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Too much said and done

'Big Brother is Watching', StageLight and Magic's production went on the boards at the Lionel Wendt last month.

The preview prepared us for a look into the future when everything, as we know it, would be distorted. Where war would mean peace and freedom would be doing what you are told to do.

A time when all that we believed in changed form so that one could no longer be sure if black was indeed black or how much two plus two adds up to.

A world turned upside down. And even though today's world makes one question its inhabitants' sanity, the play took place in a world where even the right to voice that question did not exist.

Then, in this nightmarish, surreal world, two people fall in love.

It certainly was the love story it promised to be. There were a lot of tender love scenes where the hero clasped the heroine to his chest and buried his face in her hair, etc. But in this case it was overdone. Not just the romance but the violence as well.

After the initial proclamation of love "Because I love you…" (which, incidentally, was amusing) by Julia (Kisholi De Mel) every five minutes found her perched on her lover's lap or crouched in his embrace. I have nothing against lovebirds, but I thought there was too much hugging in this particular drama. Was it that people don't perceive love when they see it, and it must be rammed down their throats?

The casting was good; the two lovers seemed made for each other. He was tall and good-looking, she was petite and pretty. He was (seemingly) noble and strong, she was flighty and fragile. And both of them were very convincing. Kisholi played the 'love struck girl' well; demanding all her partner's attention all the time, piqued when he was otherwise engrossed. She was sweet, alluring and very real.

Winston (Marsh Dodanwela) was equally good; when he was in love and when he was in pain. For most of the three hours it took for Feroze Kamardeen's play to unravel, when Winston was not thrown about the stage, he was earnestly considering his options.

And the audience was able to empathize with each of his dilemmas in turn. The conflict of ideals and emotions was portrayed movingly. One could see emotions chase across his face.

The villain of the piece, O'Brien (Chamath Arambewela) was very convincing. Is it just me, or is the brooding, dark villain always the more memorable character of any given play? This one evoked distrust and goosebumps every time he walked on stage.

But who came up with the idea that the villain should be dressed (in the future) in total black and sport a black cloak to boot? One of my friends remarked that he looked like the caped crusader.

There was a helpful hint thrown in too: how do you spot the bad guy? (Besides being in black) he/she is the one who smokes all the time. But then what's one more stereotype?

Except for that one fantastic costume, and perhaps the landlady's (the proles/middleclass have no dress sense?), most of the other costumes were well conceived, especially the dress Julia goes to so much trouble to procure from the blackmarket.

The second half of the play, it turned out, was even more heavy than the first.

This time around in a different sense. Was the overdose of violence introduced to counter the beginning?

I didn't enjoy watching a man literally being broken up right before my eyes. It had a dramatic effect, but it was too much. At one point Winston's shoe flew off his foot and landed among the audience.

As mentioned, the acting was good. O'Brien showed the desire to hurt, and Winston showed hurt. Can something be too real? I think so. It's not that things have to be watered down for the benefit of the faint hearted, but there can be too much of a good thing. Not everything needs to be overstated and overdone.

The dialogue was precise and clear. All the actors delivered their lines well. We were prepared for comments on the American-Iraq conflict. But only the odd innuendo was passed here and there.

Big Brother is Watching was a good play in many ways and it may have proven a good point, but after three hours of sitting still and concentrating I was too tired to go home and analyze the finer points. Too tired to appreciate the whole storyline and draw parallels with the world around me...

-Nirmalie