When Theatre Salutes NS

A genre completely unique and indigenous to Singapore, the NS play is truly a gem waiting to be unleashed on the Singaporean audience. If Wild Rice's double bill of Full Tank! and Botak Boys by Laremy Lee and Julian Wong respectively is any indication, the time may be near.

Lee's madcap play about a unit of soldiers who go AWOL and steal a tank in the middle of an army exercise is an interesting starter. Fast-paced and containing several sub-plots, Lee's characters stuck in a tank are anything but boring. Against a backstory of an "escaped terrorist, yet again", this motley crew of men encounter the hapless minister, the vampish TV news reporter who gets put in her place, Full Tank! is indeed full of laughs as the audience follows the soldiers and how they get out of their predicament.

What is slightly unclear, however, are the real intentions of Sergeant de Souza (played by Rodney Olivero) as we never quite find out why he decided to go AWOL with his men and tank that he was in charge of. Lee certainly tries to build up his character and his motivations, but other than being unhappy with his lot in life and his choices, one finds it hard pressed to believe it was merely because of this that tipped him over to depart from an army exercise and trek through Orchard Road with a tonne of steel and 3 soldiers under him.

Wong's Botak Boys, in its creation of being a musical about one's national service to one's country, suceeds in crossing the thin line in which it could have been a cheesy song-filled Sing Singapore creation. 

We follow 5 recruits on their first two weeks of BMT, when boys become men as they shave off their hair and civilian mentalities, and snarky musical lyrics interjected with NS lingo (everything from commands to hokkien swear words) are simply a pleasure to witness, and effectively build up the storyline and its development of the coming of age of these 5 'boys'.

The campy dream scene where Recruit Justin imagines his campmates have outed him and his "secret" is a scene worthy of a Kylie commendation, so campy and over the top it works so well.

The musical, to me, would have been perfect if not for the oh not so subtle very predictable turn of Justin's "secret", which seemed clear some 15 minutes in. Less crumbs and clues, more suspense and mystery would have done well for this musical.

Otherwise, the Hokkien-laced comedic musical with its touching and honest coming of age storyline is a treat, and certainly a salute to Singapore theatre.

Own Time Own Target is on till July 25th at the Drama Centre. Tickets from Sistic.