Sarah Kane’s 4:48 Psychosis

When we were asked to watch a play I was really excited! I have watched a few play during my diploma years it just that it is all in Malay. I always wanted to go to KLPac , Actor’s Studio but only manage to go to Istana Budaya to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical. We finally manage to get a ticket,(thanks to Ira for getting the ticket for us)I can now shouted at the top of the roof that I have watch a “real play”.

Before I start talking about my experience watching the play,let me introduce you a few interesting fact of the play.

• 4:48 refers to the darkest hours before dawn
• Mainly about a women who suffered from serious psychological distress.
• Most believe that it was the fragment of the playwright’s mind as this was her last work before she hung herself in the hospital where she too suffered the same psychological distress.

Well, the play? It was magnificent performance.Susan Lancaster,Samantha Schubert,and Malik Taufiq brings out the sense of reality to what the play is all about. The set was very simple, a few doors, and stairs in a very dark room.

Having the opportunity to meet the director of the play, Gavin Yap himself, I asked him why did he choose to make the set that dark and simple, his answers was simple “ It’s not as important as its words, what is being said, its emotion, if you have that, you don’t need the props, so much of it was in darkness…..It is because that you don’t really need to see. You know, the less you see, the more you think?” Well said. Throughout the play I was touch by the emotion, by the experienced of the person, and her sense of insecurity. Makes me asked myself a lot of questions I never thought about. Most significantly makes me feel thankful towards everything I have in life..Maybe this is what Dr.Edwin said about a “real play”. I definitely enjoyed watching PGL the musical, but that was it. I don’t have that significant feeling and it doesn’t really give me anything to think about. One thing for sure, I definitely will be back to KLPac anytime soon!Happy fasting for all my Muslim’s friends.

watching the movie....

What can I say about the movie?Hmm...overall?I think it was a fun movie.I was expecting Professor Higgins to be more handsome and Freddy too.I know it sound superficial,but as I read the text , I was also having this set of images that i thought I could expect to be see in the movie..I actually enjoyed the movie even though it was a 1983 movie in black and white.
I wished I could be in a play where they actually play it in front of me.
The portrayal of Eliza's characters were brilliant...I love the scene when she takes a bath for the first time.It was so funny.
Language wise, I think it is great that they stick to the original text as close as they can.
Some of my friends were a bit disappointed with the ending while i think the movie ending is much better..We all knew what happened in the play that we read,but in the movie the ending somehow gives some kind of hope for Eliza and Professor Higgins.But hey?Who wouldn't like a happy ending right?