This review is way overdue it’s not timely anymore. However I was just trying to sort out my feelings for Chestnuts – I had to make sure it’s true love and not just that fluffy head-in-the-cloud feeling of infatuation or new love. Chestnuts and I, we go way back (ok, maybe just 6 years.)
Anyway, Stages returned this Christmas with a Christmas edition of Chestnuts. More than a decade ago they started with Christmas parodies, and now they did it again.
This Christmas edition sees the return of some old friends from the February 2009 show, namely that two Chinese National sales assistant and the quintessential civil servant Amy Chua, who happens to be my favourite character this time round. I still can’t stop laughing, till today, comments about the National Stadium:
Host: So, Amy, what is causing the delay [of tearing down and rebuilding the National Stadium]
Amy: Slowness.
Host: (perplexed) In what areas?
Amy: Kallang area.
I just love the double entendus and wordplay in the entire segment, as well as in the entire show. Comedy need not be poking fun of fat people, or clumsy people. I hope people can just understand that.
This year also see a HUGE cast compared to the usual 5. Some are theatre newcomers, mostly young men with a flair for the dramatics. I don’t doubt their professionalism, but lines delivery at times could be better, especially in the Parents Crashing Christmas Party scene. Some of the jokes felt too contrived and uncomfortable. Nothing more goofing around won’t fix.
As usual, choreography was tight and impeccable. I never fail to marvel at how demanding it is on the mind and on the body to do Chestnuts – 3 hours of punchlines, music, and dance. So easy to screw up, but they pull it off year after year.
The run this time round was simply too short. Only 3 shows compared to the usual, what, 10 including weekend matinee?
I wonder when the next Chestnuts will be. I was looking forward to Theatre In Ten actually; I want to see how they ridicule spoof that awful Sleepless Town.
And on a sidenote unrelated to this, I am looking forward to the re-run of The Finger Player’s Poop.
Chestnuts Does Christmas Like a Hard Candy Virgin
Anyway, Stages returned this Christmas with a Christmas edition of Chestnuts. More than a decade ago they started with Christmas parodies, and now they did it again.
This Christmas edition sees the return of some old friends from the February 2009 show, namely that two Chinese National sales assistant and the quintessential civil servant Amy Chua, who happens to be my favourite character this time round. I still can’t stop laughing, till today, comments about the National Stadium:
I just love the double entendus and wordplay in the entire segment, as well as in the entire show. Comedy need not be poking fun of fat people, or clumsy people. I hope people can just understand that.
This year also see a HUGE cast compared to the usual 5. Some are theatre newcomers, mostly young men with a flair for the dramatics. I don’t doubt their professionalism, but lines delivery at times could be better, especially in the Parents Crashing Christmas Party scene. Some of the jokes felt too contrived and uncomfortable. Nothing more goofing around won’t fix.
As usual, choreography was tight and impeccable. I never fail to marvel at how demanding it is on the mind and on the body to do Chestnuts – 3 hours of punchlines, music, and dance. So easy to screw up, but they pull it off year after year.
The run this time round was simply too short. Only 3 shows compared to the usual, what, 10 including weekend matinee?
I wonder when the next Chestnuts will be. I was looking forward to Theatre In Ten actually; I want to see how they ridicule spoof that awful Sleepless Town.
And on a sidenote unrelated to this, I am looking forward to the re-run of The Finger Player’s Poop.