Here Where You Were

by Danial Matin
Matter.Less

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2024

(organised and curated by TNS)

NAFA Studio Theatre, Singapore

Wrapping up the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival with Here Where You Were, a heavy yet nourishing piece of forum theatre on mental health written by Danial Matin and presented by budding theatre group Matter.Less. 

The play revolves around a young man, Fadli, who is dealing with the sudden death of his grandmother. When he discovers a letter that suggests it might have been a suicide, he is overwhelmed with emotion and attempts to discuss the issue with his mother, only to be shut down and told to seek solace in his religion. His girlfriend, meanwhile, encourages him to go for therapy to process his grief, a fact which angers his mother when she finds out. Things end on a dark note with the conflicted and depressed Fadli overdosing on pills and ending up in hospital, unable to decide what he should do. 

Director Moli Mohter keeps the action taut and extracts rich, heartfelt performances from actors Fadhil Daud, Chng Yin Xuan and Suhaila M Sanif. There is a deep authenticity to Danial's script, cleverly tapping into the generational divide when it comes to confronting the topic of suicide and mental health and how therapy can be viewed as a sign of weakness and a distraction. 

Facilitators Adib Kosnan and Chng Yi Kai do a good job in encouraging audience members to make interventions after the play concludes, discussing how we could approach things differently and bring about an alternative resolution to the events that were depicted. While these do not always go as planned, there was a meaningful discussion about dealing with Asian parents set in their ways of thinking, the stigma associated with mental health and how it's  important to ensure clear, authentic communication when faced with these issues instead of bottling them up. 

A thoughtful, honest piece about a difficult topic that was handled with tact and sensitivity. I particularly liked how we were offered plushies to hug for comfort before being ushered into the theatre space!

The Crystalwords score: 3/5