ASYLUM: Reactions

“The rigorous training of the actors in various traditional art forms have certainly paid off in terms of their presence and synergy. This is evident during the climatic scene in which the patients stage their getaway. The movement around the set and the stillness when tragedy strikes, creating some beautiful stage pictures.” - Isaac Tan

“ASYLUM does more than simply reflect the pandemic of the present. It draws links to history, to human history, to the history of how disease, when it rears its ugly head, is never the true enemy, but how its greatest skill is always in turning the human race against itself in its fight against what is purportedly the Enemy: disease.” - Philippe Pang, Arts Republic

“来自7个国家的12名演员是跨文化戏剧学院（Intercultural Theatre Institute，简称ITI）的毕业生，其默契很具感染力，让观众看得投入。他们3年来接受严格的传统表演艺术训练，在传统训练与写实自然的表演之间搭起桥梁，这也是ITI这些年来不断在进行的尝试。”

“The 12 actors from seven countries are the graduating batch of ITI students. The group dynamics is infectious, inviting the audience to be engaged. They underwent rigorous traditional theatre training for the past three years, bridging traditional and naturalistic acting. This is also what ITI has been attempting to achieve all these years.” - Neo Hai Bin, 剧读 thea.preter

“在我们迫不及待想融入后疫情时代的新常态时，《ASYLUM》打开了一则近一个世纪前的历史篇章，让我们对照当下，看看是否有什么体验是不该被遗忘的。” 

“As we eagerly enter the new normal in the post-pandemic era, ASYLUM reveals a chapter in history from nearly a century ago, allowing us to compare it with the present to see if there are any experiences that should not be forgotten.” - Lee Shyh Jih, 8world

“Director Oliver Chong does a brilliant job in the resulting sequence, chaotic and well-choreographed, where alliances and enemies established over the scenes that came before it finally clash, with misguided actions and even death ensuing. It’s a surreal, horrifying end to an otherwise slow-moving play, proving that this batch of students is capable of producing powerful teamwork when given the right direction, and drives home the idea that it is only together that we pull through, rather than as individuals isolated and quaking in fear and ignorance.” - Bakchormeeboy

“Every single one of the actors shone bright . They were all captivating and convincing. Such great chemistry between them too. Loved the writing, direction and all the design too. It came together wonderfully. Congrats to everyone on and off stage. The entire village who gave birth to this.”

“Very impressive performance. Multilingual performances attracted me. I think it was difficult for performers to maintain motivation. Thank you so much!”

“The script feels very immediate as it seems to respond to how the world and relationships have changed in COVID, while taking on timeless themes of the fear of the Other, history and colonialism. Strong narrative arc and pacing throughout, and just enough nuance to each character to not be black or white. Effective and powerful set and lighting design. Each of the actors was convincing and compelling, individually strong yet balanced as a team. Each actor and their respective language was used to great effect to add to the depth and meaning of the play, not as a gimmick. Fantastic work that really shows off the strengths of this cohort.”

“Overall casting of ASYLUM with diverse nationalities, as I watched it, I realised that no matter where you came from, the whole team was able to convey the whole message of the play. Congratulations to all your hard work and collaborative effort and teamworks as ITI students. More power!”

“The fact that the actors/characters are moving the platforms themselves matches the tagline on the poster and in the programme — ‘the lines we draw, the walls we build’. We are all the builders of the asylum that isolates people, and creates The Others. Actually each one of us is The Other. We speak different languages, we look different from one another. The inability to live with each Other is the reason we face destruction. The lines that mark the asylum are withdrawn at the end. And we are back to the reality — Are we still continuing to create ‘asylums’?”

ASYLUM is the first graduation production of ITI's 2022 graduating cohort.

Photo credit: Bernie Ng