The Smiling Man is an original play addressing the state of reality whereby members of a society are able to maintain a happy façade despite the rampant hardships taking place all around them.
In 2005, anthropologist Alexei Yurchak coined the term ‘hypernormalisation’. He used the term to describe a state of society in which its government and people are able to maintain an ostensible façade of happiness despite economic hardship and despite things not being what they seem.
Yurchak’s term ‘hypernormalisation’ is today seen as an indispensable expression of the oppression experienced by those living under the totalitarian Soviet state in the years leading up to its collapse.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the Western world transitioned to a period of prosperity. Communism was regarded as having lost the war of ideology and that the natural victor was free-market democratic capitalism; a state of Darwinian competition in which the stronger leapfrogs the weaker.
The globalisation of trade and the dawn of cybertechnology brought with it the promise of new prosperity – a prosperity sold on the idea of equal opportunity. The question remains as to whether ‘progressive societies’ have truly overcome a hypernormalised, propaganda fuelled culture, or whether like Darwin, it has simply evolved.
While researching European socio-political history – particularly the turmoil in eastern European countries in the late 1980s and early ’90s, the writer of The Smiling Man was not struck by the ugliness of the material reality, such as riots, speeches and food shortages, but rather by the psycho-social reality that can be found in the vast range of stories, ideas and experiences that individuals told, not less than 30 years ago, when their once idyllic order broke apart.
Playing on tragedy and comedy, The Smiling Man hopes to point out the absurdities we collectively accept
The Smiling Man is an original theatre play that addresses precisely this imagined, conceptual reality. Set in a near-future authoritarian society, the play merges a totalitarian world reminiscent of the 1900s with images and ideas that we today associate with modern freedom and liberty; emphasising the notion that our realities are inter-subjective.
By invoking surrealist elements using physical theatre, audience interaction, video and disco, the cast hopes to present a kind of satirical version of our own hyper-normalised society.
Playing on tragedy and comedy, The Smiling Man hopes to point out the absurdities we collectively accept, forget and decisively overlook. The plot follows the story of Lily and George, who despite being happily in love, must try even harder to be positive when George becomes incarcerated and imprisoned by the state.
In a society where discontentment is not only frowned upon, but punishable by law, the two find themselves gradually becoming torn apart. As they tip-toe this world with trained smiles, they slowly come to realise that the state couldn’t have a more different idea of happiness from their own.
The Smiling Man is a Two Sleeping Cats production and was written by Michela Farrugia. It marks Joseph Zammit’s (a well-known local actor) directorial debut.
Poster for 'The Smiling Man'.Taking on the role of George is Jacob Piccinino, a physical-theatre performer, while Lily is being performed by the writer.
Apart from the couple, the audience will encounter numerous characters, voices and figures throughout the evening, which will be performed by Anthony Mizzi, who was also instrumental in the production side of this piece.
Audiences are encouraged to prepare their dancing shoes and warm up their voices. Everyone is invited to be storytellers and be citizens of The Smiling Utopia. The Smiling Man will be performed from September 24-26 at Blank Canvas Studios in Mrieħel. The makeshift theatre complements the play’s grungy, yet insanely happy setting, presenting audiences with a different atmosphere to what one is generally used to in theatres. Send an e-mail to 2sleepingcatstheatre@gmail.com to book your seats or through chitzo.com.