Should you watch this? Yes!!!
Duration: 90 minutes, no intermission
Dates: 11 May (Wed) – 22 May (Sun), 2016
Showtimes: Tue – Sat: 8pm, Sat & Sun: 4pm
Special Notes: They’ve just added a 22 May, 8pm show (in case the slot isn’t up yet on Sistic!)
“Meenah and Cheenah” is a comedy comprised of a different sketches about the interactions of Chinese and Malays. It features Siti Khalijah and Judee Tan.
“Meenah and Cheenah” is a comedy that truly befits the word “fabulous.” It’s not dependent on props, and rests entirely on the capable shoulders of the two female actresses, who exceed expectations and provide a remarkable performance in this show. It also benefits from having a cosier, smaller venue — Victoria Theatre — so the show seems more personal and direct to the audience. This is easily one of the best comedy performances this year, and even if you aren’t a theatre person, it’s well worth watching!
Highlights
Clever writing
Despite the fact that it’s a cultural comedy, not all the jokes are about the misunderstandings and misconceptions between races. In fact, many of the funnies come from good old Singapore, and lots of jokes are a result of witty wordplay. It gives a broader appeal and a wider variety of humour to the whole show, meaning that even if you’re not a fan of cultural humour, you’re still going to be laughing. First and foremost, it’s great comedy.
Lively performances
There’s literally never a dull moment with Siti Khalijah and Judee Tan. Both of them relish every role they play, and clearly enjoy themselves whether they’re boring public servants or high-strung young schoolgirls. Their energy is just infectious, and they play off each other with such synergy that you can almost feel their characters jump off stage! It’s a pity neither of them ever got to marry Vignesh, the oft-mentioned but never-seen childhood crush they had.
Hilarious costumes and quick costume changes
For many of us adults who’ve forgotten (or never really experienced) Racial Harmony Day, we get to relive it through a dazzling array of costumes that the two ladies don throughout the performance. Even as office executives, their outfits bring out what’s most memorable and distinct about the fashion styles of either race. Scene changes feel snappy even though it’s just the two actresses on stage, making you wonder how on earth they’re doing their costume changes so quickly between sketches.
Narrative thread through several sketches
The sketches are each standalone comedies, but several of them actually form a narrative arc that sees both Meenah and Cheenah growing up from Primary school all the way to adulthood. This affords the script a chance to tell a full story and enables payoffs from setups created much earlier in the show itself. Seeing the two girls grow up gives a sense of satisfaction to the show, meaning that you come away not only with lifted spirits, but a sense of catharsis that in the end, things turned out all right for them.
Letdowns
Subtitling would have helped bring across more jokes
It’s unlikely that you would understand both languages enough to catch all the jokes, so some subtitling would have helped with the portions that are more predominantly Chinese or Malay. However, their reactions often help you figure out what’s being said, so it’s not like you’ll be lost in their dialogue — just that subtitling would have made it clearer.
“Meenah and Cheenah” is one comedy that must you catch this year, and it’s amazing how much was accomplished with just two (albeit very talented) performers.
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