KLPac recently ended its four-day run of “Shakespeare’s Sonnets” production, which saw local indie singer-songwriters as well as poetry and spoken-word sensations bringing the Bard’s sonnets to life.
The small production’s opening night was well-attended, with around 300 in the audience.
The performance was a small and simple affair. It alternated recitals of the sonnets with their song interpretations. Actors Christina Orow Shauki, Ho Lee Ching, Rosheen Fatima and Sheena Baharudin brought life to the sonnets as they explained their personal takes and interpretations of the sonnets.
Ho Lee Ching was particularly impressive in her performance of Sonnet 138, a commentary on love’s blindness to untruths.
“When my love swears that she is made of truth/I do believe her, though I know she lies,” goes the sonnet’s first two lines, extracting wry and somewhat uncomfortable laughs from the audience.
KLPac veteran Ian Chow took on harmonica and guitar duties – and occasionally foul-mouthed vocals – in his interpretation of the sonnets, with a baritone voice that cut through the small auditorium.
Comedian/songwriter Hannan Azlan also stole the show with her final interpretation of Sonnet 18, which questioned Shakespeare’s sunny view of love and flipped it on its head in a show-closing performance that had the whole audience clapping along.
Endee Ahmad also sang, as did sister duo Lydia and Lynell Tong and composer Bow Martin.
Fans of Shakespeare can look forward to KLPac’s next two productions, Shakespeare’s Men and Shakespeare in Bollywood.