Part theatre, part collective experience, ubin by Singapore theatre company Drama Box invites you to an immersive walking tour uncovering the stories and sites of Pulau Ubin – and share in a moment to reimagine the island’s future.
There is another reality alongside ours – one where nature, community and a slower rhythm quietly stand against the march of urbanisation.
This is Pulau Ubin: an island mere 15 minutes away from the main island of Singapore. Ubin, which means “squared stone” in Javanese, was once a thriving kampong with a bustling economy. With records of inhabitants tracing back to the 1800s, today its native islanders number at a hundred; come nightfall, only around 30 remain.
As the population on Pulau Ubin ages and dwindles, what will happen to life and culture on the island? Who will safeguard its rustic beauty and cultural relevance? Will there be new inhabitants and how will they sustain the island’s vibrancy? How will the living, the spiritual and the embedded continue to exist in the future?
Billed for its socially-engaged productions, Singapore theatre company Drama Box invites you to this extraordinary three-hour journey through the sites and scenes of Ubin. From the forests to the birds to the islanders and the iconic granite quarries, leave behind the bustle of the city and immerse yourself in the stories of the island, as you meet stakeholders of the land and join in the re-imagining of its future.
A reflective intimate journey through one of Singapore’s most rustic sites, ubin promises to be an unforgettable evening of history, nature and culture.
Co-Directors
Act 1: Kok Heng Leun
Act 2: Koh Hui Ling
Co-Producers: Josephine Lee, Lim Ailing
Production Managers: Lam Dan Fong (The Backstage Affair), Evelyn Chia (The Backstage Affair)
Assistant Production Manager: Merissa Tang
Lighting Designer: Genevieve Peck
Sound Designer and Sound System Designer: Lee Yew Jin (Ctrl Fre@k)
Spatial Designer: Lim Wei Ling
Technical Manager: David Li
Set up and Show Crew: Marilyn Ang, Paul Lim, Raymond Goei, Yvonne Mo
Chaperone-in-charge: Khaw Han Chung
Chaperones
Ants Chua
Bonnie Jodie Siew Wai-Yan
Cheryl Tan Yun Xin
Kevin Tay
Khee Shihui
Pak-Juan Koe
Sarah Tang
Sim Jia En
Sofie Buligis
Zachary Lee
Marketing and Publicity: Amanda Leong
Research Partner: Singapore Heritage Society
Ecology and Wildlife Advisor: Nature Society (Singapore)
Playwright: Kok Heng Leun
Sound Design and Installation Artist: anGie seah
Sound Engineer: Joel Fernandez
Choreographer-Performers: Goh Shou Yi, Hasyimah Harith, Sonia Kwek (Understudy to Hasyimah Harith), Sufri Juwahir
Researcher: Chng Xin Xuan
Interviewees (in order of appearance in audio recording)
Syazwan Majid
Noor Riah Sulong
许美珠 Koh Bee Choo
Ahamad Bin Kassim
蔡永亮 Chua Yong Liang
Joan Yeo
Choi Yook Sau
Chua Yi Heng Jonathan
郭四妹 Kuek Ah Soy
Desmond Lee
Translator: Moli Mohter
Narrator: Aloysius Solomon
Voiceover Talents (English): Adib Kosnan, Chng Xin Xuan, Moli Mohter, Timothy Wan
Costume Designer: Max Tan
Stage Manager: Carolene Liew (The Backstage Affair)
Assistant Stage Manager: Lee Jia Zhen (The Backstage Affair)
Wardrobe Coordinator: Lim Zhiying
Facilitators
Chng Yi Kai
Ghazali Muzakir
Han Xuemei
Koh Hui Ling
Liew Jia Yi
Md Muazzam (Zam)
Michael Cheng
Vignesh Kumar Singh
Researcher: Chng Yi Kai
Graphic Design and Map Maker: CJ
Map Makers: Beverly Su, Geralyn Toh, Liew Chooi Yee
Stage Manager: Ng Siaw Hui
Assistant Stage Manager: Saffa’ Afiqah Bte Herald Alfee