Review of 《小红帽》 by SRT's Little Company

Over the years, I've always had a lot of faith in productions by SRT's Little Company. I love the original and creative plots, the engaging songs and dance choreography, how they try to inculcate values in our young and the fact that you never quite know what to expect when you enter the theatre. Except that you are in for a treat.

《小红帽》, or Red Riding Hood in Mandarin, was no exception.

This was the very first time that our family was going to watch a theatrical production presented in Mandarin, and being an ex-Chinese teacher in Berries (who was also the main sponsor for the show), I know the importance of instilling a love for the language in our young starting from an early age. So you bet I was full of joy and anticipation to have the chance to expose them to a Mandarin production with a take on one of our most-loved fairy tales.

The show began with a family setting where Red was living happily with her parents, who were doing well in their bakery business. Thing started to go south when the Dad did not return after he went to the forest to gather wood. Business plunged, the Mum sank into depression and in wanting to ask if Grandma had any advice, Red started on her journey into the forest. That was when she met the 'good' Wolf, followed by the Big Bad Wolf and we all know what happened after that....

Or, do we?
 

The thing is this production came with many surprising twists and turns which kept us glued to our seats and we watched on with enthusiasm to find out what happened next. We were entertained by the clever use of props, for instance the flying birds that kept tweeting, the towering trees in the forest, the cosy looking bed in Grandma's house, the Very Important Book which could light up and the mystery 'doors' which could make Grandma vanish or appear in the blink of an eye. What I liked about the show was how it made use of original music and I was full of awe for the composers because the the songs were so well-written, especially the lyrics. While the dance choreography is not much to boast about for this production, I really loved the songs, from the fast-paced, cheery ones to the melancholy, stirring ones.

The cast of a theatrical production can either make or break it, and we would love to applaud Red Riding Hood's cast for a job well done. It's funny that all of us had a different personal favourite, while the girls loved Red Riding Hood (who else do you expect), the hubby was full of praises for the Big Bad Wolf while I really liked the role of the Silly Woodcutter. Oh, can I just mention that this was one of the rare times when the hubby, who isn't really that much of a theatre fan, enjoyed a production from start to end and came out of the theatre giving all thumbs up for it? Yes, he did for Red Riding Hood and I think it says a lot. Like really a lot.



Since this show is recommended for children aged 5 and above, I have to tell you why. Firstly, being produced in Mandarin, many of the lines are spoken fast and some of the younger kids might not be able to catch on or comprehend the story. Secondly, the show makes use of sound and lighting effects which might be a little intimidating for the little ones. Lastly, there are a couple of characters which might not be considered cute or cuddly creatures - think a wolf with pointy ears and sharp teeth, as well as an eerie-looking grape tree. My kids are okay with them but we did hear whimpers in the audience so if you are bringing younger kids, it might be good to just mentally prepare them for what's to come.



All in all, 《小红帽》 is a wonderful theatrical production and with its witty plot, catchy songs, hilarious lines and a strong emphasis on family, we thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. In fact, we are hoping that there will be more Mandarin productions from SRT in the future because I think my kids are going to benefit greatly from them.

Since this is a Mandarin production after all (and you need to be able to understand Mandarin if you watch it, right?), for the first time, I've decided to pen down some of my thoughts in Chinese. Yup, don't laugh. Chinese was one of my favourite subjects in school and I'm actually contemplating if I should write a Chinese post on the blog from time to time. Any thoughts?

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一路以来，我都对新加坡专业剧场旗下的小剧团所推出的制作感到信心满满。接二连三地观赏了它们的音乐剧，总认为这些音乐剧都非常有创意，构思巧妙，精彩万分的剧情也表现得淋漓尽致。

得知家喻户晓的童话故事 《小红帽》 将以华语来呈现给观众，我雀跃万分。这是一个多么难得，多么珍贵的机会啊！所以，我和孩子们是非常期待观赏这出音乐剧的。果然，我们带着深深的期待入场，也随后带着满满的欢喜离开。

 《小红帽》描述都是有关于勇敢的小红到森林里去探望外婆的故事。她在路途中碰到了邪恶的大灰狼，所以必须想尽办法逃出它的魔掌。故事情节丰富曲折，比如说小红一家开了个蛋糕店，小红的爸爸迷失了，小红和傻樵夫做了好朋友，还有大家如何同心协力打破魔咒，让小红一家团圆。

如果说这是一出老少咸宜的音乐剧，那一点儿都不夸张。孩子们看得投入的当儿，我们大人也被逗得乐不可支。我甚至多次都笑得合不拢嘴呢！老实说，剧中有些幽默的谈话，其实唯有大人才听得懂其中的意思。但是，这也是为什么我们会和小朋友们一样看得这么津津有味，一起笑、一起欣赏、回家后也有无限话题可以一起聊。

我本身很喜欢这部音乐剧的原创音乐，觉得这些曲子不仅悦耳动听，歌词也写得深入民心。演员们费劲苦心地歌唱，只希望能让观众席上的我们有那么一丝的感动。即使未必个个都是天籁之声，但是你们的用心，我听到了； 你们的诚意，我也收到了。我们一家大小都陶醉在你们的歌声里，就连那仅仅一岁半的小弟弟也和你们一起舞动起来了。

唯一让我觉得必须提醒大家的是如果您的小孩对巨响，灯光效果或是长着尖齿的大灰狼感到恐惧的话，那么一定先让他们有充分的心里准备。我觉得最让人毛骨悚然的唯独剧中出现一刹那的葡萄树。这出音乐剧是适合5岁以上的儿童，所以想要带年龄较小的孩童去不是不行，但要确认他们不会感到不安或害怕。

总的来说，我们一家人是非常喜欢、非常享受 《小红帽》 这出音乐剧。孩子们说它很“好笑”，老公对剧情和演员们赞不绝口（尤其是那演得丝丝入扣的大灰狼），而我最喜欢的是那温馨的结尾，以及它如何提醒我们家人是不可或缺的。现在的我们，是迫不及待地期盼小剧团接下来的华语制作了！请再接再厉！

SHOW DETAILS

Event date
Thu, 20 Jul - Fri, 1 Sep 2017
Weekdays: 10am
Weekend & Public Holiday: 11am & 2pm

Venue

KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT

Ticket Pricing (excludes booking fee)

-> Weekdays
Standard: S$28, S$25
Family Package of 4: S$95 for Cat 1 tickets
-> Weekends (Sat & Public Holiday)
Standard: S$48, S$38, S$35
Family Package of 4:
Cat 1 (with photo taking): $163
Cat 2 (no photo taking): $129
To book your tickets, go to SISTIC here.

Duration
65 minutes

Recommended age
This show is recommended for aged 5 years old and above. All children, including infants-in-arms, will be required to purchase a ticket to enter.

Disclosure: We received a media invite from SRT to review The Little Company's 《小红帽》. All opinions are our own.