By Foo Rong En
Behind every successful story, there is a strong writer. What constitutes a successful story? Can facts be swept under the rug in the pursuit of a poetic flow that readers will find compelling?
The international premiere of the highly-successful Broadway play, The Lifespan of a Fact explores duelling perspectives of fact versus truth. The fate of a sinking New York Magazine is given a lifeline with the transcendent essay about the suicide of a teenage boy by talented writer John D’Agatha (Ghafir Akbar). Enter Jim Fingal (Jamil Schulze), an enthusiastic intern at the magazine whose task to fact-check the article soon turns into a relentless quest for factual accuracy.
With a tight deadline looming ahead, tensions rise between the duo and the magazine’s editor, Emily Penrose (Janice Koh) as they battle over how the article should be presented in the published version. A gripping performance interspersed with humour, audiences are propelled to reflect upon the information that we consume in today’s saturated media landscape.
With an elaborate set that transitioned swiftly through the heated discussions stewing at the editor’s desk or blowing up at John’s house, the audience is invited to take an inside look into the characters’ lives through a giant screen backdrop, displaying email conversations and the elaborate fact-checking process.
The audience becomes the magazine’s readers as a vivid visualisation of John’s teenage suicide essay plays on the screen, prompting a riot of emotions. While the storytelling element is a key ingredient to create a note-worthy article, the play shows that the manipulation of facts to enhance the story comes at a cost to the actual people involved.
With equal measures of humour and drama, The Lifespan of a Fact is a captivating play that is highly relatable in our society today.
The Lifespan of a Fact runs from 25 Feb – 14 Mar 2020 at KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT. Tickets from $45-$65. For more information, visit www.srt.com.sg.
SRT will also have two post-show talks:
Monday 2 March – Women in the Media
SRT has invited three amazing women to talk about “Women in the Media”. Speakers include Janice Koh (actress), Eunice Olsen, Andrea Abbate (LinkedIn), and Irene Jay Liu (Google News Lab).
Thursday 12 March – Youth and Suicide in Singapore
John’s essay is about a 16-year-old boy who jumped. SRT will be using this platform to raise awareness about the increase in youth suicides in Singapore, with a talk from Samaritans of Singapore.
