29 August 2019 – 8 September 2019 @ Studio Theatre, School of the Arts

Synopsis

After Grandma’s passing, her extended family holds a seven-day wake at the void deck. Clashing siblings, long-suffering in-laws, and estranged sons come together to hurt and to heal when their world is upended. Each must learn to say goodbye while struggling to hold on to those left behind.

Playwright Zenda Tan delivers a beautiful and incisive portrayal of family dynamics fraught with grief and past grievances. As they navigate unfamiliar rites and funeral rituals, they discover that food, offerings, and joss paper have become the currency of their love.

Directed with flair and nuance by Claire Wong, this astute and unflinching portrait of a family in mourning hits close to home with its questions on how we honour our dead and pay our final respects. Eat Duck lays bare everyday realities while offering extraordinary insights into the nature of love and loss, helping us all to answer what it truly means to be kin.

Playwright: Zenda Tan
Director & Co-Producer: Claire Wong

Cast:
Karen Tan
Han Qian Chou
Jean Ng
Julius Foo
Pavan J Singh
Wiggie
Myle Yan Tay
Victoria Chen
Chaney Chia
Adam Michael Scott Wee An
Shann Sim

Set Designer: Aaron Yap
Lighting Designer: Liu Yong Huay
Sound Designer: Shah Tahir
Production Stage Manager: Izz Sumono
Co-Producer: Huzir Sulaiman

(Source: Checkpoint Theatre Website)


credits

Zenda Tan
Playwright
Claire Wong
Director, Co-Producer
Wiggie
Cast

artefacts

Eat Duck (2019), Review
... For the Living, Not the Dead? New writing is exciting. You enter the theatre without history, and hear language never pronounced beyond rehearsal. Checkpoint Theatre has historically supported new English-language play texts in Singapore, and Huzir Sulaiman and Claire Wong are often the first port of call for young writers. This time, they introduce a play by Zenda Tan about family grief and grievances through the lens of a seven-day wake. The matriarch’s death has arrived, and like other Chinese-
Edward Eng
Reviewed: 29 August 2019