Saltwater and Letters Home

Saltwater and Letters Home
By Jamie Lewis and Joe Lui respectively. TheatreWorks, 14 Acland Street, St. Kilda. 1-12 July, 2015

This double bill provides the opportunity to enjoy the experimental work of two young Singaporean performance artists. Although they are two independent pieces they are tied together by strong thematic connections.

Jamie Lewis employs a completely novel approach to sharing her experience as a new bride living thousands of miles away from the benefit of her mother’s conventional wisdoms. Entering her performance space is much more akin to arriving at a family gathering, but it houses the same potential for spectacle. Her stories of a firm upbringing have both warmth and candour. Lewis gently leads her spectators through this innovative theatrical event which can leave you feeling bemused whilst also being pampered by her hospitality. 

Writer, director and performer Joe Lui confronts the audience as he reminisces about his difficult choice to escape a benevolent yet suffocating culture. However, no matter what physical or metaphorical distance Lewis or Lui put between themselves and their families, the strength of their bond is unmistakable. Lui makes his parents incredibly present through their absence. His dynamic and inventive use of the stage conjures up a life of colourful contrasts and contradictions; a life where, evidently, separation from family rarely seems to equate with real freedom.

Patricia Di Risio

Images: (top) Jamie Lewis (photographer: Sarah Walker) and (lower) Joe Lui (photographer: Simon Pynt).

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