“A Triumphant Revival of a Chinese Classic”

Reviewer: Alex Foo
Performance: 1 April 2016

The Theatre Practice’s latest offering is the bold and confidently-directed Liao Zhai Rocks, a Chinese classic reanimated by the piercing wail of an electric guitar. In this fantastical world where men and shapeshifting spirits roam the earth, reality and illusion proves to be slithery concepts.

Co-directors Kuo Jian Hong and George Chan remarkably orchestrates moments that break the visual monotony of a scene through spellbinding moments of stage magic.  This is well supported by the very adaptive set (Wong Chee Wai). The lighting design (Genevieve Peck) and sound design (Shah Tahir) shines the brightest in the second act, evoking a febrile psychedelic Underworld whilst differentiating King Yama’s voice with an authorial, reverberating timbre. Coupled with elaborate period costume (Tube Gallery) and a sharply choreographed ensemble, Liao Zhai Rocks cements itself as a sumptuous feast for the eyes right from the opening number.

The main cast composes fairly archetypal characters who deliver consistent performances. There is the scholar figure Sang Xiao (played with debonair insouciance by the impeccable Inred Liang), the curious fox demon, Ying Ning (Joanna Dong), the melancholic minstrel maiden, San Niang (Ethel Yap), the adamant demon-slayer, Cheng Ban Xian (Sugie) and a wizened guardian character, Tian Zi Zai (Yeo Lyle). They present a compelling tale of love-triangles and forbidden desires, but I find myself struggling at times with issues of plausibility. This is especially so in the second act where character histories are shoehorned and dovetail to form a dense web of past and present lives. Perhaps it is the script’s eagerness to tie the many threads together, or the acting or my immanent skepticism; but my biggest quibble with this otherwise handsome production is the hurried plot developments that teeter on the edge of contrivance.

Putting these moments of incredulity aside, the heady cocktail of the supernatural and the primal force of rock music works. Standouts include songs like Tangled（缠绵) and Saving My Beloved/Life Against Death (救爱／生死难眠), best testified by audience members humming the very tune after the show. However, I am slightly disappointed by King Yama’s entrance (我是阎罗), having anticipated a more larger-than-life character, and the odd moments of farce where King Yama seems less macabre Ruler of the Underworld and more Monkey King does him little favours.

Pu Songling conceived of these Strange Tales from the Chinese Studio as an allegory for an overly ordered Chinese society that scorns acts of transgression and forbidden love. This battle between the private and the public rages on today.  As one particular line in the lyrics goes – we can only blame the human heart for being hard to fathom (怪人心难以捉摸). Well, it is not hard to fathom why this musical is being restaged after six years, and I must say, Liao Zhai really does rock.

“经典文学改编音乐剧的绝佳示范”

Reviewer: Zekson Tan | 陈迦笙
Performance: 31 March 2016

有别于原著《聊斋志异》对于社会面貌和问题的多重批判和讽刺，实践剧场的摇滚音乐剧《聊斋》反倒是着重改编了原著对于男女爱情的描写与撰述。虽然看似缺少了《聊斋志异》之所以被后人称为经典的其中一个元素，但实际上在剧场有限的时空间里，这样的一个改编和侧重反而能够让观众专注于一个主题思想上，不失为一个恰到好处的呈现方式。再搭配着精彩的舞蹈和歌曲以及精致的服装和场景设计，实践剧场的《聊斋》成功地让观众在享受视觉与听觉的冲击之余，也能够尽情的沉浸在两段截然不同的奇幻爱情故事里头。

《聊斋》的改编并不拘泥于原著中的单一故事，反而是用了不同故事章节里的角色来重新打造一个人、妖和鬼的爱情故事。看似全新创作，这部音乐剧却依然保有了原著中即使世异时移，还是能够与现今社会做连接的思想内容。

好比说虽然《聊斋》在社会批判性上并没有太多着墨，但是开场时桑晓和一众书生比较着同乡高中科举的情节，看似对古时候科考制度的讽刺，却也是对现今社会一切以读书为重的社会风气的反讽。而音乐剧的主轴——两段禁忌的人妖恋和人鬼恋，除了用以表达古时男女对封建婚姻的反抗，剧中角色不顾禁忌毅然厮守的坚持，却也同样对照着现代男女对自由恋爱的追求和向往。

《聊斋》在大量的改编和加入各种新元素的同时，还能够萃取并保有《聊斋志异》原著中和现代社会相切合的思想内容，实属难得。也更加显得《聊斋》这部音乐剧在改编上的诚意和用心。即使少了原著中严肃的社会批判性，实践剧场的《聊斋》却以丰富的娱乐性取而代之，以现代元素为外衣，经典文学著作为底蕴，成功示范了如何在不失原著内涵的同时，把经典文学与摇滚音乐结合成一部感动与精彩兼具的优良音乐剧。