For the first time in Singapore – A Clockwork Orange is showing in theatres (with an all-male cast)

Banned for over 30 years in Singapore, ABA Productions, Diva Productions and Glynis Henderson Productions proudly present one of the world’s most electrifying work of all time – A Clockwork Orange.

I caught it last night at Esplanade.

It is as if the plot for A Clockwork Orange is not strange enough, this stage adaptation features an all-male cast, with all the infamous violent, rape and abuse scenes swapped to become homosexual scenes. How much stranger can a play gets?

Then again, the strange and disturbing factors were also what drew me to catch it in the first place.

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At the opening, my female friend commented that the guys all looked very delicious when the talents stepped on stage with their muscled bodies.

I know about A Clockwork Orange because of the banned Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film of the same name. It’s probably quite tame compared to the kind of crass content we see in the movies these days, but back then, the explicit violence and sex were a big deal. Here’s the trailer:

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Nonetheless, I have not seen the film nor read the original book by Anthony Burgess. This theatre adaptation is truly my first encounter with this classic, set in a near future English society that has a subculture of extreme youth violence.

Synopsis:

Alex DeLarge and his droogs spends the night getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on ‘a little of the old ultraviolence’ which consists of ultra-violence and sex. However, these came to a halt when Alex was caught and jailed in the state prison. Desperate to redeem his freedom, he seeks help from the Ludovico behavior modification and was eventually released as a free man. But is Alex cured of his old violent ways? What happened to the rest of the droogs?

Follow the journey of psychopath protagonist Alex DeLarge and his friends in his road to self-discovery and adulthood.

Rated M18, the Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore has given this ultra-masculine and adrenaline-pumping performance its stamp of approval for a five night performance. Having enjoyed a sell-out run during The Edinburgh Festival and a subsequent sell-out season in London’s West End, the play also received rave reviews from international critics.

The English drawl used by the talents were a little hard for me to catch, though I know they probably spoke this way to keep to the spirit of the original writing.

Overall, it was not exactly the most easily digestible play to watch. However, I do appreciate the strangeness and the questioning on the concept of violence which Burgess seeks to bring across.

Why watch A Clockwork Orange?

For one, there is the cheap thrill of earning the bragging right that you managed to catch the stage adaptation of a work that has been banned for over 30 years in Singapore.

Second, it was not easy bringing in this production into Singapore. The R18 rating from the MDA took a year of discussions and reviews.

Third, curiosity! As mentioned earlier in this post, that was what prompted me to watch it. After reading this post, I am sure some of you will get curious enough to want to catch it too.

Here are the ticketing details: 

Wednesday/ 4 November 2015 – 8 PM
Thursday/ 5 November 2015 – 8 PM
Friday/ 6 November 2015 – 8 PM
Saturday/ 7 November 2015 – 8 PM
Sunday/ 8 November 2015 – 7 PM

Duration: 2hrs 20 mins

Venue: Esplanade Theatre. 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981

Prices:
Standard: $128, $118, $108,$88,$68
Student: $58 (limited seats)
Esplanade Box: $108
Premier Box A & B: $108
Box B-G: $128
Restricted View: $58

10% discount available for groups of ten or more.

For discounts on tickets, please book tickets together at any SISTIC outlets, by visiting www.sistic.com, or by SISTIC’s telephone booking hotline at +65 6348 5555.