Home and Station seems to be more than just a play about power play between the state and the arts. The state forms only one small part of the play, but the systems we have been subjugated to throughout our lives makes up the larger portion. Who came up with the systems? Maybe, the state, or just people in general. We, as artists, talk about how difficult it is to perform art in Singapore as censorship is everywhere. Putting the blame on the state is too convenient a way to an answer, as it is a form of self-censorship to not talk about censorship itself. This is one example where we, as people, create our own sub-systems to lock ourselves into.

The playwright/director has clearly practised self-censorship in the name of keeping the play open for audience interpretation, not providing a strong critique on the issues within the play. The 45-minute presentation of the play had all the issues driven at one go, providing a montage of possibilities for further development.

The performance on 23rd Feb 2005 (8 p.m.) saw victory on the system's part in this power play. The artists chose to jump off the MRT platform as an avenue to escape repression. Arts seems to have taken a step back that evening, but it is victory in another way. It showed the fragility of the arts when exposed to dangers and challenges. An artist is a vulnerable being. The search for truth requires an artist to be true to his/her art and him/herself. An artist's lone voice in this world of systems reflects truth and it is this sole voice of an artist makes him/her even more vulnerable in trying to survive. This message was not clearly delivered in the play, which could give the play a "balanced" view on the perennial struggle between two opposite powers. Within which, a more personal side of characters could be developed. Jay, as an artist, could represent a collection of human memories. The memory of his past (the coffee shops and eating places) could represent the collective memory of the people in this country. As much as we might think that 39 years of nation-building might be too short a time for Singaporeans to have collective memories, I believe there is one happening right now. The slew of Jack Neo films that provided critiques on Singapore life - something Singaporeans take as "reflecting feelings at the grassroots level" - can be seen as a form of "political collective memory", not to mention many other plays that reflect on the state of being of our country. Home and Station is one of them. Jay's (Lawrence Wong) inability to think, coupled with anger, reflects on the inadequacies of our countrymen capable of critically thinking about what we have lost in trying to get the nation together in the name of survival. In this case, Jay is incapable of keeping his art, his ideals and his sense of being.

Devices such as Mr L (Gao Ju) and Mr G(James Seow) are effective in forming the repressive environment that framed the play. However, the critique could be more incisive by portraying a seemingly caring repressive agent through soft approaches in getting Jay and Xin(Melissa Chew) on the hook. That would definitely send chills down the audience's spine as they reflect on the policies they have been accustomed to for years. Singaporeans follow policies without thinking much about the repercussions they bring to them in their daily lives. One example would be the encouragement of Singaporean women to give birth in providing incentives such as additional post-natal leave supplements and baby bonus payments. As most mothers-to-be in Singapore celebrate, other women suffer the repercussion of discriminative employment. Many companies are not willing to employ women as costs in employing them are high, having to pay additional incentives to women for child-bearing. A seemingly caring gesture that kills.

The script provided great potential for further development. If the production could be weaved with more craft and dexterity, the nuances within will shine forth with strength.