth. Upon entering, user(s) discover that the booth is a karaoke kiosk as well (neon lights, TV screens, microphones, speakers, etc) and there stood a female evangelist clergy, who will start singing the gospel. There should be a karaoke screen with the lyrics (both in Malay & English). Temporally, there’s a definite start and end. With an option for the song to be repeated, user(s) to be guided out of the booth after song end.

Monologue 3: Mencari Petanda (Looking for A Sign)

Ibu from Berak (Transcreated by Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid)

“Saya jalan kat bawah, awak tong sampah yang merata-rata. Esok, awak jadi payung. Panas ke hujan ke, semua orang bawak. Awak lampu trafik. Awak teksi Comfort. Satu hari awak SMRT, satu hari awak SBS. Ke mana-mana saya pergi, saya ingatkan awak. Saya nampak awak. Saya dengar awak. Otak saya macam nak meletup. Saya ni tengah bercakap dengan apa? Awak ni bunyi detak jantung saya ke? Atau awak bunyi kipas berputar? Setiap hari, saya cari alamat awak masih dengan saya. Saya baca semua surat-surat HDB yang diorang tampal kat lobi lif. Saya baca semua surat iklan hartanah tentang harga flat kita. Saya baca semua sarikata kat Channel 8, berita yang bergerak kat bawah Channel News Asia tu. Saya baca dan baca dan baca, cari petanda. Saya buka mata besar-besar, mana tahu awak nak sampaikan petanda rahsia untuk saya.”

“As I’m walking downstairs, you are the rubbish bin all over the place. Tomorrow, you’ll become an umbrella. Rain or shine, it’s on everyone. You are a traffic light. You are a Comfort cab. One day you’re SMRT and the other day SBS. I got reminded of you wherever I go. I see you. I hear you. My brain is exploding. What am I talking to? Are you the sound of my heartbeat? Or are you the sound of the spinning fan? Everyday I’m looking for signs that you’re still with me. I’ve read all the HDB notices at the lift lobby. I’ve read all the real estate ads for the price of our flats. I’ve read all the subtitles on Channel 8 and the scrolling tickers on Channel News Asia. I read, I read and I read, looking for a sign. I opened my eyes wide, who knows, you might just want to convey a secret sign to me.”

Virtual Environment Treatment

You don’t see the character; you just hear her voice and seeing things from her perspective. This touch point can be located anywhere in the room. From that viewpoint, the objects that she mentions start appearing and disappearing all over the room. It is as if the user is looking for a sign him/herself. The objects can appear in the most absurd way and the concept of scale can totally be ignored. There should be some form of visual flow around the room and it should end at the door with a giant black moth exiting it. Temporally, there’s a definite start and end. The starting touch point should be a rubbish bin before more appear at the first line and the piece ends with the door closing. Subtitle captioning is required.

Monologue 4: Subuh (Dawn) from 30 Nov 2020 5:59AM

[Field Recording] 

A recording made inside & outside the room and building at dawn.

• Call of prayer
• Crows
• Roosters
• Mynahs
• Lizards 
• Voices

Virtual Environment Treatment

A rooster comes calling in the middle of the room. Upon activation, audio plays, everything in the room becomes dark and all the windows become a portal to this magical dawn universe outside. There shouldn’t be any visual representations of the mosque, call to prayer or anything Islamic. Leave that just as a sonic element. But for everything else, please go crazy; try to visualise/embody as many things that can be heard. At the end of the audio file the room returns.

Father used to say that this cemetery is a sacred space.

They are the graves of notable humans.

But I always wondered why, if they were notable, no human would come here to pay respects.

I shouldn’t complain… ~kaw kaw~

Because the humans do not care about this place, we have nested here for generations.

It’s strange how some humans want us dead. But here, the dead humans host our homes.

Excerpt from | The Crow

~kur~  Where is everyone?

Nevermind, I’ll just rest here and listen to the long evening human chirp.

The great dome hasn’t changed much… There are still so many humans coming in at this time.

I think maybe this great dome is their nest for resting, like ours.

They’re not that much different than us actually ~kur~

Excerpt from | The Pigeon

The human that’s always sweeping the black ground is not here today.

Usually he’s at the back street, with other humans whose hair he cuts.

I checked earlier and the arabic speaking parrots told me they didn’t see him.

He hasn’t fed us yet today…

I wonder if he’s also missing like the rest of them.

Excerpt from | The Rooster

Plant amalgamation - movement 5621 & 5620: an existing plant in the actual space to be used as an avatar with these movement of the hands. The arms become branches and leaves of the plant. The plant grows through the avatar multiplying and distorting, eventually taking over the space. 

(Memory reference: TERBALEK, a performance work I created on mental instability with the space as the mind of the character. The sight of the windows revealing trees felt amplified and soothed the process of this personal work)

Danger - movement 5616 & 5618: the avatar is (a body of) water and spills on the audience when leg is shaking. movement repeats in a loop. (Pose, pose, shake) Whenever the water spills, they become smaller and smaller and water droplets spilling become a bigger threat. Audience will have to seek shelter in the HH virtual environment. When the movement is static (and the leg is not shaking), their size goes back to 1:1 ratio.

(Memory reference: A week of rigourous and emotional physical theatre, staying overnight most days in the space to keep working, one day getting caught in the rain while at lunch break and seeking shelter under trees, but giving up and the whole lot of particpants ending up playing in the rain, eventually getting scolded terribly for playing)