SingaporeMotherhood | Parenting
December 2017
Flying Through Time at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) (Review)
With physical comedy, acrobatic stunts, and graceful gymastics routines, Flying Through Time offers pure, light-hearted entertainment for the family
Looking for 90 minutes of pure, light-hearted, entertainment that does not need to be dissected and analysed over a drink after? This is it. The best part? Kids will love it too. Performed without words (body language is the most universally understood language, after all) Flying Through Time takes us on a trippy ride through space and time. Suspend disbelief as you follow a villain, a hero, and a cast of motley characters from ancient Korea to modern-time Sentosa as they battle for custody of a powerful mystical relic.
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Local Talents in Flying Through Time
The hero Tiger is played by Joshua Tan, last seen as recruit Ken Chow in Ah Boys To Men 4. The local heartthrob gained 20 kg for that role and lost it all to play Flying Through Time’s strong and silent hero. He credits his buff physique to the training for the production (see video), which sees him swinging in air on a harness, performing a duet on aerial silks, and engaging in swordplay and on-stage fights.
He and local actress-model Melody Low (curvaceous cheerleader Sexy) perform alongside martial artists and gymnasts from China, Mongolia, Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia. In a first-time collaboration with RWS, Nanyang Polytechnic and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts created the costumes, scenic façades, and animation for the show.
Flying Through the Story
Tiger is the guardian of the Great Magic Rod (which looks like Bam Bam’s club from The Flintstones, but with lights). When villain Dark X steals it and jumps through the portal to land in Singapore, Tiger follows in pursuit.
Somehow they catapult themselves into the training sessions of the MerTiger Academy cheerleaders, who are busy rehearsing for a competition. Cue cute costumes, pouts, and the start of non-stop slapstick physical comedy. Director Choi Chul Ki also helmed previous RWS Theatre shows like CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab. As with that production, this has its strength in physical theatre.
It’s a canny move considering that the show’s audiences are probably tourists from different countries who’ve come to the resort for a holiday. What better common language than body language? This also works in the audience participation segment when gestures and action carry the ‘conversation’.
Physical Comedy and ‘Sport-formance’ Shine
Where the cast of mostly ex-national gymnasts and competitive athletes shines is in sequences that allow them to exhibit their physical talents. My children were awed by the rhythmic gymnasts whose graceful routines showcased their flexibility and skills with the ball, ribbon, and hoop.
The male gymnasts demonstrated strength and dexterity on parallel bars and floor routines (still can’t get over that abs-of-steel sideways body hold). There were martial arts moves and Tae Kwon Do kicks that saw wooden slabs explode with rat-a-ta-tat synchronicity.
Then the entire cast came together to perform cheerleading moves and build human pyramids to jump off. And if all that’s not enough, there’s breakdancing too. Admittedly, these don’t have much to do with the storyline. However, they sure make for excellent visual entertainment!
Flying Through Time: To Watch or not?
Yes, why not? It’s 90 minutes of visual fun with lots of laughs for the family. With no deep thought required, this is a performance that returns to the basics of pure showmanship and entertains all the way.
Flying Through Time
When: 9 December 2017 – 21 January 2018, select nights
Timings: 2pm & 8pm
Where: Resorts World Theatre
Tickets: Via SISTIC or RWS. Passion Card members get a 30% discount from 22 Dec 2017 to 21 jan 2018. Use the promo code: 8102 (First 4 digits of PAssion Card membership)Web: Click here
Video and all images: Resorts World Sentosa
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