Once Upon a Daydream, produced by Sun Son Theatre, bursts with life and colour. A show which will appeal to adults and children alike (four upwards). Live actors and musicians on stage interact and slide in and out of the fantasy world of a lonely young girl in pursuit of love.
High tech is not needed for a successful show - just imagination, fun and humour.
Primary colours and child-like drawings of the girl's bedroom, bubbling sounds as a goldfish swims in a bowl, and a human face with an animated black tear tracing a way down her cheek appear on screen to set the scene. Chuang Hui Yun starred as the young girl on the day this reviewer saw it (there are two separate casts), wearing an enormous black curly wig. Notable was the character of a cheeky postman, Ng Cheng Han, in a yellow costume and round hat with beak. Both are irrespressibly lively, with cartoon-like exaggerated movements and constantly surprised faces.
Back home from her office job, the action becomes increasingly crazy as Chuang sings, using a pink lavatory plunger as her microphone. This evokes two boy band singers wiwth black curly wigs, who then disappear as she wakes up from a dream. There is a wonderful sequence as Chuang tries on outfits, wich is played over her body as she stands in front of a screen. The fun really starts when she transforms into the goldfish, her costume a white body suit with a few pink scales and delightful long, floating gills. But again, she is disappointed in her search for love. Internet dating is her next adventure, as she encounters a scary fox-like creature. Pink balloons in the shape of hearts float by only to pop. But there is a happy ending, of course, as she finds her true love is the boy next door.
The upbeat rhythm of the live percussion band, accompanied by synthesized music, add jollity throughout the production. The musician's expressive faces impress, and the superb, imaginative animation is doubly impressive for being hand-drawn. This proves that high tech is not needed for a successful show – just imagination, fun and humour.
