Theatre review: The Rat Trap could be snappier, but catches its target

Given how poorly the Year of the Rat went last year, it is not likely to be missed.

And in this original play, written by Singaporean playwright Euginia Tan and directed by Hazel Ho, the symbol of the rat takes on dreadful dimensions - filth, addiction, entrapment and a never-ending cycle of misery.

The production, developed under Gateway Arts' artist-in-residence programme, centres on alcoholic retiree Mr Soh (Lim Kay Siu) and his daughter Shih-An (Yap Yi Kai), as they attempt to catch an intrusive rat (Darren Guo, who also plays other characters) in the house.

This simple premise becomes a window through which the father-daughter relationship unfurls, from their shared love for music to the pain each has caused the other.

Mr Soh's alcoholism becomes a particular sticking point, a cauldron of tension that estranges him from himself and poisons his relationship with his daughter.

Adhering to this central concept allows the script to fire on many levels, helped by a maze-like set which transforms between scenes but ultimately positions the characters as rats themselves, trapped in a puzzle, desperately searching for a way out.

The metaphor of a pesky rodent also effectively suggests the inescapable nature of addiction, family relations and the past - all things which creep up when one least expects and can never truly be got rid of.

With shades of Tuesdays With Morrie and The Woman In Black, the production has the potential to be a terrific two-hander, given Lim's persuasive performance as the charming alcoholic who cannot help himself and Yap's layered portrayal of a faithful daughter pushed to her wits' end.

A few unnecessary flashback scenes are rather cringeworthy. Not every event has to be literally depicted on stage, and the core father-daughter relationship would have been better fleshed out with richer sub-text and snappier dialogue.

This rat trap needs sharper finesse, but it catches its target in the end.

Where: Gateway Theatre Black Box, 3615 Jalan Bukit Merah

When: In-venue, Friday (Feb 26), 8pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2.30 and 6.30pm; live stream, Sunday to March 7

Admission: $20 (live stream); $35 (in-venue) via Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to Sistic's website)