The Theatre Practice

The winter of death numbs a lover’s pain,
The autumn of dreams lies awake in vain,
The summer of life sings its passing song,
And spring comes again… with courage to hope, and go on.

"If there are seasons I would see snow, but not around here..."&nbsp;

After the painful demise of his girlfriend Jing, Ah Le flies to New York to breathe life into his fading dream of writing music. There he meets and befriends Ah Qiang, a fellow dream hunter from Singapore, who helps him settle right in. It is a diffi

If There're Seasons... (2007)

Production Manager

ACTION Theatre

Everything But The Brain was first staged on 27 January 2005 by ACTION Theatre. The Premiere production was directed by Krishen Jit. The original cast members were Gerald Chew, Pamela Oei, Koh Chieng Mun, Brendon Fernandez, Chermaine Ang and Filomar Tariao.


Everything But The Brain (2007)

Wild Rice

Life’s a drag for Jack and his poor mother Widow Neo – the cupboard is bare, there are bills to pay and the loan sharks are circling. With the writing literally on the void-deck walls, they finally resort to selling Ah Kow, their beloved pet cow. But when Jack exchanges their pet for a mere handful of green beans instead of cold hard cash, disaster looms…

W!LD RICE proudly presents JACK &amp; THE BEAN-SPROUT!, a brand new musical-comedy-pantomime about dreams, a mother’s love, “taugeh” and the perils of 

Jack & the Bean-Sprout! (2006)

Doubt: A&nbsp;Parable received its world premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, Barry Grove, Executive Producer) on November 23, 2004. The production then transferred to Broadway's Walter Kerr Theatre (Carole Shorenstein Hays; MTC Productions, Inc.; Roger Berlind, Scott Rudin; producers) and opened there on March 31, 2005. The production was directed by Doug Hughes, with scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Pat Collins and orig

Doubt (2006)

Centre 42 currently has limited information on this archive entry. If you possess any relevant information and/or archival material, please contact us at archive@centre42.sg.


Confessions of 300 Unmarried Men (2006)

The Humanity Beneath the Myth

I must admit that when I was first approached by Ken and Ekachai to work on this project, the idea of embarking on a musical based on the larger-than-life figure of Admiral Cheng Ho was an intimidating one. However, I was drawn to the image that Ken shared with me, the image of a young boy filled with awe and wonder, dwarfed by a gigantic footprint. For me, that became the key to re-imagining Cheng Ho's voyages from a twenty-first-century perspective, by telling the story th

The Admiral's Odyssey (2005)

A brand new monologue by Stella Kon, the acclaimed playwright of Singapore's best-loved monologue Emily of Emerald Hill. Human Heart Fruit tells an intriguing story of Jenny who cares devotedly for her husband Joe, while he is temporarily confined to a wheelchair. But one day, there is an accident... Playing off the conventions of one-woman drama, Stelle Kon slices open a 'Chiku' and exposes a human heart.


Human Heart Fruit (2002)

The latest play by award-winning playwright Jean Tay who won the first prize in the 3rd HP/ACTION Theatre 10-Minute Play Contest with The Knot, The Swallowed Seed invites the audience into the whimsical world of Sheryl. Having swallowed a 'Rambutan Seed' by accident when she was six, Sheryl has to live with the consequences that continue to haunt her through the rest of her life. Having a Rambutan tree grow out of her head is just one of them.


The Swallowed Seed (2002)

ACTION Theatre will be presenting The Second 42 Theatre Festival - from Nov 15 to Dec 9 - on its very own premises.

"We've been continuously working towards realising our goal of turning it into a "green-house" for incubating new works and new talents for Singapore theatre," said Ekachai Uekrongtham, Artistic Director of ACTION Theatre.

The four-week event will combine non-stop drama, musical theatre, performance poetry, stand-up comedy and cabaret shows - all in one festival. While Ekachai solely cha

The Second 42 Theatre Festival

Programme

Production Director

In this extraordinary play, American playwright Margaret Edson has created a work that is as intellectually challenging as it is emotionally immediate.&nbsp;

At the start of Wit, Vivian Bearing, Ph.D., a renowned professor of English who has spent years studying and teaching the brilliantly difficult Holy Sonnets of the meta-physical poet John Donne, has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer. Her approach to her illness is not unlike her approach to the study of Donne: aggressively probing and inte

W;t (2000)

Inspired by Edgar Degas' The Tub. Cat, Cathy and Catherine. Who are they? Or should it be... Who is she? Inspired by the Degas painting of the same name, The Tub explores the life or the lives of Cat(h(y)erine). By definition voyeurs, the audience in the dark will play the role of the gazer, subjecting the people in the light, to their scrutiny. Building upon the "cleansing" imagery of the painting, this new play takes a peek into the life of a woman with multiple personalities and explores how she deals wi

The Tub (2000)

Witty, poignant and bittersweet, Women On Canvas is a one-act musical about four contemporary women visiting an art gallery in search of themselves. Covering a wide range of performing styles as well as a spectrum of musical forms, Women On Canvas is an unfolding of women's fears and hopes as captured by the brush, and the offering of a different perspective from the male gaze.


Women On Canvas (2000)

Inspired by a series of 6 paintings of women by renowned American artist Edward Hopper,&nbsp;Hopper's Women&nbsp;is a collection of six inter-related playlets entitled&nbsp;The Art Of Silence,&nbsp;8:48am,&nbsp;Waltzing Matilda,&nbsp;When Are We Going To The Movies?,&nbsp;Nuntheless&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hopper's Woman. Funny, sad, sensual and thought-provoking, each tells a story inspired by the solitary woman in the painting.


Hopper's Women (2000)

Inspired by Reclining Nude and Night Windows. A woman wakes in the morning, goes through the usual business of combing her hair, brushing her teeth, flossing them, preening the mirror, plucking her eyebrows, squeezing her pimples, cracking her joints, clipping her nails, and then some. A fleeting glimpse into a woman's bedroom and her life, and the things a woman (or man) ordinarily would prefer not be seen doing.


8:48am (2000)

Inspired by Compartment C and Hotel Room. Teresa, early 20s, decides to be a nun when a nagging doubt hits her and she starts to get cold feet. Flashbacks of her rather off-beat life lead her to conclude that the past even the smallest, quirkiest incident can have an impact so big that it can change our destiny.


Nuntheless (2000)

If a picture paints a thousand words, what tale will it tell?

Paintings by some of the most influential 20th-century artists have inspired a collection of new plays and a new musical created by a group of young Singapore playwrights, directors, performers and composers. Collectively called Painted Stories, these new works are presented by ACTION Theatre in conjunction with Singapore Arts Festival 2000.

The whole concept came about because we wanted to explore the process of creating a springboard. Wit

Painted Stories (2000)

Inspired by Night Windows and New York Movies. A young woman confides to a friend her fear of being watched, by unseen eyes outside her window. Even as her fears are dismissed and her neuroses amplified by strange sounds outside the window, she finds that her only protection lies with Matilda, her pocket handgun.


Waltzing Matilda (2000)

Inspired by Hotel Room, Summer Evening, Ink Drawing, New York Movies, 13 Houses, Room in New York, Nighthawks and Sun In An Empty Room. A whirlwind tour of Edward Hopper's marriage to Josephine, as told by a not-so-reverent Narrator, via Hopper's own paintings and sketches. This brings us through the early courtship days to the wedding, to the post-honey-moon period, periods of alienation and distance, to both of their deaths, within 10 months of each other.


Hopper's Woman (2000)

Inspired by Andy Warhol's 25 Marilyns. Alone at night, Marilyn finds herself barricaded in her room, while strangers wait outside. Will she open the door and face her fate or will she run? Orphan, Actress, Starlet, Slut, Lover all her past and future will collide in 30 minutes of excess emotion. MTV-like in style and pop art in treatment, 500 Marilyns is charged with a generous dose of humour and physical movements.


500 Marilyns (2000)

Inspired by Painter &amp; Model and Reclining Nude. Kirby finds painting not so therapeutic after his almost perfect model, Eve, turns totally restless and wants more fun out of the artist-subject relationship. "Hey, how about some interaction?" she repeatedly requested. The artist finds his lifeline to sanity slowly breaking under the pressure of an untamed tongue... and an unhealed past.


The Art Of Silence (2000)

Inspired by New York Movies and Compartment C. Young Lorna enjoys going to the movies with her only close male friend and neighbour, Uncle Samuel. Childless Uncle Samuel cares for Lorne deeply. She is his angel. One day, Lorna finds herself directly a horror movie in the theatre of Uncle Samuel's mind.


When Are We Going to the Movies? (2000)

Viva Viagra! was first staged in The Room Upstairs at 42 Waterloo Street in November 1999. It was performed as part of The First 42 Theatre Festival where 42 new works and new talents were presented over 42 days.

This first production of the play was directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham and featured the following cast members: Sandy Phillips, Loke Loo Pin, Norlina, Gerald Chew, Juwanda Hassim and Darius Tan. This new production of the play features additional scenes and characters not seen in the first stagin

Viva Viagra! (1999)

Is love where the heart swims? When Jan and Dave meet Swimming Instructor Guan, the three form a quick and unique bond. Jan has little direction in life while Dave is extremely regimented. In life, sometimes we swim, sometimes we float and sometimes we just take a dive. Will Jan learn to swim? Will Dave learn to float? Can Guan teach them something deeper than a few swimming strokes?

The Swimming Instructor premiered at The First 42 Theatre Festival in November 1999 and won an Audience Award for Most Pro

The Swimming Instructor (1999)

Sound Effects

T:>Works (TheatreWorks)

Set in Singapore in the mid-sixties,&nbsp;Beauty World&nbsp;is a musical melodrama about the adventures of a small town girl in the big city. A mysterious jade pendant brings an innocent young girl to a colourful cabaret in Singapore, where she hopes to locate her long-lost father. Along the way, she meets up with her dotty pen-friend, crosses the path of a vindictive cabaret singer, and learns some heartbreaking truths about love and life (not necessarily in that order). Set to an original score, the comed

Beauty World (1998)

Singapore Repertory Theatre

Some little girls have breasts that are too big; some little girls have breasts that are too small; some little girls have breasts that are just right!

Susie is happily married and is currently expecting her first child. Monica, her close friend, is now with an&nbsp;ang-moh&nbsp;lover. However, he is thinking of giving her breast implants as a wedding present. Mei, who is the "third Musketeer", is a doctor whose modern views always seem to be contrary to those of Susie's mother, Mrs Lim - a traditional o

Breastissues (1997)

1917: A baby is abandoned at the steps of Singapore's world-famous Raffles Hotel. A childless English couple finds the crying infant and decides to adopt her. They sail back to England with the child in their arms.&nbsp;

1937: Twenty years have passed. The house of Lim Chin Boon is in turmoil; the Master of the house is dying and has just received a letter from a young lady who could very well be his long-lost granddaughter from his first marriage. Emma West returns to Singapore to look for her family, b

A Twist of Fate (1997)

The plays of William Shakespeare seem to be enjoying a revival of sorts. A spate of movies and theatre productions are going all out to bring his works to the modern audience, convincing them that the Bard isn't just grandiose, archaic literature for intellectuals and students.

With these new adaptations come interesting features such as Romeo and Juliet and Richard III in new historical contexts or Othello with an extra dose of sexual tension. As for the Singapore Repertory Theatre's recent version of H

Hamlet (1997)

Joined at the chest by a mysterious band of flesh at birth, the&nbsp;famed Siamese twins Chang and Eng were destined to spend&nbsp;every moment of their lives together. Despite their handicap,&nbsp;their incredible courage enabled the twins to face their disability&nbsp;and lead normal lives; even fathering 21 children between them!

Their heartwarming and intriguing story will be brought to&nbsp;life in an original new musical that traces the twins’ childhood,&nbsp;marriage and their dreams of living sep

Chang & Eng (1997)

Chorus

One woman refuses to eat. She becomes the chosen one – to lead the women, the people, into a new era. She visits Gandhi, Karen Carpenter and Mother Theresa on a little island called Paradise. Hordes of women follow her – women who heal and perform miracles. The women have a glimpse of utopia in the Land of Women. They become a nation unto themselves – a nation of hungry ghosts. They are hunted by a man with a syringe – by the establishment.Inspired by the Ming Dynasty classic, Jing Hua Yuan, and the Holocau

Destinies of Flowers in the Mirror (1997)

One in four Singaporean men has never been kissed. Meet our very own cripplingly shy men as they unleash their fear of the female sex, their insecurities and self-loathing.


Blush (1997)

Where do Singapore men go these days after hours? Well, some can be found at Crazy House ogling at you know what... What do they do in there, and what if their mothers show up?


Bottomless Men (1997)

Female of Her World never put men on their cover. Time has changed. The new editor of Singapore's highest-circulating female magazine has given an assignment to a photographer, an art director and a male model. They are to come up with a cover shot of a man every woman desires. Simple enough... until the phones ring.


Shooting The Cover Guy (1997)

"My inspiration for writing Skin was uhm... Skin.

Thinking about it. How it feels. What it does."


Skin (1997)

Recent statistics show that 20% of Singapore women are now willing to marry down. The news excites a man so much he turns up at Drama Centre during the performance of Confessions of 300 Unmarried Men. His goal? Meet lots of cultured women all at once and ask them to marry him. There should at least be one of them out there for Ah Seng, right?


Who Wants To Marry Ah Seng? (1997)

Three old pals meet every Sunday at a Tiong Bahru coffee shop to chat and let their birds sing. But this is no ordinary Sunday. One of their birds has decided to sing no longer...


My Bird Can Sing Louder Than Your Bird (1997)

"You look like Maggie Cheung. You really do." Pick-up lines can be so beautiful - if only they're uttered by Tony Leungs. What's harder? Picking up, breaking up or making up?


Picking Up | Breaking Up | Making Up (1997)

True-life confessions culled from ACTION Theatre's internet poll of unmarried men (www.ews.com/umarried). Bare. Naked. Uncensored.


Because... (1997)

A death in the family, and a phone call from Grace, propel Ellen Toh, a strong-willed thirty-something lawyer, back into the midst of emotional complications she thought she had escaped many years ago. The bonds of family reel us in, wrap us up in knots, and sometimes repel us. They push us in directions that we cannot always control — a story that exists within all families. Two distinctly different women are brought together by love, hope, and tragedy.

Wills & Secession (1995)

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Tan Lay Hoon

WORKS DOCUMENTED IN THE ARCHIVE

Tan Lay Hoon

WORKS DOCUMENTED IN THE ARCHIVE

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