Self-discovery, love, courage and a whole lotta Purple camp!

PUBLISHED July 20th, 2012 10:46 am | UPDATED March 28th, 2016 05:45 pm

Pssst….does the name Maggie Lai mean anything to you? It’s been a while since she’s been around, but now Singapore’s most famous transexual is making a comeback in the third staging of Purple, a la Toy Factory Productions.

Though some people may remember her first two outings (excuse the pun!) with sold out runs in 1995 and 1998 thanks to award-winning playwright Goh Boon Teck. For those who don’t, her story is an emotional journey of self-discovery, love and courage. It’s a voyage through her time as a lavatory cruise addict, hairdresser, masseuse, transvestite, transexual, stripper, prostitute and movie star, as she struggles to fulfill her dream of becoming a woman; all the while trying to stay true to herself and her beloved father who learns to accept and love her through it all.

A week and a half into rehearsals, I got to catch up with directer Rayann Condy (who was last see directing EQUUS for Toy Factory) and the multi-talented lead Shane Mardjuki…

for a deeper insight into what Purple is all about, and though I was fascinated by the production even before that moment, I have to say now, I’m not only fascinated but have also become very endeared to it.

While the first two outings were much smaller, blackbox-esque, Toy Factory’s rendition will be the first time the production will grace the stage on a much larger scale. However, to keep things completely innovative, Rayann has intentionally not looked at any previous footage or previous runs. So audiences can expect a wild ride inside her imagination…yes, welcome to Maggie’s grand circus show!

More than a drag show, Purple goes way beyond just glitz and glamour thanks to Rayann’s emphasis on, “telling the story of a person and their relationship with their father, and communicating those extra levels of hardship and heartbreak that Maggie goes through as a real and identifiable person.” It’s a tough one to get right she explains, “while we didn’t want to reinforce stereotypes, Maggie did lead a typical life however put a mask on her face to survive, and of course there are moments when the mask slips.”

She continues, “It’s an amazing journey of one person’s life story and how blessed she is to have her father – though heartbreaking it’s also inspiring. And of course there are also elements of fun… something audiences will see more of in this production, are songs added on to bridge Maggie from one monologue to another.”

Of course what I really wanted to know was, what it was like playing Singapore’s most famous trans! “It really didn’t occur to me that it would be such a big deal until after I signed up,” explains Shane,  “but afterwards there were a few eyebrows being raised and I realized there was going to be a bit of pressure on me with this role – it’s definitely lit a fire underneath me! I did a lot of research before rehearsing…I hung around and spoke to people in the trans community in the back alleys – but ultimately – I had to go back to the script to tell Maggie’s story.”

So what was it about Shane Mardjuki which led Rayann to cast him as the role? Well, it’s clear to see that what’s needed to pull off the part of Maggie so well is an all rounder. “I didn’t want someone who could just do campy drag – I needed someone who could do serious also, someone who could be sensitive about serious moments, but do big campy moments too.”

To my total surprise however, apparently those camping it up scenes, though obviously lots of fun, are pretty darn hard to pull off well – it’s all about finding the right balance and not going overboard on the camp, I find out.  And as for being seductive – well sometimes limbs don’t move as seductively as we’d like them to right? Well come on guys out there, how many of you would be able to pull off some seductive dancing? Or some pole dancing perhaps?

But back to the serious now – it’s clear from talking with Rayann and Shane that the most touching moments of the show for them…and with time I expect for us also…are the scenes when Maggie is interacting with her father, when you get to see, “a different side to Maggie, to feel a connection with her…it’s very touching.”

As Rayann so perfectly puts it, Purple is , “A real journey – funny, heartbreaking and nauseous at times. It’s the story of someone living through all of this, surviving, and coming out the other side stronger.” Now if that isn’t going to make you feel something…most likely that warm fuzzy feeling…well any one got a spare empathy gene please?!

Purple runs from 2-18 Aug 2012 at The Joyden Hall @ Bugis+ (formerly known as Iluma), #07-01, 201 Victoria St, Singapore 188067. Show times Tue – Sat, 8.00pm, Sat & Sun, 3.00pm. Ticket price $45 excluding booking fee, available from SISTIC here.