Made in Singapore

In a bid to be more than the standard London expat living in Singapore (only talking to other English people and only eating in Italian and American restaurants) this Friday I booked tickets for myself and Nick to go and watch a new locally written, produced and directed play called“Rising Son”.

            It’s part of a “Made in Singapore” initiative to fuel local talent, and as such, it was being shown at a small, slightly hidden theatre in Robinson Quay, rather than the big, shiny hotel theatres where the ex-West End productions tour. Based on these facts, expectations were fairly low, but I was excited to go to the theatre again for the first time in months, and I was intrigued to see how they would present a story of the Japanese occupation without making it too gory or cliché.

            We started the night with a glass of two of chilled red wine and French cheese, prime example of the “bad expat” behaviour that I am going to try and stamp out, or at least significantly reduce. During our very European dinner, I discovered that Nick had never tried my new favourite Bak Kuh Teh (meat bone tea) dish, and that he has no intention of ever trying it! When it comes to hawker food apparently the local chicken and rice standard is as far as he’s willing to take it. I see a new foodie project opening up for me – fantastic!

            The theatre, once we reached it, was actually very modern and although the leg spaces between the rows of seating clearly suggested that full sized white guests were not entirely expected (poor Nick) even quite near the back we had a great view of the stage. The theatre was also filled to the brim with school trips and groups – I assume that local, historical (and fairly cheap) theatre is great for educational trips, and they were most definitely making the most of it. Whilst the groups were loud and a bit annoying before the performance got started, once things got underway their overly vocal reactions to dramatic elements of the storyline were so funny that they more than made up for it!

            The play was about a Japanese solider during the occupation, living next door to a family of teenagers with whom he sets up an unusual relationship, with the negative undertones of his role in the war shaping their interaction and friendships.  With a cast of three, who were all on the stage at all times, the simple set and design made for a really high impact yet super simple performance.

            Our expectations were definitely too low when we walked into the theatre, as it was a really rather impressive production. Thankfully! This success story means that I get at least one more chance to drag Nick along to another slightly random local production. Let planning commence!