Review: "Ghost Writer" by The Necessary Stage

Are you living a life to fulfill someone else's purpose?

Helmed by Cultural Medallion recipients Alvin Tan and Haresh Sharma of The Necessary Stage, Ghost Writer offers a glimpse into the lives of characters intertwined by blood and ties that bind-and suffocate. 

A young dancer who has undergone traditional training feels dislocated within her artistic practice in her home country. A new expatriate wife detached from her immediate reality draws inspiration from the writings of strangers past and present, and tries to reinvent herself. A teacher seeks to save a school that she had inherited, but finds her quest leaves her more lonely than ever.
A meditative interdisciplinary production that charts the collisions of people seeking to alter their destinies, Ghost Writer grapples with the question of how independent our lives can be. Are we existing based on other people's terms, or can we transcend tradition and memory to rewrite our own stories?

Ahhhhh my heart.

I've always loved Haresh Sharma's works. I'm in love with physical movement. So Ghost Writer was naturally something I wanted to see. And I was not disappointed. Kinda.

Ghost Writer makes use of various art forms: theatre, dance, multimedia and music. Music was played live by Bani Haykal and sung by Namita Mehta, something new that I enjoyed. The various mediums intertwined perfectly to create a stage that looked like something out of a contemporary art museum. The set was simple: a table for actors on stand by to sit at and four screens on wheels. Projections showed character's stories as they spoke, providing exposition to the audience.

The cast did not disappoint. With a mixture of dancers and theatre artists, they were able to perform as one entity, one body as they moved perfectly in time. Sharda Harrison (aka Thespian's goals) was a perfect choice for Nandini, an expatriate wife who copes with the death of her sister years later. Sharda was able to portray Nandini's grief and at the same time distinguish herself from the character when she acted as a narrator and inner voice of others. (Sharda if you're reading this I freaking love you). Ruby Jayaseelan portrayed Priya, a dancer, well, showing her struggle with her Indian roots and origin, the reason for her success but the one thing she pushed away. However, Jereh Leong's character seemed rather redundant, barely making any impact on the storyline.

One may not understand the story when watching the show (I heard many "What the hell?"s after the show) but I personally did not attend for the plot. I attended for the movements and dance. And I left feeling completely inspired. The movements of the cast was so controlled and graceful at the same time. It really makes one wonder how much training it took for them to get it perfect. Times like these, I'm reminded why I love this art and what I want to become.

Ghost Writer may have been avant garde and not really suitable if you're a new comer to the theatre scene. But if you're looking for a feast for the eyes, you've chosen the right show.

-Thespian