“人和剧的缺陷与不完美”

Reviewer: Zekson Tan | 陈迦笙
Performance: 1 October 2016

《唯二》这部音乐剧充斥着浓浓童话故事的氛围。除了因为剧中的6个角色被剧里即将失忆的作家安安写成了不同的动物，剧里的道具和场景设定以及演员们缤纷的发色，都让整部音乐剧散发着童话般的气氛。

除此之外，《唯二》独特的地方就在于透过7个不同的人物背景和故事而非心灵鸡汤式的宣导和励志，让观众去发现生命中的不完美并不是遗憾。只要放下了执着，就会发觉这些缺憾其实是为了照耀着生命中的美好而存在着。

就像背包客阿古，失去了前女友、遗失了望远镜，却因缘际会的遇见了乐观开朗但即将失明的画家小雨；而当阿古放下了那两个对他来说非常重要的缺憾，并决定留下来陪着小雨的同时，却也让小雨成为了他生命中新的美好和开始。弱听的舞者大璐虽然听不清节奏，但小丑马里却成为了她“看得见的节拍”；被父母抛弃而失去感觉的马里却也因为大璐的热情，重新找回拥抱的感觉。

就和灰姑娘原本饱受虐待却因穿上了“玻璃鞋” 而改变了命运一样，这部音乐剧有着和童话故事相似的叙述手法和情节编写，让《唯二》有别于一般的音乐剧。然而成也萧何，败也萧何。《唯二》这部音乐剧“童话故事”般的剧情转折也存在着“突兀”这么样的一个“缺陷”。

其中舞者大璐和小丑马里从原本互相讨厌到后来的彼此相恋，这之间的剧情转换显得有些突然且铺陈不够；而最后艾美丽决定离开患有自闭症的弟弟小志也让人看了有些摸不着头脑。虽然她的离开是要让弟弟小志能够长大学会坚强，但在这之前姐弟俩的互动并没有透露出姐姐想要离开的迹象，艾美丽也没有在离开与否之间有过明显的犹豫或者挣扎。这些剧情转折上的突兀除了让《唯二》显得“不完美”，也让这部音乐剧的整体质量有所降低。

《唯二》除了是本地原创音乐剧，这部剧也难能可贵的让演员们参与了剧里歌曲的创作。而这些原创歌曲质量并不低且不落俗套，整部剧所要表达的中心思想发人深省，“童话故事”般的说故事方式也别具一格。但很可惜的，也许是因为要同时兼顾7个不同人物的故事，《唯二》在剧情转折和铺陈上的缺憾，让整部音乐剧无法带给观众完整且深刻的冲击。以至于在引起观众去思考“拥抱不完美和缺陷”这件事上的功效有所减少。虽然说没有完美的演出，但是这样的“缺憾”确实让这部音乐剧在精彩度上有所减少 ，实属可惜。

“One and Only. Two and Only?”

Reviewer: Isaac Lim
Performance: 29 August 2016

There are some works that are revived due to popular demand, and then there are some that return as sequels because there are more stories to tell. I have no idea where Innamorati Two lies.

Billed as a sequel to Innamorati (2014), the musical about chasing dreams in the music scene which shoehorned Malaysian singer Eric Moo’s songs into the show, Innamorati Two has almost zero link to its predecessor. Its Chinese title translates roughly to “only two” as compared to “one and only” for the first show.

This new musical written by Jiang Daini and directed by Goh Boon Teck, is set in a whimsical land of Lolilok (I’m unsure if it has any connections with Goldilock), with seven characters whose hair are dyed in different neon colours. This reviewer stepped out of the theatre not understanding what had happened in the 90 minutes, at all.

“Innamorati” refers to lovers in Italian, in particular stock characters in theatre shows that face various obstacles before meeting that one true love.

There are characters that end up as lovers, and predictably so. However, that is just one element in the musical. An An (played by Stella Seah), a supposed best-selling novelist, is attempting to write her next work. Everyone else are characters in that story as they try their best to create a narrative.

The characters in general are all weak and obtrusive. They have little to tell of their back-stories. They are but cardboard thin caricatures, and do not develop at all throughout the play. The world they create is not inviting, but leaves audience with several holes to plug instead.

Returning actors Sugie Phua and Wong Jing Lun offer sub-par performances, perhaps due to the characters they play. Wong sang off-key several times (one isn’t sure if it’s intentional) as an autistic boy who tends to a barter trade stall in the town square. His character has the most potential, but it is mostly unrealised.

The songs in the musical are written and composed by the actors together with the playwright, and arranged by Elaine Chan. None of the tunes stood out, and they feel like they were once again forced into the work. The actors incessantly break out into songs at the most awkward moments as if there must be a quota of songs to sing for the show to be considered a musical.

Credits to Tai Zi Feng, the set and lighting designer, for creating beautiful sets and scenes that make the fictional world come alive, perhaps the only saving grace of the show.

Sometimes, “one and only” makes a thing more precious.