The hardest thing a parent can do is to let go of their children. After years of raising them, teaching them, and deciding what’s best for them, it’s scary to let them strike out on their own.
That’s the struggle at the heart of The Almighty Sometimes, a prize-winning play by Kendall Feaver showing next month. Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre, the play follows Anna, now on a life-changing journey to discover where her illness ends and her identity begins. University, relationships, her old love for writing – endless possibilities lay before her.
Only her mother, Renée, wishes to protect as fiercely as she loves. How far can she trust Anna to make decisions of her own? When does her own love become smothering?
The Almighty Sometimes’s powerfully layered script examines these challenges with intelligence, sensitivity, and a dose of humour (thanks in large part to the charming Salif Hardie as Anna’s new boyfriend Oliver). On the intimate SRT stage at KC Arts Centre, lights, smoke, and seamless set transitions are used to masterful effect – morphing to convey the desperate dreams, chaos, and confusion in Anna’s troubled mind.
In Singapore, where mental health issues are only beginning to be discussed openly, the play presents an unflinching look at mental illness and its far-reaching impact on individuals and families. Arielle Jasmine Van Zuijlen is riveting as Anna – with both power and vulnerability, she portrays a boundless, imaginative mind struggling to find her own identity past decades of medication and her mother's control. But it’s theatre veteran Karen Tan that reminds us that The Almighty Sometimes is ultimately about love – hers is a fierce embrace, reminding Anna (and the audience) that we never walk alone.
This powerful and absorbing family drama is not to be missed. Catch The Almighty Sometimes from November 8 onwards at KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT. Ticket prices start from $50 onwards, with 15 percent off if you purchase a minimum of four tickets via SRT’s Watch With Friends package. Book now at srt.com.sg/thealmightysometimes.