In such a world, one could allow that a successful businessman would shoot his wife over an imaginary lover that she had invented purely to get her husband to pay her some attention. In such a world, the victims of these violent deaths could be stuck in limbo between life and death, not realising that they were no longer alive. In such a world, storytelling could help these wandering spirits to "resolve" their issues and enter fully into the spirit world. Treading the line between whimsy and creepy, the plot of Like Shadows was nothing if not imaginative.

The second main point of interest was the set, which skilfully conveyed this blend of dreamy suspense. Shifting screens and smoothly gliding walls provided dynamic canvasses for shadowy projected images, manipulating the audience's view of this dreamscape. One of the light projections rippled like a water's surface in twilight, belying darker undercurrents. Mingling with the screens was the lingering murdered wife, flitting balefully in and out of the shadows like an apparition. Slick and evocative, the perfectly-executed set combined with a moody music score to create a shifting, surreal environment.

However, as the story unfolded, using flashbacks and movie-thriller tactics to keep the audience in the dark, the production lost some of its hold over the audience. Certainly, the suspense remained, and the different threads of the plot came together for a satisfying ending, but the play never really lived up to its potential.

What dragged it down? First, a tell-too-much approach. The production shifted between mystery and concealment to spelling out every plot detail, which (apart from causing a lengthy performance time) jarred with the surreal dreamscape. The narrator, Yea, spouted too many self-conscious axioms about living, dreaming and storytelling, many of which failed to convey any deep meaning. Second, the play was cluttered with too many characters and scenes. This need not necessarily be a weakness, but in Like Shadows the constant flitting from one scene to another, from one character to another, diluted the emotional intensity of each. Before we absorbed the full impact of what was going on onstage, the scene would end and we were moved seamlessly into another scene. The result was scattered, movie-like, and somewhat shallow.

The inconsistent acting level of the cast was also jarring. There were moments of soap-opera acting: at times a misplaced shrillness, at other times a flatness of emotion. Having said that, there were definitely sensitive, enthralling performances, such as Ismene Ting's compelling portrayal of the murdered wife. The scene in which Ting's character is murdered came after a meticulous exploration of her isolated emotional condition, and was a superbly crafted climax. This unevenness could perhaps point to a lack of clarity about where the emotional markers of the play were situated. For instance, Yea's role - encompassing narrator, character and playwright's voice - was a weighty one, but it suffered from a light treatment.

I definitely enjoyed Like Shadows, with its imaginative narrative and slick audio-visuals. I think my biggest bugbear was its teasing promise of greatness, which was never delivered. It could have been a darkly haunting tale about the nature of existence, death and love. Instead, it was a slick, atmospheric romp that was accomplished in many senses but wasn't particularly inspiring.

First Impression

A creative process begun in Stan Lai's theatre classes has resulted in an unusual, detailed tale of people in limbo, caught between states of being. Simply put, in
Like Shadows, there are some people who are living, some who are dead and some who are caught in the space between life and death due to unfinished business.
Those who are stuck in limbo must resolve their issues before they can move on to the next phase. The story was suspenseful and came together nicely at the end
with a twist. Backdrops of projected shadowscapes accompanied by saxophone melodies also created a moody, introspective atmosphere that evoked a bittersweet emotional landscape. The elements were there for a haunting story that was inexplicable yet wise, but a tell-too-much approach and occasional
soap-opera-ish acting dragged it down.