Review: PUNCH: A NEW MUSICAL - PRESENTED IN CONCERT at Factory Theatre
The latest work from creator Andrew Seok is making its world premiere at Factory Theatre from June 12-21.
PUNCH: A New Musical - Presented in Concert is a warm, musical hug to those who feel like they don’t quite belong where they are expected. A favourable mix of originality and familiarity, the production features thoughtfully-crafted music and strong, believable performances.
The musical is inspired by the true story of Punch, an abandoned Japanese macaque (a type of monkey described as being highly social and intelligent) who became famous for his bond with a large stuffed IKEA orangutan toy.
Since this is a concert and not a fully-staged production, don’t expect sets or elaborate costumes. Instead, minimal props are used (the aforementioned IKEA orangutan toy and a small monkey plush used to represent baby Punch) and shades of beige, brown and black are worn by those playing monkeys.
On full display are the elements most crucial to a musical: music, lyrics and story.
The amount of clear, impactful storytelling that is able to be achieved given the subject matter – the titular character is a monkey, after all – and concert staging is impressive. Andrew Seok’s lyrics seem reflective of what a young monkey may be feeling (of course, none of us truly know what animals are thinking or feeling, but one can speculate) and the songs feel sufficiently distinctive to not all blend together – my criticism with many musicals that have debuted recently – but homogenous enough to create a sense of continuity throughout the evening. The vocal talent is phenomenal and the orchestrations sound lovely for such a small group of musicians.
The performances are quite believable, especially considering most of the actors are tasked with playing monkeys without full-blown costumes (if complete monkey costumes had been worn, this may have detracted from the serious, emotional themes the musical tackles). Clever mannerisms and clear fight choreography really seal the deal.
Lara Roda (“Punch”) in particular grabbed my attention immediately when she appeared on stage. She captures youthful energy and naivety very well and her performance makes you genuinely want to root for Punch’s success and happiness. The chemistry between new friends Punch (Roda) and Momo (Belinda Corpuz) is infectious and deeply touching.
Chilina Kennedy (“Narrator”), who is perhaps slightly underused, delivers a beautiful masterclass in acting through song in the opening number and lends her voice to stunning harmonies.
PUNCH leaves you walking out of the theatre smiling, with several of the songs etched in your memory.
Throughout the night, I found myself envisioning elements of a full stage production: lighting, sets, projections and even a little choreography. There is a great deal of potential in PUNCH and hopefully this uplifting and inspiring musical finds a life after its short run at the small Factory Theatre.
To end on a line from the show that encapsulates the story and message: “The world doesn’t need another someone else, the world needs you.”
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