06/08/2026
2026 乔治市艺术节（George Town Festival）
一些观看后的记录与思考
从第一次演出开始，柔静就邀请我过去观看【TEWAS: No Light at the End of the Tunnel】。可惜因为时间一直无法配合，从USM的首次演出，到吉隆坡的再次公演，再到这次乔治市艺术节，终于在第三次公演，还是最后一场加演时走进剧场。能够赶上这一场，对我来说是一份幸运，也是一份感谢。
【TEWAS】是一部极度考验演员体能的作品。整部戏充满暴力、身体性与情绪张力，演员需要长时间维持高强度的肢体状态，把压迫、恐惧、挣扎，以及人与人之间无形的暴力，毫无保留地呈现在舞台上。
我特别欣赏作品对于「暴力」的处理。它并非依赖血腥或写实，而是透过语言、身体、灯光与影子的结合，建构出一种极具美感的舞台语汇。有些片段里，光影仿佛成为另一位演员，与表演者共同完成叙事，也让那些看不见的伤害，变得更加具体。
霸凌并不是一个新的议题，它存在于校园、家庭、职场，甚至日常生活之中，早已是社会不断讨论的课题。然而，【TEWAS】并没有停留在议题本身，而是透过编剧与导演的创作手法，把一个熟悉的主题转化成极具辨识度的舞台作品，让观众重新感受它的重量。
作品里的多语言运用也令人印象深刻。华语、马来语以及印度语言自然交织，不只是为了展现文化多元，更真实反映了马来西亚，尤其是槟城的语言生态，让人物和环境都显得更加立体而可信。
演员方面，大部分角色都建立了足够的真实感，让观众相信他们就是活在这个世界里的人，而不是单纯在完成剧本。咬字、语言节奏与情绪控制，在如此高强度的身体表演下依然保持稳定，这一点十分值得嘉许。而柔静则带给我很大的惊喜。她的角色层次、情绪爆发与身体表现，都比我预期更加丰富，也让我看见她作为演员更多的可能性。
如果说有一个让我短暂出戏的地方，大概是马健晋饰演的角色称呼其伴侣为「爱人」。这个词汇在华语语境里较偏向中国大陆的日常用法，与整部作品所建立的马来西亚在地语言氛围相比，显得稍微有些突兀。虽然只是短短一瞬，却让我从剧情里跳脱出来。不过，这并不影响整体作品的完成度，只是一个关于语言细节的小观察。
【TEWAS】让我看到的不只是一个关于霸凌的故事，更是一群创作者如何运用身体、空间、语言与光影，把社会议题转化为剧场语言。这不是一部只停留在控诉的作品，而是一部让观众在离开剧场之后，依然不断回想、不断思考的作品。
恭喜USM的团队完成了一部兼具艺术性、身体性与槟城在地特色的作品。很幸运，终于没有错过这一次。
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From the very first performance, Joey had been asking me to come and watch 【TEWAS: No Light at the End of the Tunnel】. Unfortunately, my schedules never matched. I missed the first staging at USM, then the Kuala Lumpur run, and finally managed to catch the 3rd production at the George Town Festival—on the very last additional show. Honestly feel lucky, and grateful that I didn't miss it this time.
【TEWAS】 is an incredibly demanding piece, both physically and emotionally. The actors sustain an intense level of physicality throughout the performance, portraying oppression, fear, struggle, and the invisible violence that exists between people. You can really feel how much energy and commitment every performer pours into the work.
One thing I really appreciated was how the production approached violence. Instead of relying on graphic realism, it used language, movement, lighting, and shadows to create powerful stage images. There were moments when the shadows almost felt like another performer on stage, making the unseen emotional wounds visible.
Bullying isn't a new topic. It's something we see in schools, families, workplaces, and society every day. What impressed me about 【TEWAS】 wasn't just the issue itself, but how the writers and director transformed such a familiar subject into a distinctive theatrical experience that makes the audience feel it in a new way.
The multilingual dialogue also stood out. Hearing Malay, Mandarin and Indian languages flow naturally throughout the performance didn't just celebrate diversity—it reflected the reality of Malaysia, especially Penang. It made the characters and their world feel authentic and believable.
The performances were convincing overall. I never felt like I was watching actors reciting lines; I felt like I was watching real people. The diction, vocal delivery, and emotional control remained solid despite the demanding physical performance. Joey, in particular, was a wonderful surprise. Her performance had depth, emotional range, and a strong physical presence that exceeded my expectations. It was exciting to see another side of her as an actress.
If I had to point out one tiny moment that pulled me out of the story, it would be when Beh's character referred to his partner as "ài rén" ("beloved/spouse"). That expression is more commonly associated with China usage, so within a production that otherwise felt so deeply rooted in the Malaysian context, it sounded slightly out of place. It only lasted a second, though, and certainly didn't affect my overall experience—just a small observation about language.
To me, 【TEWAS】 is much more than a play about bullying. It's a powerful example of how theatre can use the body, space, language, and light to transform a social issue into something deeply human and emotionally resonant. It's the kind of performance that stays with you long after you've left the theatre.
Congratulations to the USM team for creating a production that is physically powerful, artistically bold, and unmistakably Malaysian. I'm really glad I finally got to experience it.
#乔治市艺术节2026 #艺术观察 #剧场人的观看笔记 #光影会说话
