Platform 65's cultural critique studies the politics that lay behind Asian religious ceremonial tradition and offsets them critically against a postmodern culture in which today’s youth are invited to question practices of by-gone times.
The cast deal well with this contentious topic that is close to their own hearts. The production is savvy and pertinent questions are posed throughout: why should we feel emotional attachment for a deceased relative when we know our neighbour more intimately? How can one gain perception of character when people are meekly described as 'warm-hearted and loving'?
A large part of the play is set in the foyer of a typical Singaporean high-rise flat in which people come and go at breakneck pace. The cast use this setting as a metaphorical base for thematic content, and in terms of staging, the set also switches with ease into multiple environments with impressive fluidity. The props are stunningly effective, as a white swinging door and some wooden boxes cater for everything; this minimalism never feels compromising. Projected images set scenes onto the plain staging, creating subways, graveyards, and social media hubs.
The staging of a relatives funeral ties the narrative together. As the three wooden boxes are lined up to represent a meagre casket the cynical youth proclaim: 'that is not my mother. She was made out of her consciousness'.
Rites and Regulations deals exceptionally well with commonplace debates such as modernity versus tradition and unity versus individuality. It's all piercingly relevant and lusciously critical, set amongst the crowded scatterings of a modern world.
