Emily of Emerald Hill-Nicole R.

Emily of Emerald Hill was really unexpected, in a good way. I hadn't expected this play acted out by one actor to be as enthralling as it was and i really thought Ivan Heng did a brilliant job in his role as a Nyonya, mother and wife. His characterisation was done so well, it was really distinct and i bet all of us were completely convinced he was a Nyonya. In the play, he had to act as if there were other people on stage and the emotion clearly expressed in his voice and actions made those imaginary people real which made the audience believe that there were other people on stage, which made the play an even better experience for the audience.

Because of the good characterisation which was probably due to the understanding Ivan Heng had of his character, Emily, i was able to understand that Emily is actually a very lonely person. She tries to cover this up through the many masks she wears and the audience can see this from the phone calls with the many different people she talks to. She impersonates a British person, speaks like a gangster together with many other things. Emily tried to hide from a loneliness, trying to preoccupy herself with attending and holding luxurious functions so she would not have to face her loneliness. However, you can see that once in a while, the lights go dark and Emily says something sad. This showed a slip of her facade that she put up to try and avoid loneliness. However, you can see her breaking down slowly through the play as one by one, her family members supposedly leave her, her son committing suicide, husband dying, daughter and son getting married and moving away from Emerald Hill.

Ivan Heng also connected with his audience by 'punishing' the latecomers and interacting with them even while the play was going on. I thought it was a really good incorporation of reality and the world of Emily Of Emerald Hill as it made it feel more realistic, like we were really inside the play. The stage gave a sort of three-dimensional effect that gave that feeling too, especially when the real firecrackers went off.

Overall i felt Emily Of Emerald Hill was really awesome and i would watch it again. But i'm happy i got to watch it at all. :D