I Loved You Once I Love You Not

30 July – 2 Aug 2009

Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

By Chan Keed Cheng

“Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Oh no, not again, please!”

In all candidness, such disgruntlement was my exact thought when I went through the show’s synopsis. Described as vaguely focusing on the prominent tragedy’s fundamental theme and an exploration of the love relationship, KLPac’s Director-in-Residence, Helena Foo presents the Theatre for Young People Ensemble (T4YP) in their first physical theatre performance.

With a simple mise en scène comprising of several plain beige canvases lit up, the minimalistic setting nevertheless offered reason to be memorable. Meanwhile, the seats available hinted a modest expectation of audience turnout. At center stage, four or five performers lay huddling on the ground. An adolescent stood woodenly in front with her head slightly tilted to a side while guests gradually occupied the chairs and floor mats. A worded placard of the show’s title rested in front of her abdomen.  Combined with the somber tune playing overhead, the marionette-like’s bleak and void gaze emerged as a relatively unsettling sight.

The lights went off upon cue and to commence, the director flashed a torch light illuminating the words on another placard the adolescent held to introduce the opening scene, ‘Obsession’.

In Episode One, the adrenaline-packed rock music evoked sentiments pertinent to Obsession with Lust depicted subsequently. Generally, the themes throughout the performance were represented in a clear-cut approach. For instance, both Obsession and Lust were exemplified when a lead performer struggled to break free from the dominating others. Her stifling surrounding suggested a sense of her being helplessly trapped – a derivative emotion of possessiveness inflicted by the other in a relationship.

Also in the first episode, two females portrayed a relentless fixation on each other through their close distance and unyielding mirroring stares. Three males soon joined them. Be it the amorous embraces, vehement fondling or bold licking (oh, very literally) across the face, the casts’ moves were delivered with utmost fiery impact!

The following chapter involving Loneliness and Jealousy commanded further recognition. The actors’ interpretation on the two aspects of love was unreservedly conveyed via poignant body languages and convincing facial expressions. The choice of rendering the suffering of Loneliness might be dully conventional in the sense that the performer’s act of hugging himself forlornly, for example, was a tad lacking in innovation or originality. Additional dialogues were extensively slotted in the second episode. Quotes such as “To grief for something you’ll never possess” and “To wish for something you will never have” were grimly chanted at varying volume.

Episode Three started out lovey-dovey in True Love. Things turned intense in Betrayal as the relationship became sour. The actor was competent in exhibiting the hurt feeling while tirelessly attempted to establish an eye contact with his disloyal partner who retaliated with a face as cold as ice.

Both Past Meets Future and Stripped offered an abstract conclusion to the evening’s physical theatre production. The vast spectrum of themes and emotions presented within 45 minutes had me leaving the theater in awe. The recurring theme of love is testament to its worth of timeless mass appeal. However, it was the performers’ outstanding ability in expressing themselves that intrigued me most.

My words may do no justice to the brilliant young dancers who passionately expressed such heartfelt and emotive performance. But one thing is definite; I felt really proud of the wonderful promising talents showcased through T4YP. Granting immense gratification through their performance, indeed, they are the sort who reminds me how the young Malaysian performing arts scene is one with much depth and substance.