Remember Haunted, the 1999 musical by TheatreWorks? (Don't feel guilty; most people don't.) Composer / lyricist Mark Chan has kept his favourite songs but completely reworked the plot, turning it into a story of love and betrayal centred on the ghost of a female Japanese spy of the 1930s and 40s. What we've got now is a stripped-down staging - a "sing & tell", as they call it - with Chan seated in an armchair, telling the tale and singing the major parts, accompanied by a chorus of three and a cellist, a pianist and a percussionist.
The music is fine, very fine - pieces like Haunted and In My Dreams are wonderfully compelling, and cellist Leslie Tan and singer Gani Abdul Karim create surprisingly chilling sound effects to accompany the narrative. These are songs that can stand the test of time, and that deserve to be heard by new audiences in contemporary arrangements. I'm also a fan of the presentation style, sophisticated yet intimate, accentuated by the fact that we've stripped off our shoes to enter the UCC Dance Studio.
However, the story is monstrously melodramatic - are we really still hung up about World War II tragedies? - tempered only by Chan's voice of subtle irony as he describes his this Gothic/kabuki tale of Singapore. Plus, the decision to set most of the tale in 1988 conjures up very few memories for the university-age crowd, most of whom were barely born in that decade (Note: the musical is being staged as part of NUS Arts Festival 2010). We also want more development of character in this very simple plot - showing, not just telling how these characters are "reckless" and "modern". A couple of clashing notes here and there too. But still, a lovely evening.