THE SECOND BREAKFAST COMPANY
The Old Woman and The Ox
15th - 17th November 2018
Gateway Theatre Black Box
Directed by: Adeeb Fazah, Artistic Director and co-founder of The Second Breakfast Company
Written by: Isaiah Christopher Lee
Performed by: Shannen Tan, Lim Jun De, Miriam Cheong, Claire Teo, Cheryl Lee, Dwayne Ng, Isaiah Lee, Aaron Cheang and Rachel Yen
The Old Woman and the Ox (2018) is a play written by 20-year-old playwright, Isaiah Christopher Lee, which explores the entangled currents of fear, guilt, loss and love.
Set against the absurdist backdrop of a crumbling house, the play follows Aileen and the ghosts of her memories as she seeks for something she cannot find except within herself. Aileen has grown disenchanted and apathetic after the traumatic events of her past. But what happens when her past returns to haunt her and she is forced to face her biggest fear of all – the truth?
Inspired by his mother and grandmother, this tale blurs the lines of surrealism and reality to crystallise what it means to grapple with the abnormal mind. It delves into what it means to mother and be mothered, but more importantly the realities of our eternal search for answers.
...where Shannen Tan and Miriam Cheong’s performances and strong chemistry, built up over their scenes together, gets an emotional climax that manages to move with Shannen’s dedication to bringing out the heartwrenching agony in her voice as she collapses, sobbing in Miriam’s arms...that ends on its most genuine, sincere note as Aileen is wrecked by guilt and loss