MORAL hypocrisy is a blight on the intellectual and artistic landscape of the country. Tenuous, often conservative arguments are frequently used to censor other voices and perspectives. Intentional or not, Nine Years Theatre's timely staging of Tartuffe, the 1664 satire by Moliere, hits at these very problems facing Singapore.

Tartuffe tells the story of a religious man Tartuffe (Hang Qian You) who worms his way into the heart of Orgon (Darius Tan), a wealthy but gullible aristocrat. So charmed is Orgon by Tartuffe that he signs away his fortune to Tartuffe and even promises him the hand of his young daughter Marianne (Jeah Toh).

It turns out that Tartuffe is a fraud, using pure and pious words to steal just about everything from Orgon. When Orgon isn't looking, Tartuffe even makes sexual advances on Orgon's wife Elmire (Mia Chee).