In my SKBS 2103, Performance Studies Course, me and my course mates have been brought by my Associate Lecturer Dr. Noraini to watch a play of the title ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’. After watching the play, we have been asked to write a criticism essay by pointing out the qualities of the production of the play ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’ by bearing in mind on the acting, directing, set design, and other special effects such as lighting as well as costumes. We have watched the ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’ play at ‘The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac)’ building which is located at Jalan Strachan (Off Jalan Ipoh), Sentul Park, Kuala Lumpur. We went to watch the play on Thursday, 26th of February 2009 and entrance fee is RM 15.00 per person. This play is attempt with images of love, sexual desires and indication of future tragedy. This ‘Secret Love Life of Ophelia’ play is full of imaginative and exciting sexual desires between the two couples who are Hamlet and Ophelia. Ophelia’s buried desires and love for her love Hamlet have been spread out through the exchange of passionate, letters and e-mails. In this play we can see that a fresh picture emerges when both of the couples, Hamlet and Ophelia disappointed as their contact is brought to a head.
First of all, when I’m watching this play ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’, I have taken note on the acting of the performers in the production of the play. This play has only involves two performers towards the whole play who are Hamlet and Ophelia. They are the main characters in this play. When comes to me, I can’t say that I only like one performer because I really like and loves the acting of both of the performers who are Hamlet and Ophelia because both of them act really good and superb. The actors can act naturally by using the symbolic things that we can’t see in the play. For example, the actors are communicating with each other only via telephone, e-mails, letters and chatting only. But in the stage, there is no laptop for them to chat with each other but by their realistic acting, we can identify that they are using the laptop. I think that they were good in their acting because they act realistically without nervous and panic. Other than that, I also think that they have change their mind set that they are the original people of the acting and that’s why they can act fluently without making any mistakes. I like Hamlet in the way which he acts realistic and makes me to think either he is really acting. This I really realize through the scene where Hamlet shows his sexual desires to his love Ophelia through rubbing his sexual parts in his body without shy of the audiences are watching his action. He acts naturally as it is part of his acting. This scene of the play provoked me as an audience to laugh nervously or giggle towards the acting of Hamlet because I’m nervous of his next or following action. I like both of the performers well because their voices, movements in the play and their non-spoken acting which have interpret their role in the play. The performers’ voices are really louder and clear enough for the audiences to hear what they are saying even though the audiences are sitting at the last row. There are some of their movements in the play which makes the audiences to have better understanding and idea on what is happening, if there’s any lines that they says are not clear enough. Both of the performers, Hamlet and Ophelia relate to each other via communication skill through letters, chatting, telephone and e-mails. They listen to each other carefully and they respond naturally and fluently towards the whole play and we can’t identify either they are acting or not. I really appreciate the play towards the acting of the actors which are natural and real.
While watching this play, ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’, I also have taken note of the directing in the production of the play. The director of this play is Christopher Ling. For me, I feel that the director has helped the actors well to perform this play convincingly. I felt that I am totally connected to the characters when the characters in the play communicating with the audiences through some of the scenes in the play. I say this because when the characters communicate to the audience by telling some information, it really will make the audience to listen and think. Both of the performers, Hamlet and Ophelia, play together their roles in the play as an ensemble such as a group of musicians playing or singing together because we can see that there are no any interruption of forgetting their lines and so on. The interaction between the characters seems as natural and it reveal, expose and bring out the characters out of their real characters. I feel really great and good to be an observer of the interaction between the two characters in the play as it really touched my feelings and makes me to feel as I’m one of the characters in the play. The director has directs this play in a good way as the audiences will be easy to see and hear what is going on through the voices of the performers which are loud and clear, as well as the movements of the performers acting which is realistic and natural. The director also has planned well on the entrances and exits which the performers should use while acting. This makes me as an audience clear and knows the changing of the scenes as the performers didn’t confuse on which entrance or exits should be used while acting. So, it is clear that the entrances and exits have been used smoothly. The director also has used the space in the stage well and he didn’t ignored or overused any areas in the stage. For me, as the audience, I really seems that the pace especially while the characters walking and the rhythm that they have use while speaking, are right and it moves smoothly and did not drag in between. Overall of the play, I would say that the performance has makes me surprise because I have seen a scene which I had never seen before presented in a stage being performed in this play. The scene that I’m saying is when Hamlet shows his sexual desires to his love, Ophelia.
Another aspect that I have not missed is the set design of the production of the play. The scenery of the stage performance looks very simple as there is only a sofa set with small rack beside the sofa. This kind of scenery really helpful to the play as well as the performers. This kind of stage design will not be a burden for the performers to perform because they will not have many difficulties in their movements from one place to another. They can move swiftly without any doubt. But, if the stage has many props then it will make difficulties for the performers to move from one place and another. For me, this kind of simple scenery will not distract the performers and the audiences mind because we can identify what is happening through the acting of the performers. There are some purpose of the director has planned for this kind of simple set design. Although the scenery seems to be simple, but it still contribute audience mood because not the stage only important but the most important thing in producing a play is the performance. If the performance is very well done, then for sure the set design also has contributes well. I will definitely say that the set design is appropriate for the style of production. In this play, ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’, we can see many usages of the symbolic elements such as kitchen, bedroom, TV rack, laptop, and so on in the scenery. I can realize on the usage of symbols such as the kitchen, laptop, and bedroom towards the acting of the performers in the stage. Even though there is no kitchen, I can realize the usage of the kitchen as a symbolic element in the play towards the acting of Hamlet, when he went to the kitchen and he makes a cup of coffee himself (movements). This kind of scenery makes me to feel the play is realistic even though without the props. The design of the stage aesthetically pleasing and it is done some purpose which is it will not make the acting be so messy with the usage of lots of props. I think the director will not spend too much of budget because there are only a few props being used. This play is an extraordinary set built with little funding. I appreciate the set design as it is worth it toward the whole play.
I also have observed another aspect of the production of the play while watching it which are lighting. Lighting also plays an important role in the production of the play, if there’s any mistakes have been done on lighting, it will change the mood and meaning of the play. Here, while watching this play, I feel that the lighting that has been used seems like realistic. The lighting in the play has creates mood in the audience mind. There are different lighting has been used for different kind of situations. The moods that can be evoking from the audience are such as calm, happy and nervous. Example from the play which we can see that it has set with the atmosphere is blue light has been used for the monolog conversations in the play. In this play, all the actors, Hamlet and Ophelia are properly lit together and the audience can see the faces of the actors very well without blur. In this play, there are certain times when we can’t see the actors’ faces. I think that the director done it with a purpose. For example, when Hamlet is going to open the door to receive a letter from Ophelia, we can’t see Hamlet’s face because the director wants to show to the audience that the actor is not in the living room anymore and he has go out of the living room. This kind of scene affects my experience of watching the play because of the acting is smooth and I can understand the situation very well. The lighting of the play comes from above and side. There are also different lighting color has been used to show different meaning such as red, blue, white, and yellow light. The lighting manager of this play has used the lighting very well towards the whole play because he has made the light changes slowly and quickly depends on the situation very well. If I have given a chance to give my suggestion for lighting, I will suggest to turn on bright light, only on the person who are speaking monolog and deem light to the person who are not speaking to give clear picture on what is happening. Light also has affect my appreciation of the play because I can imagine what is going to be happen next although the actors are using monolog.
The last aspect which I did not miss to consider is the costumes that have been used by the actors towards the whole play. I think that the costume manager has chosen the right costumes for the both actors, Hamlet and Ophelia in period and style. The costumes are suitable with the theme of the play which is love. The costume manager has chosen a plain and simple white gown with scarf for Ophelia, and coat with long pants for Hamlet. The costume manager has chosen this kind of simple costumes for the actors from the beginning until the end because it seems to be the right choice for the individual characters in personality, station in life and occupation. For me, I think that the choices of the costumes are well done choose. But, I think that it will be much better if the actors change their costumes in the middle of the play so that it will be much better. The costume design is aesthetically pleasing and the colors of the costumes that the costume manager has chosen are good. There are only two characters involved in this play from the beginning until the end of this play and they are the major characters in this play as well. So, there are no any differences between costumes for the actors in this play who are Hamlet and Ophelia. The costume manager feels that he did not want to change the actors’ costumes in this play and that’s why they didn’t change their costumes. For me, I think that the reason for the costume manager planned like this is because he did not want to waste the time on changing their costumes and feels that the costume will be suitable for the play from the beginning until the end. The costumes that has been chosen affects my appreciation of the play because the costumes really suits for both of the characters as it is also suitable to the whole play.
In conclusion, I would say that the success of the production of the play, ‘The Secret Love Life of Ophelia’ does not only depends on the director of the play but the whole team of the play such as set designers, lighting and sound manager as well as the actors in this play who are Alfred Loh as ‘Hamlet’ and Sharon Lam as ‘Ophelia’. I will rate this play by using the time-honored method of giving FOUR stars as the second highest rate. The play has shows the relationship between the people in the world and the nature as well. I have learned how to direct a play on my own by having a team of friends to help me to put up a play by our own efforts by the theatre from the production of this play. Now, I have some ideas on how to put up a play. The overall of the play is entertaining because the play that the director has choose and directed can influence the audiences mind. If I have given a chance, for sure I will recommend this production to my family members and friends because maybe before this they did not know that there also some of the play which can be consist of only two characters from the beginning until the end of the play and by watching this kind of play they also can know better.
