By NABILA AZLAN

When asked about the spark which brought this version of titus andronicus to life, director-producer Low Yee Choy, 24, tells us, “I initially wanted to direct A Little Life [based on the novel by Hanya Yanagihara] but later, I couldn’t get the rights. While doing the research on the play, [I found out that] the violent moments in the novel was very much being compared to another production that was also happening in the same time in the UK, which is Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare’s Globe. The production had a full female cast and used candles to represent their life force. It prompted me to think: how would I do this? How do I represent violence on stage? What would be my ‘candles’?”

According to Low as the artistic director for lowercase laboratories (lowercase labs), “We wish to always experiment with a concept in each production, hence the word ‘labs’ in our collective. Our debut show experiments with a bunch of young writers and directors.”

Embodying the persona of the production house, titus andronicus is experimental at best: “…It portrays violence using flowers. While these concepts are not new, they challenge the creators’ skill and unfamiliarity, thereby pushing us artistically. I believe in growth as an artist; instead of staying stagnant, we should take initiative to challenge ourselves out of our comfort zones and with it, our audiences with the possibilities of theatre as well. This is the direction I hope to continue with lowercase labs.”

The staging of the show in DPAC (Damansara Performing Arts Centre) is apt in its timing. He elaborates, “The [ongoing] political conflicts have always left me confused and baffled. I thought, why war? Why can’t we sit down and talk about it instead of killing the innocent? It’s them who would get hurt through the decisions of those in power. And you see this being reenacted in titus andronicus, where you have two troops going against each other, consequentially, out of respect to religion and tradition. We ask this question: is it right or wrong for the innocent to fight back when pain was afflicted on them first? Is it right or wrong to honour values and traditions even though it pains the other party?”

Low, who would often toy with juxtaposition in motion, admits, “When I first read the [original] play, I was bored! It was very long, and I felt like I couldn’t track the title character, Titus Andronicus. Making use of my first impression of the text with my dramaturg, Dinesh Kumar Maganathan, we’ve condensed it to a 90-minute show, focusing on Titus’ journey arc.”

And then comes the flowers. What led to this artistic choice, you may ask? “Flowers came to mind for two reasons: Shakespeare uses flower-related imagery a lot in his text. A specific example is that after one of the characters was ravished, she is described as ‘deflowered’. The contrast to violence is peace, and for me, I associate peace and gentleness with flowers.”

For the show, lowercase labs collaborates with floral artist, Bee Shayne who is unafraid of incorporating used flora in her works of art. We are curious on how costly the usage of flowers is to the production, monetary and safety-wise. “It is more expensive,” Low chuckled. “But we consciously practice the act of recycling in this production. Real, artificial and dried plants are used in the production to enhance the storytelling. Of course, we try to be intentional with our choices – rather than selecting flowers that look nice to be part of the show we are guided by the text as we look at colours, textures, meanings and associations in making our decisions. And obviously, we keep safety in mind at all times, making the flow smoother through choices of choreography and many rehearsals to follow.”

titus andronicus stars Qahar Aqilah, Alfred Loh, Dexter Zhen, Farah Rani, Kamini Senthilathiban, Mia Sara Shauki, Mia Sabrina Mahadir, Yusuf Amin, Phraveen Arikiah and Tharanii Karthigesu. “I knew quite early on that I wanted Qahar Aqilah to play the title character, as he came to my mind when I was doing the early work,” says Low. “Then, I kind of built everyone else around him during the callback. I think the challenge is mainly making the choices based on the text rather than relying on visuals and form (which is my usual directing style). Seeing that this is text-based, I know that I would have to honour the text first – I was navigating between the balance of form and text.”

While this is his first Shakespeare directorial, it nothing short of his go-to elements: high energy, fast-paced, dark and brutal. titus andronicus by is made for curious urban audiences, whether or not you are into Shakespearean-based plays. It is also worth noting that Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is believed to be one of the earliest tragedy-centred works being attributed to the legendary playwright!

To the question whether the show would be intimidating to non-Shakespeare readers, Low replies, “[While that may be true to a degree] I’d like to think that it can be quite accessible through the actions of the actors. It’s like watching foreign film without subtitles, or seeing an abstract painting where you’re still able to ‘feel’ something despite a certain ‘disconnection’ – I hope this production can do so through its theatricality. Set in a square stage (imagine monopoly), I also hope this production reminds audiences what live performances can provide through its staging. [The magic of theatre lies in] the here and now, the present.”

titus andronicus by lowercase laboratories is staged at Black Box, Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC) from August 15 to 18. Tickets can be purchased here!

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