Red Hare’s Wish
As the lights fade up, the ensemble activates— a horde of villagers, zombie-like, they move at a snail’s pace, refusing to make eye contact with Liu Bei (Vivi Wei), who has been reduced to selling sandals due to hard economic times. Already, it has hints of Les Miserables. As our unlikely heroine begins to sing with mellifluous ease, I can clearly see the frustration that will befall me for the next hour or so. Un-mic’d, the cast of Red Hare’s Wish - an epic, historically-inspired musical based on a revolutionary moment at the tail end of Imperial China’s Han Dynasty - has a story that I can’t quite make out. And that’s because, with the high ceilings and difficult acoustics within The Space, I can’t hear a thing without the tech needed to make this musical come alive.
Despite this major technical flaw - which may or may not have been under the control of Um Actualee, the theatre collective behind the production - this musical has no shortage of musical talent. Almost every member of the cast sings with big power and little effort. At times, several of them manage to even project their voices over the music, despite the lack of mics. Whilst the musical performances were pleasing to the ear, some songs were truly performed, and others, simply presented. One great standout for me was Leon Hong, who plays Lu Bu, a loyal soldier to Dong Zhuo (Horace Chan), whose evil aims as Lord Regent will soon be defeated by the masses. Hong sings with such clarity and performs the role with such precision. As the love interest to ingenue Liu Bei (Wei Wei), he is utterly convincing, so enamored with her that we become enamored with him on the stage. Other performances, however, are simply songs— holding little motivation, which, alongside the audio issue, makes it difficult to interpret precisely what it is we are watching. Dong Zhuo’s opening number, for instance, is supposed to be a grand entrance for a bloodthirsty warlord. However, I got the sense that the performer was struggling with the rhythmically-challenging, quasi-rap song. I later discovered that this actor in particular was performing on a broken toe, which was pretty impressive and also explained my craving a more physically grounded performance.
With the right direction, Jialun Qi’s compositions could really shine. With recurring musical motifs that linger and dance in your head long after the curtain has gone down, the soundtrack has some iconic potential. Yes, some lines are cheesier than others (Liu Bei’s “I want to make it on my own” may have been just a bit on the nose). But others, such as “Rage burnished her every word” and “All my life/ I have never known one to be/ so selfless” have the potential to deepen the show’s central themes. Likewise, the movement direction and fight choreography is mixed. The show’s opening moment, for me, is especially gripping. On the other hand, the fight sequence to come later approaches something akin to melodrama.
This is only an advanced first act (Part 1) of Red Hare’s Wish. And in its current iteration, I can see the kernels of some vital themes emerging: inspiration and its turn to action, the power of the many over the few, and the long, winding road to revolution. But I have all the faith that Qi’s writing will progress to rise to those deeper themes to create something inspired and fresh, yet traditional and familiar.
⭐️ ⭐️
Red Hare’s Wish is now playing at The Space and On Demand until 17 August 2024. You can find tickets and booking information here.
Tickets for the livestreamed (!) show can be purchased here.
