Universal is an anthology series with six individual stories illustrating how different cultures across the globe experience universal emotions.
Story 1: Galentine’s Day
A benign hair salon appointment turns into a (less intense) version of John Tucker Must Die where two women meet only to realise that they have more than just their favourite artist in common. While a hilarious and unfortunately relatable tale (written by Christine Ubochi), the storyline ends too abruptly without the satisfaction of witnessing the women being avenged.
Story 2: Bhaijaan
Very different from the earlier light-hearted comedy, this sketch sheds light on the flaws of cultural norms that place more emphasis on conforming to social standards than standing up for the truth. Actor Rubayet Al Sharif delivers a poignant performance leaving the audience visibly moved by his pain and helplessness.
Story 3 and 4: Do we have to go Home and A drop in the Ocean
Both stories touch on a similar theme – escape from reality. In Do we have to go Home, Nora seeks refuge in a nightclub in the hope that no one will recognise her, and Samson sabotages his relationship because he worries that he cannot live up to his girlfriend’s high standards. In A drop in the Ocean, Abi talks incessantly to drown out her loneliness, and Gina finds solitude to hush the noises in her head. Given the similarities, these two storylines could have been merged with the additional time allocated to the first story to further develop that plot.
Story 5: Questionable love
This sketch opens with a couple dancing by their hot tub enjoying a romantic getaway – the quintessential happily married couple. Except they are neither happy nor married (well…not to each other at least). Actor Joshua Jewkes’ portrayal of Alex who devolves from the charming, thoughtful and sensitive boyfriend to a full-fledged psychopath is alarmingly convincing as the audience gasps at every twist in this dramady. Written by Anthonia Kleopa and directed by Rebecca Goh, this sketch was a clear favourite amongst the crowd.
Story 6: Paintaz
This is the most bizarre sketch of the night where Teyana, who suffers from a severe case of the common Tabby-itis (symptoms include being hypnotised into a cat in public places) meets Marcel, a self-obsessed, hipster artist at a local “Paint and Sip” class hosted by the very quirky and socially tone-deaf Paintaz. This story line had eccentric characters, funny quips but ultimately, Syeshia Sweeney’s plot was too chaotic for comprehension.
Universal is an interesting notion and the diversity of the cast was refreshing to watch. But the downfall with offering six for the price of one is that none of the story lines have sufficient time to fully unravel. By the time the audience is invested in a character, it is time to move on to the next sketch. It would have been particularly fascinating to see the six stories woven together, perhaps with character crossovers to consolidate the climax. Overall, kudos to the team for trying something different – Universal is a concept that offers a lot of potential, a very talented cast, and some interesting writing.
