Has the script been changed in any way since 2003?
Yes, while the structure of the script is very similar, the text has changed since 2003. There are also new characters in the play. We have male trailing spouses, a Swiss-German and a Japanese character in this year’s production.
Do you identify with your own character?
I identify with my own character in taxi rides, difficulties with language, being a stranger in a strange land (I’ve lived in Paris, Dublin, Scotland and London before Singapore and Hong Kong) so that feeling of “reinvention” is very familiar to me. At a certain point it becomes less of a “reinvention” than a “when in Rome…”. Wisdom plays a big part in this!
Which part is toughest to play?
The part of the husband Harold isn’t easy. He’s got to go from small-town church choir singer to full-blown concert performer. The wives have to be spot-on in their characterizations, comic delivery and vocal ability (they took a long time to cast). The Expat Wife has always relied on slick, tight performances—it moves fast.
How do you prepare for your part?
I am so familiar with Felicity, but she is also different to me, and those differences I have to work on; accent being one. In earlier productions I always said she was more of a narrator, the Dean Martin to everyone else’s Jerry Lewis. But this time Felicity is more active than reactive. I’m going to have to be on my mark!
Are the expat wife stereotypes true then?
They wouldn’t be funny to an audience if they weren’t ! But the play laughs with expatriates and locals, not at them. The Expat Wife was written after I came here to visit my sister and witnessed the strong bond she had with four other women from Asia and other cultures. They (and their husbands) poked fun at themselves and found humor in their situation. At the same time they missed home, loved Asia, worried about their careers, relished in the extra time they could spend with their families or partners. The number of people who have approached me and asked, “Did you hear me say that?” Husbands particularly have quoted lines to me all these years on. Hysterical!
Catch The Expat Wife through May 21, Mon-Fri 8pm, Sat 3pm, 8pm. $30-65 from Sistic.
