In Julie Wee's Hew, a classic hero rises and falls

ACTRESS Julie Wee is luminous in the revival of Faith Ng's play Normal, directed by Claire Wong. Sure, she has delivered strong performances in plays as varied as The Merchant Of Venice and Hotel.

But rarely has her acting been more lucid than here in the role of Miss Hew, a new teacher in charge of the worst students in a girls' school. Wee displays such truth and vulnerability in the role, she becomes an instant conduit for our emotions. Her nerves are raw and visible at any moment, and when she comes close to breaking down, so do we.

Checkpoint Theatre's Normal, which first ran in 2015, tells the story of two girls in the Normal stream, an education track reserved for academically-weak students.

Ashley (Claire Chung) and Daphne (Audrey Teong) struggle with their studies, friendships and self-esteem which strain under the suspicion they're less valued as people because they're "Normal".

Enter Miss Hew, a young idealistic teacher who wants to lift the scores and morale of her students. Miss Hew has been put in charge of the Drama Club - yes, that cauldron of creativity many school administrators regard with consternation - where she encourages the girls to express their anxieties. The girls view Miss Hew as someone they can trust. But an incident breaks that trust and puts lives in jeopardy.

The script, direction and design for this revival has stayed largely the same as the 2015 version, save for a few smart tweaks. The set by Eucien Chia comprises bland panels and furniture that reflect the rigidity of the school system. Lighting by Lim Woan Wen is deliberately harsh and interrogative. A Greek chorus of schoolgirls heightens the chaos and oppressiveness.

The cast has changed in the case of the teachers (now played by Wee, Fanny Kee, Chio Su-Ping and Amanda Tee) but stays the same for schoolgirls Ashley, Daphne and Marianne (Lim Shi-An), a prefect in well-ironed pinafore and pigtail who represents everything the two girls aren't.

These three young actresses have really grown into their roles. Chung gets the sneering rebel role of Ashley down pat, while Teong bespeaks the quiet frustration of low-achieving Daphne. Lim, who was low-key as Marianne in the original run, is excellent here. The monologue she delivers near the end of the play cuts to the quick.

In the 2015 production, it was these three young girls that got most of the attention for their earnest portrayals as teens chafing under an unforgiving school system.

But in this revival, Wee's gifts manage to shift some of that focus to Miss Hew. Wee delineates Miss Hew's evolution, struggle and fall so clearly, she transforms the young teacher into a classically tragic hero.