志异 Draft by Drama box July 2014 (english) | Page 9

Some audience members might have missed the point of
our intent, but we trust them to discover it through postshow discussions.

How do you see your plays deal with social issues? Do they promote
harmony or discord? There was a community theatre practi-

tioner with social work background who came to watch
the play and told me that she was rather disturbed,
because there was no closure to the play; it’s like putting
a work out there that’s bleak and hopeless, and is that
responsible? But actually for me, there was hope, just
that the humanity that was shown was seemingly not as
significant as the conflict. 
Take  Off Centre  for example, the authorities thought
that by showing a suicide on stage it is promoting something negative. But in the play one person commits
suicide, the other protagonist did not. We actually want
to transmit the idea that life is precious.  But it won’t
do anyone any good if we do so in a simplistic or reductive way. Life is complex and not so simplistic and tidy. 
Besides, different people react differently to the same
play. What we need is discussion after watching a play,
to continue to open up each other’s minds to what seems
bleak or hopeless on stage.
Our plays do not garner the audience with the sole intent
to criticise the government. The audience is then perfect
and the establishment flawed.  How reductive can that
be? The audience is not implicated at all.  Our works
disturb or challenge the audience as well, because the

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feature