Ep 3: “Working a Total Theatre” feat. Lucilla Teoh
About
What was it like to work as a production and stage manager in theatre during the 1980s?
Host Serene Chen chats with arts manager and multiple-hat-wearer Lucilla Teoh about working as an arts manager during the growing years of Theatreworks, now known as T:>works – one of Singapore’s most prominent theatre companies.
She shares memories of working with other arts managers and practitioners to enable the company’s innovative approach to developing a professional local theatre ecosystem, which included the concept of “Total Theatre”: theatre as a holistic, immersive and multi-sensorial experience.
She also discusses the company’s dedication to developing local Singaporean works through programmes such as the Retrospective of Singapore Plays and the Writers’ Lab. Collaborations with regional arts companies, such as Five Arts Centre in Malaysia, also make cameos within this conversation.
Listen out for Lucilla’s recollections of spooky encounters during the company’s residence at Fort Canning Hill!
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[00:01:07] ACT 3 International: Act 3 International is a Theatre company founded in 1984; rebranded as ACT 3 International in 1994, when its mission became more directed towards offering programmes for children and nurturing a love of the arts in young people.
[00:01:10] HI! Theatre of the Deaf: HI! Theatre, Singapore’s theatre of the deaf, was founded by Roger Jenkins in 1986, with the aim to further the interests of the hearing-impaired performers and craftsmen, giving the disabled a voice of their own.
[00:01:13] Asian Theatre Research Circus: 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.
[00:01:17] Teater Ekamatra: Teater Ekamatra is a non-profit local ethnic minority theatre company established in 1988, helmed by award-winning director and performer Mohd Fared Jainal. It was founded by playwright, dramatist and director Lut Ali and his wife Rubie Lazim in 1988 to develop contemporary experimental Malay theatre.
[00:03:27] Shell: Shell is an international energy company that aims to meet the world’s growing need for more and cleaner energy solutions in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially responsible.
[00:04:13] Bukom: one of Singapore’s offshore islands located southwest of the mainland, housing a Shell oil refinery since 1897.
[00:04:50] Varsity Playhouse: University theatre group in National University of Singapore.
[00:06:42] Drama Centre: Performing arts venue that used to be located at Fort Canning Park, presently situated within the National Library.
[00:34:58] 12 Storeys: award-winning Singaporean feature film written and directed by Eric Khoo, released in 1997.
[00:47:36] Five Arts Centre: a collective of Malaysian artists, activists, and producers, founded in 1984 by theatre directors Chin San Sooi and Krishen Jit, dancer-choreographer Marion D’Cruz, writer K.S. Maniam and visual artist Redza Piyadasa. It is known for creating experimental, interdisciplinary and intercultural work across theatre, dance, music, and young people’s theatre, incorporating aspects of visual and digital arts.
[00:47:59] Three Children: play written by Malaysian playwright Leow Puay Tin in 1985, first staged on 1 September 1987 at the Shell Theatrette. The first production was performed by the Malaysian theatre collective Shell KL Drama Group, directed by Chin San Sooi from Malaysian theatre company Five Arts Centre. In 1988, Five Arts Centre co-founder and director Krishen Jit met with Theatreworks director Ong Keng Sen to embark on a collaborative staging of the play between the two companies. The revised and re-written production of Three Children was co-directed by Ong and Krishen, and premiered on 11 November 1988 at the Drama Centre. In 1992, the play toured Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
[00:48:40] The Necessary Stage: a non-profit theatre company established in 1987. It is helmed by Cultural Medallion recipients Artistic Director and Founder Alvin Tan and Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma.
[00:49:55] Pangdemonium: Singaporean theatre company founded in 2010 by actor Adrian Pang and director Tracy Pang
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[00:01:34] T:>Works: T:>Works is an independent, non-profit Singaporean theatre company established first as TheatreWorks in 1985, and later re-established as T:>Works in 2020. It is currently led by Artistic Director, Dr. Ong Keng Sen. It supports Singapore artists, and articulates the Singapore arts through its various productions and developmental programmes.
[00:02:02] The Retrospective: A Festival Of Singapore Plays 1960 – 1990: A festival of Singapore plays from the years 1960 to 1990, Retrospective is held in recognition of the playwright’s role in the national dramatic fabric. The seven plays chosen for the festival trace the developing consciousness of Singaporeans. The reinterpretation of these seven plays by their respective directors in their search for contemporary themes is of special interest. The festival also represents the beginning of TheatreWorks’ overall focus on the playwright in the 90s. It heralds the beginning of the Writer’s Laboratory in 1991.
[00:02:05] The Writers’ Lab: Conceived by Artistic Director Ong Keng Sen in 1990, the Writers’ Lab has been pioneering in encouraging and developing Singapore playwriting with its carried as well as far-reaching programmes. The Writers’ Lab aims to provide exceptional first-time and emerging playwrights with opportunities to hone their creative writing skills through an incubating environment. The company has produced five anthologies of writings by Writers’ Lab alumnae. The publications serve as a resource for those interested in staging Singaporean plays, and those looking beyond standard texts.
[00:02:07] 24-Hour Playwriting Competition: Initiated as part of the Writers’ Lab, the 24-Hour Playwriting Competition is a platform for TheatreWorks to discover potential playwrights. One of the winners will have their play developed into a full production by theatre professionals.
[00:06:08] Dreamkeepers: Avenue of Dream and Second Chance: production co-presented by Theatreworks and the Drama Centre under the Semi-Residential-in-Theatre Scheme in November 1987. Directed by Ong Keng Sen, it featured two playlets, Avenue of Dream and Second Chance.
[00:07:20] Beauty World: musical comedy featuring an original score of ten songs by songwriter Dick Lee, script by playwright Michael Chiang. It was featured as a special production for the Singapore Arts Festival 1988. It was the first mainstage Singaporean musical, and the most successful musical ever written in Singapore.
[00:07:58] Ivy Chan Poh Choo: Character in musical comedy Beauty World.
[00:12:38] Theatre Carnival on the Hill: a festival featuring new playwriting which ran from 15 to 26 April 1992. It was conceived as a ‘people festival’ based on the carnival concept, designed for new audiences to be introduced to youthful, exuberant theatre. The festival also hosted other theatre and arts groups with different backgrounds, such as bands and visual arts outfits.
[00:13:39] Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral: play written by Kuo Pao Kun and directed by Ong Keng Sen which premiered at the Victoria Theatre as part of the Festival of Asian Performing Arts 1995.
[00:17:08] Be My Sushi Tonight: play adapted from Goose Pimples, the English black comedy by Mike Leigh about the steamier side of human nature. Directed by Lim Siauw Chong, it ran from 25 to 28 April 1985 at the World Trade Centre Auditorium, and travelled to Malaysia for the 1st Kuala Lumpur Arts Festival.
[00:37:02] M Butterfly: play written by American playwright David Hwang and staged by Theatreworks for the Singapore Arts Festival 1990, starring Ivan Heng and David Foster and directed by Krishen Jit.
[00:51:16] Mad Forest: play written by Caryl Churchill, staged by Theatreworks in 1991 in The Black Box, under the direction of Ong Keng Sen.
[00:51:21] Madame Mao’s Memories: play written by Henry Ong and staged by Theatreworks in 1992 in The Black Box, under the direction of Ong Keng Sen.
[00:51:25] Trip to the South: play written by Tony Perez and staged by Theatreworks in 1991 in The Black Box, under the direction of Nono Padilla.
[00:52:40] Mimi Fan: play originally written by Chor Pee Lim, first staged by the Experimental Theatre Club in 1962, and staged by Theatreworks as part of its Retrospective Festival of Singapore Plays in 1990.
[00:52:49] The Moon is Less Bright: play originally written in 1963 by acclaimed playwright Goh Poh Seng, and staged by Theatreworks as part of its Retrospective Festival of Singapore Plays in 1990.
[01:05:47] Mixed Signals: play written by Michael Chiang and staged by Theatreworks in 1989 in the World Trade Centre Auditorium, under the direction of Ivan Heng.
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[00:01:43] Lim Kay Tong: A journalist with The Straits Times before resigning in 1985 to set up TheatreWorks. He has acted as the lead in many of TheatreWorks’s notable productions such as The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate "S" Machine and Diaspora. He has also appeared in several Singaporean, British and American films and commercials. Lim holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) degree in theatre from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. He was a member of TheatreWorks’s board of directors.
[00:01:44] Justin Hill: Formerly from Australia, Hill came to Singapore to work as an architect in 1981. He was the set designer for many of TheatreWorks’s productions such as Be My Sushi Tonight, Global Soul, Desdemona and Lear. Hill was nominated for the Best Set Design award for Global Soul at the 4th Life! Theatre Awards in 2004. He was a member of TheatreWorks’s board of directors.
[00:01:46] Lim Siauw Chong: TheatreWorks’ first artistic director and has directed many outstanding works for the company such as Be My Sushi Tonight and Army Daze. He had his first taste of fame in 1976 when he won the Radio Television Singapura (RTS) Talentime competition as part of a group that included his sister and singer Jacintha Abisheganaden. A graduate of the London International Film School, Lim set up TheatreWorks in 1985 and subsequently left to join the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC, now MediaCorp) as a television producer. He set up WOW International, a theatre and events company, in 1992, and thereafter obtained a diploma in painting from the LASALLE College of the Arts, and a degree in journalism and media studies from Queensland University. He was a member of TheatreWorks’s board of directors.
[00:03:26] Lam Pin Foo: Shell’s Public Affairs Manager in 1985.
[00:04:32] Krishen Jit: renowned Malaysian playwright, director, critic and author who co-founded interdisciplinary arts collective Five Arts Centre with director Chin San Sooi, dancer-choreographer Marion D’Cruz, writer K.S. Maniam, and visual artist Redza Piyadasa.
[00:04:47] Ong Keng Sen: The current Artistic Director of T:>Works. He is an artist-curator and a scholar of performance. His approach to traditional arts of Asia in contemporary arts is grounded in his studies of transcultural performance with the Performance Studies Department at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, where he graduated with a Ph.D. in 2019.
[00:05:46] Nora Samosir: Singaporean actor who performed in productions such as Bumboat! (1984) and Trojan Women (1991).
[00:05:47] Christine Lim: a Singaporean stage and film director who worked on plays such as Army Daze (1996).
[00:05:48] Lim Kay Siu: A Singaporean character actor who has appeared in several Asian films, notably TV films since the 1980s.
[00:05:50] Neo Swee Lin: A Singaporean actress who has appeared in several Asian films and theatres, notably Three Children (1987) and M Butterfly (1989).
[00:07:15] Teo Swee Leng: co-director of Asia-in-Theatre Research Circus with William Teo. She also worked with the Singapore International Film Festival for twenty editions since its founding in 1987.
[00:07:26] Dick Lee: A singer-songwriter whose pioneering use of Asian elements in his pop compositions earned him regional acclaim.
[00:07:27] Michael Chiang: A playwright and writer who pens comedies and musicals with a distinct Singapore flavour. He is best known for iconic stage works Army Daze and Beauty World, which were both adapted into screenplays for film and television respectively.
[00:14:02] Michele Lim: A lawyer-turned-arts manager, who worked with Theatreworks in the 1990s.
[00:17:28] Goh Eck Kheng: designer, co-founder of Theatreworks, and founder of Landmark Books, a Singaporean publishing house.
[00:18:25] William Teo: Singaporean theatre practitioner widely lauded as a pioneer of contemporary Singapore English-Language theatre. Teo founded Asia-in-Theatre Research Circus (ATRC) in 1987. ATRC was known for experimenting with intercultural theatre, unconventional performance spaces, and its interest in the ‘spirituality’ of theatre.
[00:20:20] Jacintha Abisheganathan: Singaporean singer, actor, theatre practitioner who was a founding member of Theatreworks in 1986.
[00:25:55] Dana Lam: Singaporean visual artist, writer, performer and theatre practitioner.
[00:31:10] Jeremiah Choy: Singaporean actor, writer, director and choreographer.
[00:37:22] Ivan Heng: renowned Singaporean actor, director and founder of theatre company Wild Rice in 2000.
[00:38:30] Kitty Barkley: former theatre practitioner who performed in productions such as Bumboat! (1984) and Theatreworks stagings such as Trojan Women (1991) and M Butterfly (1990).
[00:42:32] Tan Lay Hoon: former stage and production manager for Theatreworks who worked on productions through the 1990s such as The Yang Family (1996) and the 10th anniversary production of Beauty World in 1998.
[00:47:38] Marion D’Cruz: Malaysian dancer and choreographer who founded interdisciplinary arts collective Five Arts Centre with theatre directors Krishen Jit and Chin San Sooi, writer K.S. Maniam, and visual artist Redza Piyadasa.
[00:48:07] Leow Puay Tin: A Malaysian playwright, who wrote The Yang Family (1996) and Three Children (1997).
[00:48:27] Kuo Pao Kun: A playwright, theatre director, and arts activist in Singapore who wrote and directed both Mandarin and English plays. He founded three arts and drama centres in Singapore, conducted and organised a number of drama seminars and workshops, and mentored Singaporean and foreign directors and artists. He is also the co-founder of Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) and The Substation.
[00:49:52] Tracy Pang: A theatre director who co-founded Singaporean theatre company Pangdemonium with actor Adrian Pang in 2010.
[00:49:58] Kaylene Tan: A multidisciplinary artist, writer and director of performance company spell#7.
[00:51:38] Tony Perez: Filipino playwright, novelist and visual artist.
[00:55:44] Theresa Tan: A Singaporean playwright known for Dirty Laundry (1995).
[00:55:54] Robin Loon: A Singaporean playwright and dramaturg. Together with Casey Lim, Chiu Chien Seen and Michele Lim, he set up Centre 42 in partnership with the National Arts Council in 2014. Robin is currently a founding member of Centre 42.
[00:58:49] Eric Khoo: A Singaporean filmmaker, producer and artist known for directing acclaimed movies such as Mee Pok Man (1995) and 12 Storeys (1997).
[00:59:27] Lim Yu Beng: A Singaporean actor and an early member of the Theatreworks team.
About our Speakers
Serene Chen is a bilingual actress, host, voice artist and lecturer. She spent the first 3 years of her professional career as an Producer-Presenter in Singapore’s first arts radio station, Passion 99.5FM.
Lucilla Teoh is a teacher, arts manager and multiple-hat-wearer. During the 1980s, she worked in different capacities as an arts manager with Theatreworks, including being a production manager and stage manager. Lucilla is also known for her role as an actress in 12 Storeys (1997) as well as her contributions to the White Paper that resulted in the formation of the Singapore Film Commission (SFC).