Definitely a performance that forms one of my most memorable experiences in JC would be the first phrase that comes to my mind. Before I share my thoughts and excitement, this was what the play was roughly about.
Impressively displayed by 1 woman, it talks about the struggles a woman names Anya faces in life as a minority and inferior party due to her gender and race. The story started with her as a news journalist and she was in a "red-flag" relationship which she eventually discovered. Her husband, Galvin had talked about wanting to take a break with her due to suspicions that she had emotional instabilities. Galvin further unbelievably justified her claim by recording 4 exact times and places where she cried in public. This play takes place as she tries to rehearse a presentation where she justifies each time she cries to prove that she is not an emotionally unstable person (or a "Psychobitch"). The whole play was presented with aspects of comedy and at the same time, not neglecting trying to transmit the message of social discrimination. It included instances such as how she was discriminated when trying to buy a flat because she was assumed as "smelly". When she was marrying a chinese husband, she had also received many discriminations from the chinese parents because she was an indian. The play was honestly a very fulfilling and packed lesson and experience that I truly cannot fully explain it in words and it has to be watched to experience the joy as well as her troubles.
What I firstly truly see from the play was that this woman is a very strong woman. When faced with so much troubles and unfortunates in life, she is still able to mostly try to remain positive. I also felt very touched at the last moment when the play portrayed her family's unconditional love from her. Even though she initially decided to mute her parents due to their biased opinions against Galvin as well, her parents had never given up as they constantly messaged her everyday "good morning" and "good night". Eventually, as she uncovers the unworthiness of this relationship, she came to realise the love of her parents.
Love is something that we never ever learn to appreciate only until we are about to lose it. Love is sacrifice, love is giving. Between her and Galvin, it was clear there was a lack of love when Galvin had a clear difference in treatment between her and his ex (as explained in the show). Love was truly seen between her father and her, who never gave up and continued sending her caring messages.
This film was pretty much a lean onto feminism as well but I feel it does truly reflects what a patriachal world we live in. We often have the mindsets that guys should be the breadwinners and are relatively superior while women are inferior and should stay in the kitchen (of course such a mindset had taken a great shift in today's society). In the film, galvin was a very rational person with a lot of masculinity while Anya was portrayed as an emotionally weak woman who cannot control her emotions. However, it does also show the vulnerabilities of man when for instance, how galvin got drunk and had outbursts of emotions where she hurt Anya. It also showed Anya eventually toughening up and choosing to leave him after realising her emotions were truly never validated by him.
In conclusion, once again, this play was truly a very fulfilling play and like it was really a flush of emotions which is incredibly tough for me to elaborate and summarise the entire idea in words.