A Rose Without A Thorn

After last year’s stellar Christmas pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Wild Rice continues what must surely be becoming one of local theatre’s much-loved traditions, bringing audiences Beauty and the Beast- another musical comedy by the Alfian Sa’at (writing)-Hossan Leong (directing)–Elaine Chen (music) dream team.

The story begins promisingly with an ‘Exorcist Mentor’- a shout-out to the Aware saga- condemning the partying ways of the Young Master (RJ Rosales), and turning all present into caricatures of themselves. The Young Master is turned into a hideous beast, the nanny of the house, Ah Ma Chow Chow (Karen Tan) into the eponymous smelly security blanket, the maid (Lynn Sherman) into a vacuum cleaner, and the chef (Richard Chia) into a Peranakan tingkat. The curse can only be broken if Beauty (Emma Yong) falls in love with the Beast.

The costumes and dance moves were beautifully executed, with Beauty’s two stepsisters, Brandy (Darius Tan) and Desiree (Chua Enlai) making use of their hoop skirts to great comic effect. Special mention must also be given to Wild Rice’s First Stage Kids, a group of 9-15 year-olds who made up the charming ensemble. The special effects were cool- watch out for the moment when the Young Master is turned into the beast, and the wilting and blooming of the rose, which foretells of the feelings Beauty develops for the Beast.

However, for all the glitz and charm of the production, this year’s offering was a safe, if superficial retelling of a simple fairytale. The storyline lacked cohesion, flitting too quickly from one theme to another, and Sa’at’s signature wit and social jibes were sorely lacking.  The main theme behind Beauty and the Beast- of not judging people by their appearances- was only superficially explored, and the characters suffered from a limited emotional range. Without a strong overarching theme to hold the plot together, the production was simply a re-telling of the fairytale in a local setting, with a few random social parodies thrown in for good fun.  

Nonetheless, for the pantomime faithful, Wild Rice’s sixth installment offers, true to tradition, a fun and laughter filled night out with family and friends.