It is difficult enough adapting a play, but students from the University Scholars’ Club went one step further and created an original musical from scratch.

Entirely “written, produced, directed and staged” by the students of USC, “Saving Grace: A Musical for the Mind,” was performed from March 26 to 28 at the University Cultural Centre Theatre.

The musical tells the story of a young woman, Grace, saddled with bipolar disorder while trying to live a normal life amidst the stigma and complications that her condition brings.

According to Sarah Cheng, director and actress playing the role of Grace’s mother, Mrs Leong, bipolar disorder was chosen by the students to be featured in the production as it is not a widely-known mental disorder.  

The intention was also to focus on the importance of family and friends in facilitating the recovery of sufferers of mental illness.   

Bipolar disorder is a condition of the mind that manifests itself as irregular variations to a person’s mood, energy and thinking. It is often only properly diagnosed 10 years after the first symptoms show.

Staged with the aim to raise awareness of mental health disorders and the prejudice that individuals with mental illnesses face, “Saving Grace” showcased 11 original song-and-dance compositions.

Considering that this musical was essentially a student-led production, it managed to surpass expectations.  

Shane Liaw and Pamela Ng, shone during their dance routine for the song “Heaven,” as a result of the creative pairing of the song-and-dance choreography with stage lighting.  

Credit also goes to August Lum, the music director, for helming the musical compositions and cleverly arranging the songs to get the most out of the actors’ voices.

However, not all of the cast could be as equally soulful to project their voices effectively. Weak vocals in some parts did not do justice to all of the songs.

Collectively, though, the acting by the cast was strong.

Even though the two leads (Lee Juli and Lu Jianhao) playing the eponymous Grace and her boyfriend, Nathan, possessed chemistry and made for a cherubic couple, it was the supporting characters that stole the show.  

In the lighter moments, comic relief was provided by the grumpy Indian janitor (Kishan Kumar Singh) and Mr Leong (Adrian Ong), the lead character’s multi-faceted father.  

This reviewer’s personal favourite scene was where Kishan as the Indian janitor reminisces about his glory days in a Bollywood-inspired tune.

But the musical could have benefited more from a tighter and more deliberate pacing.  

There was some imbalance as the bulk of the action took place in the second half of the production. The first half tended to lag while the second half saw more character and plot development.

Song and dance aside, the message of the musical received the approval of the state’s health official.

Khaw Boon Wan, minister for health, applauded the efforts of raising the awareness of the bipolar disorder condition at the staging of the March 28 Gala Night performance.

“Mental illness is not the end of the road. Recovery is possible with treatment and support from family, friends, and the larger community,” Khaw said.

The audience was also receptive and enjoyed the performance.  

Audience member, Shirley Surya, aged 26, said, “I think it is a good effort...It’s a play with a heart.”