The Theatre Practice

After each breath

Before the next

Time streams

Into the moments,

Of timelessness

The Ordinary and The Unspectacular&nbsp;is a contemplation of the minutiae of everyday life. When each snapshot in time is magnified, the everyday becomes estranged and the simplicity of each movement takes on new depth and meaning. Devised alongside a distinguished veteran cast of Singapore theatre practitioners, Director Okorn-Kuo Jing Hong places the aging body front and centre, magnifying, examining and celeb

The Ordinary and The Unspectacular (2018)

Cast

Pangdemonium

TANGO&nbsp;was commissioned by Pangdemonium as their very first staging of a piece of new Singapore writing. Inspired by true events from the blog “4 Relative Strangers” by James D. Williams, they are very excited to be telling this important story and producing the world premiere of this special play.

Happily married Singapore-born banker Kenneth and British teacher Liam are loving adoptive parents of 12-year-old Jayden, a boy saved from a broken home. Together they are learning to make life work as a f

Tango (2017)

Nine Years Theatre

10-year-old Eric enjoyed visiting the home of his neighbours, Habiba and Ismail. The couple, who was so fond of him, treated him like their own child. In the embrace of this warm relationship, Eric felt cared for and loved. To his young mind, the door to Habiba and Ismail’s house was a gateway to paradise. Fast forward 20 years, Eric is now 30 and has returned to his childhood home to visit his neighbours, only to uncover a shocking secret that has lain hidden in the house where he spent so many happy hours

Fundamentally Happy (2017)

Wild Rice

Sex and star-crossed love are domains reserved for the young… aren’t they? That’s what Maggie, a retired school teacher, has always believed. But everything Maggie had come to assume and accept about her life changes when she agrees to teach Raju, an air-con repairman, how to read.

As their relationship blossoms into an unconventional romance, those close to Maggie begin to question her behaviour, morals and choices. Nora, her best friend, claims that she no longer recognises her. Wilfred, her son, is ou

My Mother Buys Condoms (2016)

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay

"...the more I discover, the more I am convinced that we were related, that I had to be a descendant of the Eunuch Admiral."A powerful work about castration and politics,&nbsp;Descendants of the Eunuch Admiralrecounts the legacy of the man responsible for China’s most extensive maritime expeditions in the 15th century, the legendary eunuch, Admiral Zheng He. Using the metaphor of castration, parallels are drawn between the power struggles of court eunuchs and the displacement of modern beings who make sacri

Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral (2015)

Voiceover

Pangdemonium - producers of the acclaimed Spring Awakening and the hit Swimming With Sharks - brings you the Singapore premiere of the Pulitzer Prize winning RABBIT HOLE, a poignant, powerful and surprisingly humorous portrait of a family searching for what remains possible in the most impossible of situations.

Becca (Janice Koh) and Howie (Adrian Pang) are struggling to recover from a shocking accident. Caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, blame, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage, Howie lashes 

Rabbit Hole (2013)

T:>Works (TheatreWorks)

It is sometime in the near future of Singapore. The National Broadway Company (NBC) has been established, and the search for the Artistic Director is on. Amongst those vying for the position is the ‘who’s who’ of Singapore’s theatre industry. From hairdresser to entertainment icon to deputy public prosecutor to politician, the story of the pioneering musical theatre in Singapore unfolds as they sing their hearts to the top.

Based on specially conducted interviews with Dick Lee, Pamela Oei, Michael Chiang

National Broadway Company (2012)

Director

Drama Box

A mother asked her eldest daughter to get a jade bangle back from her cousin on the day of her aunt's funeral. The jade bangle had been left behind by their grandmother. And the story begins here. The mother and her two daughters, when put together, bicker, cry, laugh and share tales of self-pity and sometimes of an ambiguous past.&nbsp;


The Jade Bangle (2011)

Fear Of Writing&nbsp;portrays a playwright’s creative handicap – the writer’s block – under intense anxiety and scrutiny. Through this crisis, Tan uncovers the existentialism of self-censorship and freedoms in Singapore. An urgent provocation of the country’s boundaries – as bound to art, artist, citizen and humanity.&nbsp;Fear Of Writing&nbsp;proposes a theatrical parable for the politics of today, a future for the Singapore dream.

“This play is about the complacency of the average Singaporean, of theat

Fear of Writing (2011)

Associate Director

Checkpoint Theatre

This is the story of Pek Har, Ghek Huay and Danae: 3 ordinary women and their ordinary lives. Except that when seen up close, an ‘ordinary’ life is far from. Instead, it is complex, confusing, unexpected, painfully funny, and, yes, quite extraordinary.

Written by NUS undergraduate Faith Ng, under the mentorship of Huzir Sulaiman, wo(men) is a funny and poignant portrayal of a ‘normal’ HDB-dwelling Singaporean Hokkien family, trying their best to survive family secrets and family ties.

Directed by Clai

wo(men) (2010)

In a museum, time is confused. What looks old may be a reproduction, what looks new is actually a stained glass window from 1887.&nbsp;120&nbsp;attempts to recast the National Museum of Singapore as a host of luminescent voices.

The performance ushers the audience through the galleries, halls and exhibits playfully: inviting the audience to see this space in a different light, through alternate frames, against a wallpaper of people. The performance may take the shape of pockets of ‘happenings’, walks and

120 (2007)

Collaborator

Performer

A woman desires to be a mother. Another desires for a mother. And one who is a mother. Stories of a woman’s hidden desires and memories are told through a series of five intimate episodes. Share in her longing as she crosses between time and space, between dreams and reality. Set against Mother’s Grief,&nbsp;a black-and-white Hong Kong film made in 1961,&nbsp;Ma: Moment&nbsp;is presented in an architectural pavilion of reimagined old shophouses and cinema screens, built on the site of Chinatown’s infamous D

Ma: Moment (2004)

A cross-media collaboration between Singapore, Japan and Australia artists based on Australian wartime survivors' accounts of the death march in Borneo at the end of World War II. It metaphorises the experiences of war and brutality into contemporary existential journey, a journey into the heart of darkness.


Sandakan Threnody (2004)

In every life there comes a time when that dream you dream becomes a reality… even if it be for a brief passing.

60’s Talentime meets Pop Idol! Catch the new TheatreWorks production that celebrates the dreams, naivety, passion, and youthful energy of four dreamers from different backgrounds in their quest for fame and stardom! Come chart the trials and tribulations that await these four young hopefuls as they embark on a bittersweet journey of self-realisation.


Shanty - Follow That Dream (2004)

Conceptualizer

Set Designer

Intercultural Theatre Institute

Theatre Training & Research Programme

Lim Tzay Chuen designs and constructs ‘alterations’, ‘gaps’ or ‘delays’ that affect the status quo of our behaviours and perceptions; he produces interventions that are typically ‘discovered rather than ‘exhibited’. Lim’s works are the results of an intricate but collaborative venture with specific organisations. In the past, Lim sometimes described his work as trying to get institutions to ‘entertain the possible’; he now talks about offering ‘creative solutions’ to ‘possible problems’.

Presented by The

 Lim Tzay Chuen (2003)

Based on Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy,&nbsp;Lear&nbsp;is about a young woman who plots to steal the throne and the kingdom from her father. She plans to destroy and ultimately kill him. The old man is blind to her evil plotting and instead disowns his younger daughter, who truly loves him. The passionate conflict between the father and elder daughter thereafter ends in much bloodshed and loss of innocent lives.


Lear (1999)

Undercover&nbsp;is set in a fictitious country’s fictitious intelligence department. It revolves around the head of the department, his deputy, and their new intelligence agent, Jane, the first female in their department. Jane is sent on an undercover spy mission to infiltrate an alleged subversive ‘charitable’ organisation known as the Centre. The Centre is led by a smooth and suave Oxford scholar, Qiang. Soon, Jane falls in love with Qiang. Meanwhile, the deputy, in an attempt to overthrow his head, is ta

Undercover (1994)

For the Festival,&nbsp;Theatreworks will present Scorpion Orchid, a&nbsp;play based on well-known author Lloyd&nbsp;Fernando's book of the same title.&nbsp;Set in Singapore in the early 1950's, the play explores the&nbsp;lives and relationships of five characters and their&nbsp;struggle together during the country’s period of&nbsp;political and racial crisis and turmoil. The play, a&nbsp;new work, won second prize in the NST-Esso&nbsp;Playwriting&nbsp;Competition this year, the first such&nbsp;competition t

Scorpion Orchid (1994)

Lao Jiu, the ninth child and only son of the family, is of outstanding intelligence and carries the hopes of his parents and siblings. Sacrifices are made by his family in the fond hopes that he will achieve the honour of academic success. Alas, to his family’s disappointment, he abandons his scholastic pursuits for his love of the traditional art form of hand puppetry.&nbsp;

This powerful and emotive work explores the issues of power play, psychological pressure, guilt, and the choice between family and

Lao Jiu (1993)

Production Manager

The Lady Of Soul And Her Ultimate ’S’ Machine is a political satire about a government which decides that a nation needs more ‘soul’ to make it a more vibrant place. A civil servant heads a committee to find the best way to achieve this. In his ‘soul’ search, three candidates present their ideas of what ‘soul’ is – a mamasan, a left-wing radical and a representative from the arts. After hearing them, he submits his recommendation…

The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate 'S' Machine (1993)

Three young people — two sisters and a brother — are troubled by fear and guilt, harking back to their past. They decide to return to their childhood home in Kappan Road to encounter the fount of their troubles.

They go back to Kappan Road in the guise of children on horses making a dream journey. Somebody is chasing them, and they go ever deeper into the jungle, looking for something ‘like a temple on a hill’. Riding deeper into the jungle, they see visions, peaceful and fearful, of water babies (‘the c

Three Children (1992)

A delightful night at the theatre, with an ASEAN play that’s witty and poignant, culturally rich and beautifully crafted… and yes, it is in English! Ten family members hit the long road to Manila in high spirits. They’re heading south for their father’s funeral. Along the way, the journey becomes an allegory for each of them. A personal odyssey revealing humour, horror, guilt, modern attitudes and traditional forces.


Trip to the South (1991)

A spicy, mouthwatering dish, garnished with colourful characters. Choo Bee Lian is the owner of a famous fried rice chain. She hopes to retire, but her two daughters, Bee Lee and Bee Hoon, are sworn enemies and refuse to run the business together. A contest is set up to determine the successor of Fried Rice Paradise. The ensuing competition leads to intrigue and staggering revelations, as each character, under heat, imbues Fried Rice Paradise with her own special flavour.


Fried Rice Paradise (1991)

Hope dims in the lives of a vegetable farmer and his family when Singapore is invaded by the Japanese during World War II. Relatives from the city escape to his farm and their differing lifestyles and aspirations test the faith of his two sons.&nbsp;The Moon Is Less Bright&nbsp;was written in 1963 and first staged by the Lotus Club, University of Singapore.


The Moon is Less Bright (1990)

Witness the triumphs, the falls, the adventures of Malcolm Png and the merry men of Hotel Company as they venture forth into what they called “the Twilight Zone”.&nbsp;Army Daze&nbsp;was written in 1987 and first staged by TheatreWorks in that same year.


Army Daze (1990)

M Butterfly&nbsp;is about the&nbsp;tempestuous love affair&nbsp;between a French diplomat and a Chinese&nbsp;Opera actress and&nbsp;has been a sensational hit
on Broadway and the West End.&nbsp;For the&nbsp;Festival, Theatreworks will be mounting&nbsp;an all new production, drawing on talents&nbsp;available in the region.

This promises to be a landmark production&nbsp;and a major step in the development of&nbsp;this energetic young company.&nbsp;


M Butterfly (1990)

Three women in an old folks’ home cope with their bleak reality in their own ways. Mei indulges in TV fantasy, Daisy takes it with a shrug of the shoulder, and Marjorie hopes in vain. This equilibrium is maintained until the illusion begins to overtake truth.


Long Green Socks (1990)

William Teo

Asia-in-Theatre Research Centre

Mother Courage follows the armies back and forth across a battle-defaced Europe during the Thirty Years War, selling provisions and liquor from her canteen wagon to make a living. One by one, she loses her children to war but will not part with her livelihood - the wagon.


Mother Courage and Her Children (1989)

Musician

The musical comedy Beauty World is a special&nbsp;production for the Singapore Festival of Arts 1988. Set to an&nbsp;original score of ten songs by well-known songwriter Dick&nbsp;Lee with scripting by local playwright Michael Chiang, the&nbsp;musical evokes the world of Chinese nightclubs&nbsp;and&nbsp;cabarets in the mid-60s.

The action centres on a young Malaysian orphan who&nbsp;discovers a jade pendant with the words "Beauty World",&nbsp;inscribed on its reverse side. It leads her to believe that he

Beauty World (1988)

Medea betrays her family to help her lover Jason win the Golden Fleece. Jason takes a second wife, the daughter of King Creon of Corinth, as it will secure the future of Medea and her sons. Medea fails in persuading Jason to return to her. In revenge, Medea kills his bride, the king and her two sons.


Medea (1988)

After her husband's death, the tyrannical Bernarda Alba decrees a rigorous mourning and strict moral code on her five unmarried daughters, even forbidding them to leave the house. Sexually frustrated and yearning for love, they search unsuccessfully for ways to escape. A suitor enters the scene and with the sisters all lusting for him, tragedy becomes inevitable.


The House Of Bernarda Alba (1987)

A heave, a tumble, a fond goodbye and our assorted heroes are off on their first three-tonner ride down the bumpy path of recruit life. Witness the triumphs, the falls, the misadventures of Malcolm Ng and the merry men of Hotel Company as they venture forth… into the dark night.


Army Daze (1987)

Practice Performing Arts School

"Every rehearsal has given me hope, inspiration and confidence to carry on. Theatre is a living thing. For it to happen, you have to relate and to share. There is no such thing as a small part in theatre because every part is important to the whole. The energy generated from this nucleus is the important thing. It is caring for your fellow actor, your partner. It is not egoistical because we create together.&nbsp;

I've chosen to do&nbsp;The Gypsies&nbsp;because I see in it the potential for very colourfu

The Gypsies: The Tragedy of Zemphira (1987)

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The Maids (1986)

Robert Yeo

Max Le Blond

Clive Scharenguivel

Jeremiah Kupusamy is a Christian chettiar (Indian&nbsp;money lender) and a successful one. Because he lends liberally, he has&nbsp;to employ many henchmen to ensure that his borrowers pay up on&nbsp;time. Samuel Seng is the Chinese gangster chief who controls the&nbsp;underworld that lives on theft and extortion. His stylish Western&nbsp;ways win the love of Pala, daughter of Jeremiah Kupusamy&nbsp;but he&nbsp;incurs the wrath of her disapproving parents.

Pala’s parents plot with whores, with whom Samuel

The Samseng and the Chettiar's Daughter (1982)

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Centre 42

Asia-in-Theatre Research Circus (ATRC) was founded in 1987 by the late William Teo. For 15 years, the theatre company, with Teo as its artistic director, created and produced some of Singapore’s most unique and visually-arresting English-language productions. ATRC was in search of a new theatrical expression, experimenting with merging various Asian performing arts traditions with English-language contemporary theatre. With Teo’s sudden passing in 2001, ATRC ceased operations soon after.

To commemorate t

Lok Meng Chue

PARTICIPATION IN C42

WORKS DOCUMENTED IN THE ARCHIVE

Lok Meng Chue

PARTICIPATION IN C42

WORKS DOCUMENTED IN THE ARCHIVE

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