Petrisson TeoTheater Review: Frozen
A serial killer, a conflicted academic and a mother searching for closure.
These characters are examined over 20 years in Bryony Lavery’s Frozen, a heart-wrenching story about a mother whose daughter was murdered by a pedophile, and a psychiatrist who attempts to unravel the pedophile’s mind. The 3 characters begin unconnected, then gradually interweave and impact one another in the multi-faceted play of revenge and redemption.
Of Broken Lives
Agnetha (played by Janice Koh) is a psychiatrist who studies serial killers and the motives for their behaviors. During the play, Agnetha presents evidence that violent criminals are actually not responsible for what they do, but are instead victims of past trauma or brain damage. Delivering statistical evidence and scientific content are considerable parts of the role, and Koh smoothly engages the audience with her brisk pace of delivering monologues and lengthy lines.
Nancy (played by Karen Tan), is the grief-stricken mother of Rhona, who goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions, from desperate hope and grief to finally acceptance and closure. Tan opens the play with a terse, yet bumbling monologue about her family’s shenanigans. Fast forward to after Rhona’s death, and we see a withered version of Nancy’s younger self – haggard and gaunt. Tan’s body language is precise; she slouches about stage, face drawn and frown upturned. Here, we see the nuances of her character bare and exposed; the vulnerability of a mother who had lost her child.
Adrian Pang is breathtakingly sinister as Ralph, a pedophilic serial killer. First impressions count, as Ralph is introduced as an excessively swearing, devil-may-care vagabond with a penchant for order. As Ralph recounts the instances of his verbal and physical abuse as a child, he switches between the characters of a young Ralph and his father. It is through those glimpses into Ralph’s psyche that we are able to understand his horrific past. Some of the most gripping and violent scenes in the play are pulled off by Pang, and we are amazed at his capacity and his devotion to the character and craft.
Reason and Emotions
Frozen explores issues such as morality and the psychological and damaging long-term effects of child abuse.
As pointed out in the play, physical and psychological abuse suffered during childhood leads to the stunted growth of certain parts of the brain, leaving the child with the inability to develop certain feelings such as empathy and humanity. This posed a question – are those deemed ‘crazy’ to be blamed for their actions, or are these actions, in fact, symptoms of their incapacities and mental illnesses?
Ralph isn’t the only one with skeletons in his closet. Agnetha confides in Nancy later that she had an affair with her married academic partner. Nancy’s reply is bone chilling, “You just suffer.” Knowing that she’s in complete control of her own actions, Agnetha is forced to grapple with the realization that she might be no less devious or evil than the criminals she studies.
The juxtaposition of both Agnetha and Ralph is obvious: one is in control of her actions and the other out of control with his emotions. Who is sane and who isn’t? Who is right and wrong? The conflict between reason and emotion, rationale and thought, is debated in a subtle manner, prompting the audience to interpret and deliberate on their own.
Frocks and Frigidity
Staged at the smaller and dare we say, intimate Esplanade Studio, the set is deliberately designed to match the play’s morbidity.
The center of the theatre is partitioned into 3 stage platforms plastered with numerous morbid images of dissected human brains and creepy dolls, which seemed to smile back at the audience. Most disturbing are the 19th century-esque dresses fashioned into lampshades for the theater’s ceiling lights.
The emotional depth and turmoil of the characters are a driving force in the play, and their collective effort to move on from their past and gain acceptance is the most riveting aspect of the story. It reminds us of how we seek closure from our loved ones in our human drama every day.
Rating: 4/5
Photos courtesy of Pangdemonium! Productions
Information:
Frozen
Pangdemonium! Productions
Cast: Janice Koh, Adrian Pang, Karen Tan and Chad O’Brien
Runtime: 105 minutes with no intermission