Tutorial - Setting of Baling Talk

What is Catharsis?

Catharsis is a term uses in theatre. It is helping people to get a good feeling and release their bad emotion in life. Normally, there will have a happy ending in the theatre. For example, you are suffering in your life, but the happy ending of the theatre will help you release all suffers and you will have a new hope in your life.  

In the tutorial class, Dr. Carmen asked us a question which is “How does the catharsis in the Baling Talk?”

My answer is NO. Based on my idea, Chin Peng is not necessary exiled to somewhere else and does not return to Malaysia. Even though Chin Peng is a communist and he is unwilling to accept the condition that Tunku Abdul Rahman was given. It is because he believed that he can use his own way to win the independent from British government instead of surrender.

How does the space, acting, format of the Baling Talk?

Space: The performers play around the whole building such as upstairs and downstairs. It is because different place different interpretation about the storyline. For example, the setting of upstairs is presenting the intensity of the situation while they are discussing how to end the war. It is because the hot weather and the sound of tearing the paper from the wall to create the atmosphere. After that, we move to downstairs to enjoy other scene of the story. In the downstairs, we are changing our seat when end each of the scene. It is because different angle have different perception to interpret the meaning of story and the character. Other than that, changing our seat can be showed their discussion is happened in different day.

Acting: In Baling Talk performance, every performer has more than 1 character to perform. It is because they do not want to fix the character, maybe different character perform different style in the performance.

Format: Some of the performer will share their experience about the performance such as how to get the video of Chin Peng and explain the introduction to us. I think that they share their experience and explain the story us is because we can more understand their performance and to refresh our mind to enjoy the upcoming scene.