The Dollmaker’s Daughter: A haunting musical of romance and loss

Love's embrace: Actors Sally Ann (held aloft) and Choong Jee Ann play the romantic leads in The Dollmaker's Daughter. Photos: Stage 69 Productions

There is a popular saying that when it comes to staging a musical, one should expect the unexpected: things that you never would have expected can, and often will, happen.

Just ask director Gabbie Ngoh, 26, who decided to buy about a dozen marionettes from the Czech Republic to use in her latest musical The Dollmaker’s Daughter. According to her, she had to drive down to KLIA after they were held by Customs, who were clearly unaccustomed to the somewhat creepy-looking puppets.