Dive
Written by Laura Hayes
Directed by Sim Yan Ying “YY”
5–22 September 2024
The Studio @ WILD RICE, Singapore
Developed as part of WILD RICE’s New & Now initiative
Love feels so good… until it doesn’t. But every couple has disagreements, right?
You wonder if this feeling is normal — the walking on eggshells, sharpness, broken glass. Or are you being over-sensitive? And then things are good again, the world disappears and nothing else matters. There is nothing but you and me.
Friends start to ask: ‘Is everything okay?’ And something inside screams at you: ‘This isn’t normal, this isn’t right. Leave, why don’t you just leave?’ But you’ve been together so long. You can’t imagine life apart.
Dive follows one such relationship from giddy adolescence to old age, as love mutates into something unbearable, but is still impossible to let go of.
Inventive, humorous and heartfelt, Dive marks theatre-maker Laura Hayes’ Wild Rice debut, directed by Sim Yan Ying “YY”. Come explore the dark side of love through the prism of one couple, who could be any one of us.
Production History
Laura Hayes’ Dive premiered in September 2024 at The Studio @ Wild Rice as part of New & Now, an initiative dedicated to developing new and original writing for the Singapore stage. Directed by Sim Yan Ying "YY," this production marked the play’s world premiere.
Collaborators
Playwright: Laura Hayes
Director: Sim Yan Ying “YY”
Dramaturg: Joel Tan
Performers: Ebi Shankara, Ellison Tan, Irsyad Dawood, Jean Ng
Set & Lighting Designer: Elizabeth Mak
Sound Designer: Guo Ningru
Multimedia Designer: NONFORM
Costume Designer: Sim Yan Ying “YY”
Make-Up Designer: Bobbie Ng
Hair Designer: Ashley Lim
Stage Manager: Liana Haron
Assistant Stage Manager: Chai Hsia
Photos by Ruey Loon
Press
“Smartly directed Dive plunges head-first into an abusive relationship. […] This four-hander [tracks] the progress of an abusive relationship over decades, intelligently directed by Sim Yan Ying and powerfully acted by Irsyad Dawood, Jean Ng, Ebi Shankara and Ellison Tan.”
— Clement Yong, The Straits Times
”YY has always been a director who embraces messiness and discomfort in her work, sensitively tackling themes like racism, grief and ageing. Here, she once again proves to be master of the material, corralling the quartet into a performative language that is both visceral and poetic. She infuses the text with the fluidity of contemporary dance and as we are sat on both sides of WILD RICE's intimate Studio space, there is a sense of watching a tennis match as the barbs go back and forth, relentlessly, between the two players. “
— Naeem Kapadia, Crystalwords
”Frankly, this is one of the best plays I've seen this year. Well done to the Dive team and Wild Rice not only for an outstanding production but also for giving a voice to important discussions like this.” (translated from Malay)
— Pengkritik Sandiwara
“Dive brings you up close and personal into the relationship of a couple – in every literal sense of the word. It’s hard to find shows that give you this level of intimacy into the interactions of a couple, and Dive‘s razor sharp focus on this is what amplifies the heartfelt emotions from the characters.”
— Marcus Goh
”Dive is a poignant exploration of the fine line between love and hate. It depicts how a seemingly normal relationship can descend into turmoil over time, without both parties realising what they are doing to each other until it is all too late. Raw and minimalistic, it is thought-provoking and emotionally charged.”
— Alvin Lim, Alvinology
”Dive told a story about a relationship that mirrors the experience of diving – excitement at the beginning, pain in the middle, and quietness at the end. […] The production created an intimate and psychologically demanding viewing experience, showcasing the performers’ remarkable physicality and intercorporeal connection throughout.”
— Xu Caifang, Critics Circle Blog
”It is a profound play, and it is a refreshing attempt to bring up a subject that is so prevalent yet so rarely talked about. […] When I left the theater, I gasped for air. I was lucky to be able to get out of the claustrophobic and frightening plot, but can we say the same for those who are stuck in abusive relationships? What can we do for them?”
— Neo Hai Bin, 剧读 thea.preter
”Laura Hayes’ play, sensitively directed by Sim Yan Ying, challenges us to think about what defines love and if it indeed is an excuse for everything. […] The stellar cast demonstrated that it doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, younger or older - we are all human and we all need to breathe.”
— The Flying Inkpot
“Dive is an experimental piece, assuredly directed by YY, who through the piece opened up discussions on abusive relationships. It opened up my thought about why people dig such relationships, despite the pain and trauma, and why some people just can't quite get out.”
— Isaac Lim, zac.rated
“An intense, intimate show about domestic abuse written by Laura Hayes and elevated by a stellar cast.”
— Ming Reviews
“As a complex amalgamation of two lives, intertwined like fizzy, electrical currents that buzz and short-circuit whoever or whatever is in contact with it […], you gave me the greatest gift — but also the greatest curse — an audience member could have in watching a play: reflecting the reality of my life back at me.”