Diva's Interview with Actor Benjamin Chow about SRT's Tuesdays With Morrie

Actor Benjamin Chow has landed roles in several local theatre productions like “Forbidden City: Portrait of an Emperor”, “RENT” the musical and “Peter and the Starcatcher”, but the one that really caught Red Dot Diva's eye was his take as Lim Chin Siong in “The LKY Musical”. His performance of the leftwing politician was fiery, powerful and as charismatic as the actual man himself. Benjamin has received Best Supporting Actor at the Life! Theatre Awards twice - one for “The LKY Musical” and the other as Prince Tun in “Forbidden City: Portrait of an Emperor”.

He is currently performing as Mitch Albom in SRT's production of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, a play that marks the theatre company's return to live audience performances after several months of closure due to COVID-19. Remesh Panicker takes on the role as Morrie Schwartz in this two-man play.

It was nice to be able to grab a few minutes of Benjamin's time to ask how he had coped during Circuit Breaker and discuss a little bit more about his role in TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE.

Red Dot Diva: Hi Benjamin. I have been a fan of your work and have enjoyed your performances in several theatre productions. This year has been really tough for so many of us, with the arts community being heavily impacted by the curb on most social interactions. In both good and bad ways, the pandemic exposed a lot of underlying issues within ourselves, with our family members, in the workplace, and revealed socio-economic issues amongst several other things. How did you fare during these unprecedented times, especially during the Circuit Breaker?
Benjamin: I’m sure all of us feel like we’ve lost the year! My personal struggle was mostly over how to pay rent. When lockdown started to take effect, I lost pretty much all my shows, so I went to work at Fairprice for most of the middle of the year. I figured why not lean into what was undoubtedly an essential service! I’m just grateful that we as a country have been able to handle this crisis considerably well, so much so that I’m now able to find work in the arts once again! It’s really a blessing and a privilege.

Diva's Review of SRT's TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE - Moving, Humourous, and A Wonderful Reminder To Live Fully

After months of closure due to COVID-19, it was such a joy to see Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) open its doors again for the production of TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE.

The play is based on Mitch Albom's best selling book of the same name, which consists of a series of recorded conversations of Albom's old sociology professor who was terminally ill with Lou Gehrig's disease. The book, that has inspired so many readers, explores the meaning about life and death. Just like Albom's memoir, SRT's staging of this play is like a metaphor for the near-death of the local arts scene for several months due to the Circuit Breaker, and the now hopeful revival of live performances as some restrictions were lifted.

Mitch Albom, a well-known sports journalist in Detroit, was at the prime of his career. You know the old Hokkien song “Ai Piah Jia Eh Yia” (fighting/ struggling to win) that is heartily belted out at karaoke sessions? It is a battle cry to persist and win the fight, but it is also somewhat a tribute to Singapore-style kiasu-ness. And Mitch was kiasu alright. He was all about getting to the top and staying at the top, till he had forgotten how to really live.

After Mitch re-connects with his dying mentor Morrie Schwartz, and visits him every Tuesday, he begins to realise that everyone's number of days in this mortal plane is finite. He learned that we owe it to ourselves to have a happy life, to accept the things we cannot change, and to make things right with the people we love dearly. As the bond deepens between the two, Mitch also realises that it is OK for men to cry and to feel, and not to be afraid to be ‘touchy-feely’.

Benjamin Chow (The LKY Musical) as ambitious Mitch Albom was frenetic on stage, scurrying around with the need to fill one's life with "busyness". His take on Albom was so easily relatable because you know who they are. You have seen the same manic urgency in your bosses, fathers, husbands and friends. As the main narrator of the play, it was also lovely to listen to Benjamin's clear diction and emotive voice.

The tougher role definitely went to veteran actor Remesh Panicker (Romeo & Juliet, Merchant of Venice) who played the wise Morrie Schwartz. As the disease worsens, Schwartz's use of his limbs became limited, but Remesh skilfully conveyed the man's sadness, wittiness, and love through his voice and facial expressions. His performance was so moving, that by the time the play was ending, you would be grabbing for your tissues.

Generally, the way that the play was written falls flat at some points. However, the two actors emotional conviction and chemistry made up for that. Some of the feel-good platitudes and life lessons from Morrie tend to sound trite. As a cynic, Red Dot Diva would usually feel this way too. However, during these unusual times, she felt that it is worthwhile to be reminded about what is important in one's life and re-calibrate one's priorities.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, directed by Samantha-Scott Blackhall, is currently playing at SRT's KC Arts Centre till 6 December. The theatre has been re-arranged with a cozy cafe-style setting, for social distancing.

Tickets are almost already sold out! So, if you are keen to catch this play, better buy those tickets from SISTIC now.

SRT Returns To The Stage In November With Tuesdays With Morrie

Hooray!!! Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) is the first theatre company returning to a live production on stage in November with Mitch Albom's TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE!

Live performances came to a halt since the Circuit Breaker in April this year, and those working in the artistic fields faced a challenging 7 months when gatherings were strictly limited. Luckily, the number of COVID-19 cases in Red Dot Island have been decreasing. Some safety restrictions have also been eased recently, allowing small scale performances of up to 50 attendees.

“I’m so excited about this production for so many reasons. A fantastic script based on a book I love brought to life by a wonderful cast and creative team. Even though we may only have 50 people a night watching which is completely unviable financially, it is our passion and dedication to keeping theatre alive that has fuelled our desire to plough ahead,” said Charlotte Nors, SRT’s Managing Director.

Singapore Repertory Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park: Julius Caesar - A Fascinating, Modern Take on an Old Tale

The weather was sticky and muggy last Sunday evening, but Red Dot Diva felt happy to be back in Fort Canning Park for an evening of theatre accompanied by a enjoyable picnic on the lawn. She was there to indulge in one of the biggest Shakespeare in the Park productions in the region - Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT)'s adaptation of Julius Caesar. The production also part of SRT's 25th Anniversary celebrations.

In 2017, SRT called off the beloved annual Shakespeare in the Park due to funding issues, as they saw large sponsors depart and production costs rise. However, with backing from loyal corporate sponsors as well as support and crowdfunding from an ardent group of theatre lovers, the outdoor production is back in its usual venue, with a huge impressive set!

Right after entering Fort Canning's Gothic Gates, attendees were invited to climb up the stairs from backstage and to walk around the modern, "concrete-and-glass" looking Roman Piazza set. A semi-circular structure held an audio-visual display, and flags of the seven "nations" of the R.O.M.E. alliance marked the stage where the Shakespearean tragedy will later unfold. Standing up on stage with ushers who were dressed the part as government officials, Red Dot Diva felt as if she has already become part of the story.

Welcome to R.O.M.E. - where I expect to rule with a glittery 💫 🌟 💫 Diva fist. #SRTJuliusCaesar #SRT #ShakespeareinthePark #Shakespeare #JuliusCaesar #theatre #Sgtheatre @singaporerepertorytheatre

A post shared by Red Dot Diva (@reddotdiva) on May 6, 2018 at 3:43am PDT

SRT's Shakespeare in the Park : Julius Caesar - Diva's Interview with Director, Guy Unsworth

Freelance director Guy Unsworth is currently back here working on another Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) production - the upcoming performance of Shakespeare in the Park : Julius Caesar.

Last year, he directed the dark comedy SRTs "Hand of God", which scored positive reviews from critics and audiences. His recent works include an acclaimed UK tour of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and his own adaptation of "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em".

Even though he is busy getting the play ready for the 2 May launch date, Red Dot Diva managed to grab a few minutes of his time for an interview:

Red Dot Diva: How did you get involved with SRT's Shakespeare in the Park: Julius Caesar? 
Guy Unsworth: I was introduced to Gaurav Kripalani and Juliet Chia back in 2016 and since then we’ve been talking about the exciting potential of Julius Caesar. I came to Singapore last year to stage Hand to God, and since then have been working solidly on this production.

RDD: What is it like adapting the play for Singapore audiences?
Guy: It’s a fun challenge. I was very keen to find a contemporary equivalent that would work in the international community of Singapore. There’s a lot of talk about Rome and Romans in the play, but specifically the honour, history and responsibility that that identity carries. The big question for me to answer therefore was ‘What is the equivalent of Rome today?’. More than just a literal place, 'Rome' is an identity, it’s a community, and a title which binds these people together. It then struck me that intergovernmental organisations like NATO, the UN, G7, G20 etc. carry stakes on a much more global scale. They require their members to work as a team, but inevitably alliances form and factions are made. And where better to have lots of different nationalities coming together than Singapore? So it seemed a perfect fit to set this at a R.O.M.E. summit.

I was also excited by the age range of the Singapore audiences and I want the show to reach out to younger audience members. When I was a teenager I found Shakespeare very difficult to get my head into, so whenever I direct it, I'm very keen to bear my younger self in mind. It's going to be pretty fast and furious, and there are lots of theatrical surprises along the way. I want to make something which my teenage self would have enjoyed.

SRT's Shakespeare in the Park : Julius Caesar - Diva's Interview with Actor, Julie Wee

In Shakespeare's historical and political thriller "Julius Caesar", one could argue that the senator Caius Cassius is more of a baddie than the titular character. After all, the politician was the main instigator of the plot to kill Caesar.

Starting 2 May 2018 at Fort Canning Park, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) will be presenting Shakespeare in the Park -"Julius Caesar", set in modern times. Two key characters in the play has been cast as females. Well-known actress Jo Kukathas takes up the lead role of Caesar, while Julie Wee - a familiar face for local viewers, having been on Mediacorp 5 TV series like "Moulmein High" and "Light Years" - will be playing the manipulative and politically savvy Cassius.

Julie is no stranger to SRT's Shakespeare in the Park productions either. She has acted as Portia in "The Merchant of Venice", Miranda in "The Tempest", Hero in "Much Ado About Nothing" and Bianca in "Othello". "Julius Caesar" will be her 5th Shakespeare in the Park role!

To get some dibs about Julie's role in "Julius Caesar", Red Dot Diva got in touch with her for a mini interview.

Red Dot Diva: Hi, Julie! It’s just a couple of weeks away from the first day of SRT’s Shakespeare in the Park: Julius Caesar. How excited are you to be finally on stage with a live audience? 
Julie Wee: Very excited! The audience is the missing character in rehearsals, so it's always such a relief to finally have them with us to share the story.

SRT's Shakespeare In the Park Returns in May 2018 with Julius Caesar

In 2017, something was sorely missing in the local theatre scene. Due to the lack of funds, Singapore Repertory Theatre's (SRT) Shakespeare in the Park was cancelled.

The large-scale production held at the historical Fort Canning Park has never failed to provide memorable moments from the Bard's plays, including A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, and the Tempest. Red Dot Diva has attended all of them, except for the first one, Hamlet.

Being part of Shakespeare in the Park is a wonderful and magical experience. When you are sitting out on the lawn and enjoying a picnic under the stars, one is easily enraptured by SRT's brilliant performance of Shakespearean stories that have stood the test of time.

Despite the financial obstacles, SRT was undeterred. Last year, the theatre company started a crowdfunding campaign for the next Shakespeare in the Park. Thanks to several generous supporters, SRT has enough funds to kick off the production, and Shakespeare in the Park will be BACK in May 2018! *punches fist in air!*

SRT's "Forbidden City: Portrait of An Empress" 2017: Diva's Interview with Costume Designer Yang DeRong

A musical extravaganza about the life of Empress Dowager Cixi, "Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress" will return to the stage for the 4th time at the Esplanade beginning 8 August 2017.

The SRT production, developed by Stephen Clark, Dick Lee and Steve Dexter, was first staged in 2002 as part of the Esplanade's opening. Since then, the play has another two sold out shows in 2003 and 2006. The star of the show, Kit Chan, will return in the main role of Cixi for the 2017 production.

With an epic spanning over decades, "Forbidden City" is a large set with several period costumes hailing from the last dynasty in China. This is a huge undertaking for any costume designer, and that's where talented local designer Yang DeRong comes in to the picture.

Veteran fashion designer Yang DeRong spent several years abroad working with names like Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and fashion group Esprit. He is now back home and has been involved in many high profile international and government projects, including being SG50 NDP Art Director and Costume Designer.

Yang loves the theatre, and his craft has been seen in productions like Theatreworks "The Elephant Man" (1987), SRT's "The Dresser", NUS Cultural Centre's "Man of Letters" and "Beauty World" (2016) by Singapore Street Festival.

He was also designer for SRT's previous run of "Forbidden City" in 2003, and will return to work on this year's production.

SRT's Musical "Treasure Island" Is A Delight, Especially for Families

The Singapore Repertory Theatre's (SRT) year-end play "Treasure Island" is not the scary sort with pillaging pirates running amok committing bloody murders on board a schooner. Rather, this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson famous book by SRT's The Little Company is a delightful, G-rated musical that will appeal to children young and old, as well as most adults, and makes for 1.5 hours of fun family time.

The musical follows quite closely to the novel except for one main twist to the storyline - Jim Hawkins (Ann Lek) has been genderbent to an adventure-loving 13-year-old girl who works at the Bentbow Inn. With Jim stumbling upon a map owned by the late Captain Flint (and the scariest pirate that has ever lived), she sets sail on an adventure to a Caribbean island together with a crew led by Captain Smollett (Erwin Shah Ismail) and Squire Trelawney (Tan Shou Chen).

Unfortunately, on board as well is Long John Silver (Dwayne Lau) who pretends to be friends with Ann Lek while plotting a mutiny together with his comrades Hands (Kimberley Chan) and O'Brien (Michell Lagos), so that they can get their greedy hands on the treasure map.

SRT's Shakespeare in the Park 2015: "The Tempest" Raises A Moderate Squall

It rained a couple of hours before showtime when Red Dot Diva attended SRT's Shakespeare in the Park last year (the play was The Merchant of Venice). As fate has it, the weather did a repeat performance again on this year's Labour Day show for "The Tempest".

(Click here to read a previous article on SRT's "The Tempest".)

The dark clouds refused to disperse even after the gates opened at about 6:40PM. As the streaming crowd settled their mats on the lawn, it continued to drizzle. At one point, the rain got heavier, and umbrellas began popping up around the field like colourful mushrooms. Yet, the crowd, hopefuly and undeterred huddling beneath their shade or ponchos, was hopeful that the show will go on.

And it did. It was a sold-out performance that night, and SRT was determined to have the show go on. Luckily, after a short prayer to the weather angels, the rain showed signs of subsiding, with the sky even offering a rainbow tribute. The open-air stage was then promptly wiped and mopped up to get ready for the performance.

SRT's Shakespeare In The Park 2015 is "The Tempest"

The Shakespeare in the Park at Fort Canning is becoming a mid-year outdoor tradition for most local drama fans.

The annual production has been successfully presented to theatre goers by leading company Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) for the last number of years. The lavishly produced Shakespearean plays performed have included "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Hamlet", "Much Ado About Nothing", "Macbeth", "The Twelfth Night", "Othello" and "The Merchant of Venice".

This year, "The Tempest" (the 8th Shakespeare in the Park production by SRT) will take centrestage at Fort Canning. "The Tempest" is said to be Shakespeare's last play and one of two plays where the plot is entirely original.

Theatre Review: "Mies Julie" Brings The Heat With A Fiery Performance about Race and Gender

The relentless sense of sweat-inducing heat of the semi-desert region of Karoo in South Africa, was felt right from the start as the play "Mies Julie" kicked off at DBS Art Centre

On stage, which was set as a farmhouse during Freedom Day, the very capable actors of the South African State Theatre played out the intense, erotic and ultimately tragic tale about a young white mistress and her affair with her African black male servant, John.

The classic play about the battle about power and control by Swedish playwright August Strindberg had now been spiritually rebirthed in another time and space. This version makes all the swirling emotions of the story even more relevant and illuminating, as writer-director Yael Farber brings it very close to heart and home by setting it in South Africa, when apartheid ended a mere 20 years ago.

SRT's "Rising Son" Is Made In Singapore - An Interview with Dick Lee

This year, the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) has announced a run of locally-made plays in their "Made In Singapore" production series - "A Wedding, A Funeral & Lucky, The Fish" (Dora Tan), "Stand Behind The Yellow Line - Garisan Kuning" (Michelle Tan), and "Rising Son" (Dick Lee).

"Rising Son" is written by well-known performer and composer Dick Lee, who also happens to be SRT's Associate Artistic Director. Unlike his other more familiar works in theatre, which were musicals like "Beauty World" and "Snow.Wolf.Lake", "Rising Son" is part 1 of an epic drama about set against the backdrop of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore during World War II.

The story spans the period of 1941 to 1945, and follows the story of a young ambulance orderly Sunny (Tan Shou Chen), and his younger sister Ruby (Seong Hui Xuan), and their lives and relationships during these horrific times.

To find out more about this new local production, Red Dot Diva posed "Rising Son" 's playright, Dick Lee, a few nosy questions:

Shakespeare in the Park 2013: Director Bruce Guthrie Shares about the Staging of "Othello"

The historical Fort Canning Park, with its colonial buildings and landmarks, has always been a magical setting for a good Shakespearean play.

This year, the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) has continued its yearly tradition of producing Shakespeare in the Park. And this time, the chosen play is the dark, jealousy-fueled tragedy called "Othello".

With a cast consisting of British actor Daniel Francis as main protagonist Othello, and local-based thespians like Daniel Jenkins and Wendy Kweh, the updated version of the play kicked off its run on 24th April. Apparently, it has already been watched by an audience of over 25,000.

Red Dot Diva has already seen the play, and she cannot deny that the staging was indeed very grand and elaborate. But what she enjoyed most from the play was Daniel Jenkins' portrayal of Iago. The actor had given a wonderfully nuanced performance of a villain without a shred of remorse, which made him even more evil than she ever thought possible.

Director Bruce Guthrie returned to the Red Dot Island this year for the epic production of "Othello". He had also helmed the previous year's light-hearted romantic comedy "Twelfth Night" - which boasted of a gorgeous set that consisted of a beach, a mansion, a swimming pool and a visual projection of an ocean view.

Red Dot Diva got hold of Bruce Guthrie to share more about himself, and what went on behind the staging of "Othello".

Local Theatre Update - "Richard III", "Equus" and "Dealer's Choice"

Tickets for Shakespeare's "Richard III", starring the fantastic Kevin Spacey, was out for public sales on SISTIC yesterday!

"Richard III" is the final season of The Bridge Project and is being brought to our local shores by the Singapore Repertory Theatre. The play will be staged at the Esplanade Theatre from from17 to 26 November 2011.

The play opened in London at the Old Vic Theatre with rave reviews. Check out the Guardian's article here.

Red Dot Diva urges those who desire to see a powerful performance by Kevin Spacey and the mix of British and American cast members to grab their tickets early. Already tickets for some of the days are almost sold out!

A Bloody "Macbeth" In The Park

It was purely coincidental that Red Dot Diva attended a Shakespearean tragedy on Polling Day, 7th May.

She had after all bought the tickets for Singapore Repertory Theatre's (SRT) version of "Macbeth" months earlier. The play proved to be somewhat foreshadowing with regards to the General Election results, albeit via less violent means.

There is always something magical about watching a Shakespeare play in a Park. "Macbeth" is the fourth outdoor stage production organized by SRT and Red Dot Diva had previously attended two of these ("A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Much Ado About Nothing"). Both performances turned out to be very memorable evenings. So she was awfully excited when she saw the tickets on sale for "Macbeth".

Singapore Date with Kevin Spacey for "Richard III"

Local theatre goers - heads up!

Red Dot Diva previously hinted that Kevin Spacey would be in Singapore later this year for The Bridge Project's final season - Shakespeare's "Richard III". (Check out her blog post here.)

This seems to be shaping up nicely with cast announcements for the play posted on website Broadway World.com just two weeks ago.

The play has also been plugged on Singapore Repertory Theatre's website, with dates listed as November 17-26, 2011.

Other than Hong Kong, Singapore is the only other Asian stop for the production.

Spacey To Be In Singapore?

Wa... Wut? WUT!!?

The theatre geek in Red Dot Diva is positively Squee-ing.

Last year, it was announced that Oscar-award winning veteran actor Kevin Spacey will be starring in the titular role in William Shakespeare's "Richard III".

Mr Spacey - who was last seen hob-nobbing with his co-stars and director of indie movie "Margin Call" at the Sundance Festival - is the Artistic Director of The Old Vic. He is involved in the Bridge Project together with friend and well-known director, Sam Mendes. In fact, Sam will be the director for the Shakespearean play.

Local Theatre News

New local theatre production company Pangdemonium! Productions kicked off to a successful start with "The Full Monty" this year.

As a follow-up, Pangdemonium will be offering more nudity with the dark psycho-drama play by Patrick Marber called "Closer". (Red Dot Diva knows that some may already be familiar with the movie version starring Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.) The play is directed by Tracie Pang is about love, lust, obsession, betrayal... All those melodramatic stuff. It stars Adrian Pang, Emma Yong, Keagan Kang and Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie as the four main protagonists.

"Closer" will go on stage at the DBS Arts Centre from 17 February to 6 March 2011. Tickets go on sale on December 1st on SISTIC. Remember to check out the early bird discount!

As Dark As A Blackbird

A tragic tale. A taboo topic. A forbidden love.

This is the premise of the award-winning play by Scottish playright, David Harrower entitled "Blackbird".

After an earlier run for the play was postponed till September this year, Red Dot Diva and her friends have been eagerly waiting to catch the performance at our local theatre. This finally happened at the DBS Art Centre last Thursday.

Staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre and directed by Tracie Pang, the play was helmed by well-known, local-based theatre actors - Emma Yong and Daniel Jenkins.