Review: Bayangkan Bayang (Imagine a Shadow), Camden People’s Theatre

Imagine a world where ‘multicultural’ is superseded by interaction, fulfilling interculturality.  A world where intercultural linguistic communication is seamlessly embedded in the community. At Camden People’s Theatre, The Fever Kinetic engage and enthral the audience with thoughtful creativity and performance. Together, they embody intercultural collaboration and invite us to support and celebrate their intent. 

The company envelops us in their storytelling, shadow work, spoken word, and evocative music to relate true-life stories that many would prefer to ignore. Bayangkan Bayang (Imagine a Shadow) is a searing, nascent piece of theatre that brings statelessness to the fore. The focus is upon stories gathered in Malaysia, highlighting parallels between positions of people who are free, with those deemed ‘stateless’, ‘migrants’, ‘undocumented’, ‘illegals’, and the judgmental politics across the globe.    

YY Vong is the gatherer of these oral histories. Through the artful choreography of Tristen ZiJuin and the impressive capabilities of the entire company, we journey into the shadowlands of those who are stateless or undocumented. The shadow work depicts young children, in early years, innocent and carefree, anticipating their futures. As they reach adolescence and clash with bureaucracy, their futures are brutally eviscerated. When they seek to register their access to state education and healthcare, they are refused, and their lives are cast into the shadows. Their erstwhile school friends surpass them in living, able to travel, learn, earn and even fall in love. The stateless exist in the shadows, with a desperate impact on their emotional and mental health; the strain on their families and friends, and the choices of life paths denied.

There are captivating multi-sensory depictions of incarceration, physically, emotionally and mentally:   the visceral pull between captive and guard, imprisonment contrasted with freedom, choice versus boundaries that exclude those that are different. The Fever Kinetic challenge us to consider, if identity equates to visibility, then what of all those who are forced to exist in the shadows whilst we fulfil our dreams?

There is much to celebrate about this young company seeking to bring these stories to the world. Their energy, rhythm, pace and joy are palpable as they share spoken word, oral history, and blend it all with musicality, dance and courage. Their integration of graphic visualisation of emotion, motion and transitions is laudable, though it suffers from poor rendering. Projected articles, graphics and surtitles are largely illegible due to text size, fonts used and the dimness of the equipment deployed.   Occasional challenges with lighting synchronisation limit the visibility of the cast, leaving sign language in shadow and expressive movement lost in the darkness. Nevertheless, from the playfulness of Kaja Posnik to the eloquent menace of Ru Chavan, the storytelling is compelling.

Despite a late start due to technical issues, the company retained their composure and commitment.  Their discipline in rehearsals is evident in the fluidity of their interactions and their spatial awareness, and apparent in the playfulness of juggling lit scarves across the black box staging.

As their hunger for an intercultural future is depicted in hand-painted artwork, the potential becomes visible and indeed essential for humans to collaborate and thrive. 

The Fever Kinetic
Tristen ZiJuin
Rosemarie Kingfisher
Ru Chavan
YY Vong
Kaja Posnik
Leanne Lim
Mengchu Huang

Bayangkan Bayang (Imagine a Shadow) has completed its run at Camden People’s Theatre