MAIN-MAIN ENGINE ROOM TAKEOVER (Rumah Khai/Omnibus Theatre)*****

 

By Dave

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRfptpSM5Iw

Available until: Unknown

Main-Main is a word from the Malay language and it means ‘playing’. The idea behind it is to encourage the artists to play in whatever way they want to. To explore their creativity and share it with us. The result is very interesting, original and thought-provoking.

This was originally presented live on Zoom, filmed and made available on youtube. It’s presented by producer Rumah Khai, who explains the thoughts behind the show, the beliefs and ethos of the group and the behaviour expected from the Zoom audience. What I thought was really nice and helpful is that she explained what you should do if you don’t feel safe. It seems like a great environment to me but it’s really good they addressed the fact because you just don’t know how someone’s going to feel.

The show opens with an animated video from DJ Sayang. There are several throughout this takeover, all very different. There is music and art, computer-generated images that look real and beautiful. It’s incredible what can now be done with computers, not just on a practical level but the way DJ Sayang can turn it into art. I’m not the most arty person and there are probably lots of people who can appreciate and understand it a lot better than me but I find it awe-inspiring that DJ Sayang had all these ideas and knew they could create something special – and then they just did it.

The first spoken word piece is Brown Belly by Harris Albar, a theatre maker from Singapore. It’s a monologue about Sadiq, who is known as Muk.

Muk is a gay man from Singapore and he tells a really touching story about trying to find out who you are and trying to love who you are. It’s really sad in places and it shows how cruel the world can be but there’s also a lot of warmth and humour. It feels very honest and much more real than a lot of stories on this subject. It acknowledges that finding yourself and loving yourself are ongoing processes and I think it’s really important to know that. Harris has created a really lovely, self-aware character who is very easy to relate to.

Next up is Walking Cats by Zhaolin Zhou and this is such an original, inventive piece. Zhaolin has basically invented a whole new method of telling a story and it’s mesmerising to watch. It’s a story about nine cats which are made out of Lego. They go on journeys, meet other characters and meet themselves.

As the story is narrated, new images are created. The cats are placed on a piece of paper. Road names are written in as we watch. Squares of paper in different colours are added, changing the image, creating something new. More pieces of paper are put down on top of the others. Some have a piece cut out, exactly in the shape of the cat. It’s clever, inventive, original and really special and my description really hasn’t done it justice but it really is great.

Finally we have Epilation Nation by Radhika Aggarwal, a personal and powerful exploration of body hair, the way it is perceived and how it can be got rid of if that’s what you want. At the start, Rad invited viewers to submit their own stories about battles with their body hair. I don’t think I have any which I can share without embarrassing my kids even more than I do just by existing but here’s one from Sophie.

Sophie is used to pain. She has a chronic pain condition. She has had multiple root canal treatments, due mainly to incompetent dentists and orthodontists when she was a kid. Her many injuries have included a collarbone fracture which was not diagnosed for three years because she decided she’d rather go to the theatre than the hospital (sounds totally reasonable to me). A suspected dislocated finger which she had from the ages of eight to fifteen. Ligament damage in various places. But the worst pain she has ever experienced is having her eyebrows threaded. She says she will never let anyone do that to her again.

Sophie would also like me to tell you about the time her sister chased her through the house, pinned her to the bed and ‘attacked’ her with a pair of tweezers, before informing her that it didn’t hurt (it did). That’s what it’s like with body hair, especially for females. The general opinion is that it’s not supposed to be there and someone’s body hair can be embarrassing for their families as well as for them. It’s another sign of how the world is so obsessed with appearances. Come on, there are more important things! And who says hair can't be beautiful?

Rad shares her own personal story of body hair and its removal. Her experiences, some of which caused her a lot of pain, physically and emotionally. Her beliefs and the way they’ve changed. The different attitudes she’s experienced and the different treatments she’s used. It’s an honest and brave story, sometimes funny, sometimes a bit of a horror story, sometimes very moving. It’s beautifully and clearly told and very informative. I think it could be really inspiring and helpful, not just for teenage girls – and boys – who are going through this but also for parents who might not have had the same experiences growing up and want to know how best to support their kids.

A very interesting, creative and meaningful selection of work.