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What was the neighboorhood where you spent your childhood years like? 
Do you remember the street hawkers in those days, selling your favourite food? 
What sort of stories did you hear about the residents in the area?
How was your dating life like back then?

These were some of the prompts that our four ladies from Theatre for Seniors were provided in preparation for My Childhood Home, an online Zoom improvisation that is part of the Reflections from Home series. 

Over the years, our senior participants have often divulged anecdotes from the past with us, and we wanted to invite them to revisit these wonderfully entertaining tales from their past. My Childhood Home is an invitation to our seniors to deep-dive into their memories of youth, to share their rich stories that are always filled with warmth, scandal, and plenty of laughter. 
 

How do our seniors view the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic? In this improvisation—part of our Reflections from Home series—our four intrepid ladies from Theatre for Seniors shared their thoughts on how different countries have been managing the unprecedented crisis that has impacted the world. 

To begin the process, we asked our seniors to watch a handful of videos, amongst which included late night comedy shows that lampooned world leaders who bungled their national responses to the pandemic, as well as videos of politicians communicating facts about the coronavirus to their constituents. The seniors were also provided with a list of prompts to prepare for the improvisation—what they have been hearing from their friends and family living abroad, their thoughts on how world leaders fared in the crisis, as well as the concerns they have about life after lockdown (when the circuit breaker in Singapore comes to an end on 2 June 2020). 

The resulting improvisation which you will be watching is a candid, humorous and no-holds barred exchange amongst the four senior ladies. 

Following Reflections from Home which featured four members of The Necessary Stage's Theatre for Seniors, Resident Playwright Haresh Sharma invited our senior participants to develop monologues on their thoughts about going green.  

After their video monologues, each of the seniors were assigned a documentary on green issues to watch. These documentaries covered issues as diverse as plastic pollution, food waste, and how the younger generation can teach seniors how to be more environmentally aware. We then regrouped a week later, and explored the participants' group dynamics via an improvisation co-created over Zoom.  

The improvisation included in the playlist of videos is the second take, with the seniors each given a provocation on climate-related issues separately by Alvin, at different times throughout the improvisation. These briefs were created by Haresh, and ranged from issues such as going childfree, solar energy generation, carbon footprints of flights and livestock we consume, and the world they would like to leave behind for future generations. 

The Necessary Stage's (TNS) Artistic Director Alvin Tan invited several members from Theatre for Seniors to create short monologues, sharing their personal responses to COVID-19 and how it has turned their lives around.

After their video-monologues in the first part of Reflections from Home, TNS and the four senior performers excitedly re-grouped to discuss what could be done next. They decided to shift away from monologues towards exploring their group dynamics via an interactive piece co-created over Zoom.

This became an interesting ‘up-skilling’ experience, as the seniors had to learn how to install the application and manoeuvre around its functionalities. Melissa Lim, TNS’ General Manager, orientated them with a Zoom tutorial, and after some initial hiccups — weak wi-fi connections, and differing functions depending on the devices used — the team managed to sort things out and embarked on recording their first online improvisation. 

The improvisation included in the playlist of videos is the second take, with a brief for the seniors to go beyond what their initial brief was, and to discuss about those who are less fortunate and living in Singapore during COVID-19. What did they think of these vulnerable communities and how they are coping? Alvin coached them from the side via Zoom’s chat function, feeding them questions as they improvised. 

 

Biographies of Performers

Daisy Yeo is 69-years-old. She speaks English, Mandarin, Teochew, Hokkien and Cantonese. She has been involved in drama since 2003 and has worked in community outreach plays, skits, puppetry shows, stage performances, television commercials and photoshoots. She has taken on roles on television, movies, telemovies, short films, videos and YouTube. Daisy has performed for different government departments and the National Library Board, and has also collaborated on stage with BUDS, Faithworks , Cake Theatrical Productions, W!LD RICE, Peranakan Siblings, ITE College Central, and Glowers.

Padma Krishnan is 69-years-old. She has been involved in theatre and film for 17 years, and speaks English, Tamil and Malay. After retirement, she found her niche in the performing arts and has been actively enjoying performing on stage. She has a supportive husband who encourages her to continue doing what she enjoys besides cooking. Her retirement years have brought her closer to the people she loves, who share similar passions and life experiences.

Irene Ong is a Peranakan dramatist and restaurateur. She discovered her passion in theatre following her debut in 2002 in a Peranakan play by Gunong Sayang Association. Notably, she was in the televised Ways of The Matriach (2003-2008). Irene joined Theatre for Seniors in 2011 and has not looked back since. These days, she enjoys rehearsals, music, dancing, and working with theatre professionals and like-minded friends. She is enjoying her last lap in life so that in her final days, she can smile and say, “Indeed, I loved life.”

Anne Lee is 72 years old. A retired teacher, she speaks several languages including English, Malay, Mandarin and Teochew. Anne has found her decade in retirement fulfilling, especially the past two years with Theatre for Seniors and Glowers. She has performed with the Flamenco Dancers at the National Library for the Silver Arts Festival and at The Substation. Anne acted in two episodes of Channel 8’s ‘Prank It’ , and has worked in videos, short films and in-house commercials. Anne volunteers with the Children’s Society and is a trained National University of Singapore standardized patient, where she takes on the role of a ‘patient’ for medical students taking exams.

Welcome to the club! Make yourself at home, but this is not your house. Don't forget to tip us! We are your perempuan-perempuan joget (dancing girls) Zubaidah and Rukiah. Do you like our kebaya? Come to our club and we will share with you our stories and songs. Our show is not like other shows. This is a time travel show. We will bring you to the past—during the heyday of the 1960s—and to the future. You want to dance? Later we can dance. First, sit down. And enjoy the ride.

Directed by Alvin Tan, and performed by Aidli Mosbit and Siti Khalijah Zainal, Kebaya Homies is a delightful musical romp weaving through Malay history and culture, told through the elegant yet coy kebaya. The script by Haresh Sharma also includes scenes from his past plays written for the actors.

Special Thanks

Ghafir Akbar
Rizman Putra
Family of the late Ibu Siti Ramlah Mansyur

Mental illness does not discriminate. Although there is more access to information, many still suffer silently or face stigma when they come out with their illness. What is this experience like for actors in Singapore? Are they expected to just deal with their mental health issues because they are seen as 'tortured artists' and 'so full of drama'?

Twenty actors who have experienced or are going through mental health issues were interviewed for this project. Acting Mad is based on the verbatim texts of these interviews.

Can sharing our stories, and creating theatre, be a form of solace and support?