Before you embark on reading this Mad Forest review, digest this article: Mad Forest: Theatre is alive for a reason. It contains words from the director – Jonathan Lim – himself and also some background information on what Mad Forest is all about. The opening night happened Wednesday, at The Republic Cultural Centre, Lab at Republic Polytechnic.

Having said that, after watching the Caryl Churchill play, it most certainly managed to strike a chord; or two. As the play opened, mixed feelings gathered inside me. There was apprehension and also anticipation. I ain’t exactly the biggest fan of politics; politics put me to sleep and though Jonathan pointed out that you could think that “Romania is in Rome” and still enjoy the play; I just didn’t have much faith in my puny brains. Amaze me, I say. And amazed, I am.

I stepped into what I previously thought would be a theatre, with a stage and seats. There was no stage to speak of. It was just us – the handful of say… 50 audience – sitting and surrounding the actors. The latecomers were ushered to the floor. Nonetheless, everyone still looked pretty blown away by the performance. Quite honestly, the “sitting on floor” somehow made me think of “ah, the things we do for a play” and picture people in France/Italy going for plays and sitting on floors and totally relishing in the whole ‘play experience’… okay, back to Mad Forest!

The close proximity of the actors surely enhanced the performance. Watching them delve fully into and immersing themselves in the role of a Romanian; telling us their story. A story made up of real-life events that will make us see, that we are indeed so very lucky. We were transported, to a different time and different setting - the time of chaos in Romania, the 1989 Romania Revolution. The 13 of them even adopted a fitting Romanian accent; making it all the more convincing.

This is about as close as I can get to a play, ever. We were sitting around the actors as they transformed and teleported us to a whole new world - right before our very eyes, literally. We were inches, centimeters away.

As the scenes unfolded, feelings so raw overtake you. You feel what they feel. There is no room for error. Not for one second.

It wasn’t like there was any error to be made anyway. You could tell that the emotions were real and they were really telling the story of a Romanian for that full 160 minutes; right up till the lights went off at the very last scene. It was just there; all of us, together with all the 13 actors, in that room from the first minute right up to the very last. There was no changing room. They changed right before our very eyes.

Scenes played out. Snippets of the interview came back to haunt me - bits and pieces of it.

“When this bunch of Singaporeans sing, you feel it,” Jonathan had said in the interview.

And feel did I. In fact, I felt it so much that my eyes welled up and my chin found itself quivering.

“This rawness is very vital. Feels like you’re in their living room, watching them fight. Sometimes almost uncomfortably real, that’s why it affects you.”

I watched as they fought. Should I be sitting there and watching it or should I be stopping them? Just wait till the original cast sees them in action. They will be proud beyond words.

The first act opened with “Lucia’s wedding”. It is set in a time slightly before the revolution whereby marrying an American brought shame unto not just her but her family as well. Things were rather flurry in the beginning as scenes were short it went from one scene to another without meaning. There we are, sitting and trying to figure out what it all meant. By the second act – “December”, things were somewhat clearer and some of our doubts were answered. Emotions ran high, it was as though we were watching a real revolution take place and these are witness accounts of those who were going through with it. The third act, “Florina’s wedding” tied everything together and suddenly it all made sense. We felt it; or at least I did. Now, the story seems that much clearer. Act one and three are fictitious while Act two depicts true happenings thus drawing the audience subtly but surely into the political state of time in Romania; then.

 These young faces who make up Young & W!LD - they are ready. They are ready to take on the world of theatre, which is full of ‘burdens’. Issabella Chiam, Candice de Rozario, Hang Qian Chow, Jasmine Koh,  Jonatham Lum, Audrey Luo, Ghazali Muzakir, Judy Ngo, Daphne Ong, Eleanor Tan, Tan Shou Chen, Terence Tan, Vanessa Wong – I applaud you all for your outstanding performance. Mad Forest certainly opened my eyes.

Get your tickets before you miss this eye-opening chance. Ticket pricing ranges from S$12 to S$16. Get your tickets from www.gatecrash.com.sg. Visit the production blog at www.madforest2007.blogspot.com.