Short & Sour - The Play by Singapore Management University Students (SMU)

Since I could not catch the actual screening of the play "Short & Sweet" when it was played in Esplanade in Singapore 2 months ago, I compensated this by watching a remake of this play in a more juvenile, students version acted by the 2nd and 3rd year students of Singapore Management University (SMU) aptly titled "Short & Sour". Instead of acting plays with themes of love in 8 minutes snippets as the original play, the play was converted into a whole story of 6 students with various characteristics involved in various love-hate relationship. It is a story of one nice, sweet girl falling in a love with a jock in school thinking that her love is not reciprocrating until he started to miss her only after he lost her. To woo her back, he did a rendition of Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge singing the song "Your Song" When he finally got her, the nerd who used to admire the sweet girl from afar felt so hurt knowing that he would not be able to give her the happiness he could have given her. Sure enough, their love did not last past half a year as the girl realised that he started to take her for granted again. Meanwhile, the sweet girl's best friend is a slut in school who seduces every guy just to break up with him later. One of the victim happened to be the sweet girl's brother who the slut transformed from a guy who couldn't care less about how he look or how the world revolves to a guy who does everything to make his girlfriend, the slut happy. Thinking that he could change her, he was heart-broken to find her sleeping with another guy less than 6 months into the relationship. The play lasted for more than an hour with various Disney and movie soundtracks which made it all more enjoyable. The ending was poignant with each one narrating how happy they can be with this thing called "love" at the beginning but ending only with a sour after taste. One of the best song I liked was "Someday Only We Know" by New Radicals which they sang at the end of the play which ended their play beautifully.

While some may find the storyline cliche, I find it entertaining and even funny at times. A good effort for students below 22 years of age. AT least students here get these kind of exposure from such an early age. Who knows, Singapore might just find their next Beatrice Chia from plays like these. Photos here.