The Secret Love Life of Ophelia

On 8th March 2009, I went to KLPAC to watch the play by Steven Berkoff, 'The Secret Love Life of Ophelia'. Accompanying me was Renuga and Kirubayini. We went there by commuter from KL Sentral and as soon as we arrived at the Sentul station, we grabbed a taxi to the destination. We arrived 15 minutes before the play started.

Well, the play started off with a woman and a man (with long hair) in the middle of the stage. Most of the time they were writing letters or calling each other expressing each others desire. And of course, speaking of desire, passion is included. There was a part where the lovers expressed their desire to make love, and touch every tingling parts. There was a part where the lead man (Hamlet) put his hand under his pants as the lead girl (Ophelia) expressed her fantasies towards him. Maybe this is something we shouldn't be watching, but art comes in all forms. As the play went on, the lovers faced obstacles from each others status and life.

Towards the first 50 mins, I noticed that it started to get a little bit boring from all the talking and expressing. Somehow, I wished there would be a big bang at or something scandalous happened. But nothing happened. Anyway, what happened in the play was what any couple would go through. It stopped being about lust and started getting serious. In the end, Ophelia ended her life. From my point of view, its because her love for Hamlet was too much too bear. Yet, it hurts so much that he killed her father. She was left to choose, from the father of her blood or the man who wish to father her blood. The play ended with Ophelia walking into a dark opening on the stage indicating how she left the earth. Overall, I think the play was intricing and enjoyable. Both actors delivered their lines flawlessly, with appropriate inflections, accents, and pauses. 7/10 from me. =)