Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens
An Original Singapore Musical by Thomas Lim, Julian Wong and Joel Tan
Reviewed by Kenneth Lyen
INTRODUCTION
Wow! This is definitely one of the “must see” musicals of 2019. It is a Singapore musical that has reached international standards. It has everything one wants in a musical, surpassing all expectations.
STORY
Adapted from James Barrie’s 1904 play Peter Pan: The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up”, Wild Rice’s interpretation embraces all the well-loved main characters of the original story. These include Peter Pan, a plump large-sized Ting Tong Bell, the three children who are taught to fly, the Lost Boys of Neverland, Captain Hook and his two sidekicks, Simi and Flatfish.
The story is familiar to everyone, so I will not bore you recounting the details, except to say that the Darling family has been renamed De Sousa, and are relocated to Singapore’s Serangoon Gardens. The script overflows with laugh-out-loud jokes about the Singapore over-pressurized education system, the rather dull unadventurous job market, and parental obsession of giving fish oil to boost their children’s intelligence. There are also some marginal jokes passing over young children, perhaps.
The essence of the musical is that if we allow our lives to become trapped into a stifling uncreative path, we will trudge from school to exam to marriage to family life and then to retirement. But if we adopt the thinking of a child, as exemplified by Peter Pan, the boy who refuses to grow up, we can unleash a different thinking mindset, one of of freedom, of adventure and creativity. To me, the message of the musical Peter Pan is that we should try to maintain that spark of curiosity, of wonderment and imagination, throughout our lives.
THE CAST
The entire cast can be congratulated for a really magnificent performance. They take every opportunity to exploit the intimate space of the theatre to interact with the audience. They are all endowed with the triple threat expected of musical theatre performers these days, consisting of the triad of acting, singing, and dancing.
Pam Oei plays the lead role of Peter Pan, and she has the sparkle of a teenage boy who sometimes misreads other people and situations. She is so convincing that at times I thought she really was a boy.
Siti Khalijah Zainal plays Captain Hook with the fierceness required of this character. She also plays Mother, and is able to portray the loving yet firm mother that is the DNA of Asian families.
Mae Elliessa plays Wendy, the oldest sibling, and her voice is mellifluous and heartfelt. When she sang the “Goodbye” duet with Peter Pan, it brought tears to my eyes.
Andrew Marko plays Ting Tong Bell and is the most hilarious character. Walt Disney has planted the idea that Tinker Bell is a tiny slim fairy. So when oversized Ting Tong Bell cannot squeeze through the Darling’s bedroom window, it is hysterically funny.
Dwayne Lau is a versatile actor and plays two roles, the pirate Simi, and the Father. Benjamin Chow plays the role of Flatfish, and together with Dwayne show of their ability to sing, as well as dance in different genres.
The supporting cast are all equally excellent. The children are incredibly talented, and bring extra vitality to the show. Their synchronous dancing, their perfect pitch singing, and their inexhaustible energy, make us love the show even more.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Thomas Lim has a great sense of humor and timing. He has transformed Peter Pan into a tightly knit, compelling drama, soaked with pathos and comedy.
I would rate Julian Wong’s music composing and arrangement of Peter Pan to be his best work to date. The range of emotions is captured perfectly, and his tunes are hummable and memorable. I particularly like the opening number, “Time for a Story”, Peter Pan’s “I’ll Never Be a Man”, “Keep it Chill”, and the “Goodbye” duet between Wendy and Peter Pan.
The lyrics blend perfectly with the music and is written by Joel Tan. They range from the emotionally touching, to the very clever jokes.
Ivan Heng is the director and has raised the standard of Singapore musical theatre. In another sense he has also raised the actors to greater heights literally, by lifting them high up in the air. This creates the jaw-dropping wow factor.
Alfian Sa’at is the dramaturg and has helped tighten the script.
The sets are incredibly creative, the lighting just right, the sound perfectly audible, and the background multimedia projection augmented the atmosphere of the scenes.
CONCLUSIONS
Peter Pan in Serangoon Gardens is absolutely brilliant. Everything worked. Fabulous script, lyrics and music. It is full of energy, wonderful singing, dancing and acting. I cannot speak highly enough of this production. It can be enjoyed by both young and old. It makes one proud that Singapore can create an original musical that can match some of the best seen on the West End and Broadway stage. I predict it will win many theatre awards! Just sprinkle some fairy dust!
Congratulations!
Reviewed by Kenneth Lyen
24 November 2019
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