Snapshots of fleeting youth and the tragedy of life in three acts.

If it’s one thing in life money can’t buy, it’s youth. Doomed to age till the day we die, it is far too often that by the time we reach a degree of emotional maturity to appreciate what we have, it is often already too late to enjoy it in all its glory. Tackling the fears of growing old and the relationship between the youth and elderly, Nine Years Theatre (NYT) and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) present James Fritz’s The Fall, as performed by NAFA’s Diploma in Theatre (English Drama) Year 3 graduating students.

Directed by Isabella Chiam, The Fall contains three vignettes, each charting a different stage of life, and how they relate to the elderly. In the first, two teenagers sneak into an old man’s home for a secret rendezvous, leading to conflicting thoughts on the prospect of turning old, and a surprise that might change the course of their relationship forever. Played by Cheryl Wang Yuxuan and Wilson Timotius, while hindered by inconsistent Western accents, both young performers deliver a relationship that feels believable and reflects the obsession with physical beauty and capability, with their strength, endurance and flexibility painstakingly demonstrated, alongside visceral lines that cut deep with how much prejudice exists against the elderly.

But from this naturalistic first act, The Fall delves into experimentations with time and the theatrical form, with their second segment portraying a young couple struggling to build a future together. Played by Antang and Chung Yoonseo (Heather), the couple’s lives speed into a blur before us, as we experience sudden time jumps every few lines, going from a first meeting to having a child in a matter of minutes, perhaps reflecting the temporality of youth and how quickly everything changes. Despite this challenge, both actors handle the material exceptionally well, and you feel like you’ve been watching them for years despite the short actual time spent onstage. Shifting quickly from joy to devastation, with clear enunciation in natural accents, this act is a standout among the three that leaves you feeling hollow with its sharp commentary on the high cost of living.

In its final segment, The Fall fully goes into dystopian, sci-fi territory, imagining a future where the elderly are shifted to a cramped care facility, and are pressured into euthanasia for a payout to benefit their children. This segment features the most cast members, and follows a new member of the facility. Played by Lee Zhi Qi (Lex), they deliver what is perhaps the most complex performance of the evening, initially cantankerous and miserable, before rediscovering the joys of life and love, and allowing us to believe, just for a moment, that there’s still hope yet in one’s twilight years, before a final, deeply philosophical moment. Amongst the other residents, Akhila Erin Harding also leaves a mark as an angry roommate, spitting her words like a real-life Oscar the Grouch, and often a source of much-needed humour amidst the darkness.

While the stage is mostly bare, with props mimed, what remain onstage throughout is a large bed that acts as a key set piece, its presence always felt in every scene as a site of love and death, drama and tension, or as a haunting presence in the backdrop. Similarly, the play is also tied together by a literal fall that happens in each segment, spoken but never performed, and reminds us of the fragility of human life itself. Under Isabella’s direction, she finds a way for the cast to make each character their own, allowing even cast members playing an AI-assistant to develop a personality.

The Fall is certainly a challenging script, each lengthy scene a brief exercise in professionalism for the actors to leave an impression on us. While the cast does take some time in each segment to warm up and fully embody their characters, when they finally do, they’re able to tap into the innate power of Fritz’s words, and bring out the bleakness of its situations in full force, made more depressing still juxtaposed against the small but genuine moments of warmth developed. Sobering in its effect, The Fall may have begun with the ensemble partying to heavy house music, but concludes with the acceptance of death, and reminds us of the need for compassion, in the knowledge that we too will one day grow old, but hopefully, our next fall won’t be an ending.

Photo Credit: Nine Years Theatre

The Fall played from 16th to 19th November 2023 at the NAFA Studio Theatre.

Production Credits:

Writer: James Fritz Director: Isabella Chiam Cast: Akhila Erin Harding, Antang, Chung Yoonseo (Heather), Elvira Foo Jing Yun, Lee Zhi Qi (Lex), Nicole Toh Jin Xian, Obias Timothy Blaise Banatin (Skinée), Prishaa Yarthini, Saw Yong Ling, Wang Yuxuan (Cheryl), Wilson Timotius Costume Designer: Tan Jia Hui Lighting Designer: Genevieve Peck Sound Designer: Chung Ee Yong, Rebecca Tan Sound Design Mentors: Dayn Ng, Ng Sze Min Sound Design Coordinator: Pearlyn Tay Set/Props Coordinator: Goh Abigail Stage Manager: Ng Siaw Hui Production Manager: Tennie Su