“Life is a tragedy in close-up, but a comedy in long shot.” So what happens when you compress years of real life into two hours? You get a comedy musical about a couple navigating love, conflict, and ageing as they approach retirement.
As an early 20-something, I’ll have to admit: the premise didn’t immediately pull me in. Retirement feels about as real to me as flying cars—for now, at least. Still, as a newcomer to Penang’s theatre scene, I want to have an open mind and support local artists. And the fact that they made fifteen original songs? That is an impressive feat.
I walked away from the opening night having learned quite a bit, but not always in the way I expected.
Strong performances that held it together
The show leans into familiar, everyday relationship beats—funny, tender, emotional—packaged like a classic romcom, with the added charm of a delightful live band.
The leads carry this weight well. Lauren Tan’s Helen “Give ’em Hell” Somerset brings an almost electric energy (someone check if batteries are included with her). Opposite her, Don Ng’s Joe Somerset is more grounded, with a gentle humour that balances her intensity. His musicality shines, especially in the jazzy “The Times That We’re In,” which reminded me of a sweet romance scene in animated movies.
Even without personally relating to the story, it was clear the performances were doing the emotional heavy lifting. I wasn’t surprised by the largely older audience drawn to the show’s themes—but I was struck by younger Malaysians visibly moved at the climax. One audience member told me, “I was simply touched.” And really, that’s what theatre hopes to achieve.
That said, the storytelling struggled to land with the same impact.
The story doesn’t have room to breathe
Major life events unfold in rapid succession—romance, conflict, reconciliation, therapy—all within the first half. Then comes the emotional turning point: Helen’s cancer diagnosis. This should have anchored the entire show. Instead, it felt rushed, as though the story was checking boxes rather than letting moments breathe.
Cancer is the most horrible existence on earth, but when not done properly in fiction, it becomes the deadliest cliché. In this case, the diagnosis arrives and resolves so quickly that it risks feeling more like a narrative device than a lived experience.
Perhaps everything depicted did happen, but within this compressed format, it felt squished together, affecting the overall flow. I can see the actors show that they love, but they were not given enough time to let us feel it.
Technical distractions were hard to ignore
Live performances often come with risks, but some issues here felt more confusing than unavoidable.
I didn’t mind the minimalistic lighting and sets, but I do think they underutilised the stage. For a story driven by emotional highs and lows, it could have played a much stronger role, making the performances seem more natural than they were.
The technical issues should’ve been addressed early on. On the opening night, most supporting performers and one of the leads struggled with clipping and distortion. Lauren had to push through her biggest numbers while her mic was, quite literally, giving us hell. A simple switch of mics to prioritise the lead actor with the most lines would’ve helped.
Then there were the projections. The use of obviously AI-generated imagery, with typos and unnatural details, was simply unacceptable. Instead of grounding the scenes, the laggy transitions between background images were distracting at times. The overall visual direction felt unclear.
Nowadays, the use of AI in theatre is unfortunately common. In my opinion, there isn’t a need for clear, perfect-looking backdrop images when you have music, lighting, and sets to signify the location. Because it doesn’t always have to be high-budget photography or illustration—especially for this case, photographs taken with a smartphone around Penang (where the story is set) would have sufficed.
Beyond the ethical concerns, relying on AI here feels like a shortcut rather than a creative choice. It shows a lack of respect for visual arts, and a lack of care for the audience. It’s the same reason why we employ musicians and actors to perform live. We want people who pay to watch us to have the best experience possible, while telling a story that feels, looks, and sounds true.
A production that needed more care
Many of the supporting roles felt detached from the central relationship, creating the sense of multiple mini-performances rather than a focused story. I wished they had freed up more space for the leads to explore their conflicts properly, which is such a shame because these issues took away from what could’ve been a very strong story.
I hate to say it, but many of these problems—technical, structural, and directorial—were avoidable. And when they accumulate, they begin to point to something larger: a lack of cohesion in the overall direction.
I learned how difficult it actually is to write stories adapted from real life. There is a clear intention to tell a meaningful story about love and resilience, but intention alone isn’t enough. It needs careful shaping, discipline, and a strong guiding vision.
A Year to Love has its heart in the right place. The performances, particularly from the leads, bring warmth and sincerity, and there are moments where the show connects. At the same time, uneven storytelling, technical inconsistencies, and unclear creative direction hold it back from fully realising its potential.
It’s a show that made me reflect, but also one that left me wishing it had trusted its core story enough to give it the space and care it deserved.
A Year to Love is presented by MYTH Productions and was staged at the One Academy Theatre, Straits Quay on 24–25 April. The musical is co-written by Nancy P. Jenster and J.P. O’Byrne, with songs composed by Nancy Jenster and arranged by Richard Rudkins. It is directed by Jackson Gleeson, with Beth Webster as artistic director, Mable Ooi as music director, and Joelle Saint Arnoult as costume and make-up designer.
About the writer:
Felina is new to the arts scene, young, curious, and hungry. She wants to sink her paws into as many facets of the performing arts as she can, as she believes practical experience is more nutritious than theory. Find her on, behind, or seated in front of the stage, as she is ready to pounce at any given moment.
Seni:Kita (pentaspena.pg@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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