Themes

What's the festival about?

We want you to discuss and voice your disagreements, suggestions and comments with other audience-members artists and other participants after each performance during our talk-back sessions. We want you to go away thinking about how you, too, can communicate issues close to your heart to other young people.

When The Alarm Rings

You should have been there. On 22 Dec 1992, The Necessary Stage's Studio One was the venue for Theatre By Youth Showcase 1, an evening of short works-in-progress. A total of nine excerpts were staged by about fifty 13-18 year olds-participants of our series of Drama Workshops held in December. Below is a script devised by one of the groups.

Old Flame Rekindled

The Necessary Stage's Lanterns Never Go Out, first staged in 1989, then 1990 for the Singapore Festival of Arts Core Programme, was given a new breath of life earlier this year when it was staged for Young People's Theatre as a Theatre-in-Education (TIE) Programme. Directed by Elvira Holmberg, the programme was divided into two parts. In the first part, the cast went to schools a week before the play opened and conducted exercises and fun-filled activities with students. Along the way, students found out about Kah Wei, the protagonist of the play.

Portraits II (A Picture of Innocence)

Fighting by Alfian Sa'at
Our Journey Home by Musa Fazal
Wonderful Baby by Phua Mei Pin

Playwright's Message
Haresh Sharma

When I was in secondary school, the only plays I ever watched were those Teacher's Day ones, where we all have a lot of fun and then feel very embarrassed about the whole thing. And two days later, nobody remembers anything.

Before you grunt in protest thinking this is going to be a 'how lucky young people today are' message, let me continue first.

Young people today are very lucky. No, but seriously. You have more opportunities, more exposure to the Arts, to the world, more fashion sense...

But with these 'mores', inevitably comes stress, pressure, competition. A little bit is ok, but a lot can drive a person over the edge.

Artistic Director's Message
Alvin Tan

Promising to do their own administration, with administrative help from the company's Theatre For Youth Administrator, Julius Foo, the teenagers organised themselves and started meeting every Friday. Hence the birth of Theatre For Youth Ensemble (TFYE).

From the Project Director
Kok Heng Leun

I dreamt of having an opportunity to work with a group of students for an extended period, to explore these ideas with them. You see, it is easy for young people going through any education system to let their attitudes and perceptions harden too early and to refuse to view things with an open mind. But TIE involves both facilitator and participant in an interactive process and encourages the exchange and extension of ideas.

Artistic Director's Message
Ann Meijer

Working on this fascinating play with young Singaporean actors has been most interesting. Living in Singapore, a melting pot of tradition and modernism, they are really 'children' of this time—the bridge between the past and the future. Searching for a connection between old Scotland and modern Singapore has been an exciting and enlightening experience; one that I enjoyed very much.

From the Director's Chair
Kok Heng Leun

While working on this play, I met and worked with people who are "very old," "old," and "close to old." I often wonder "why did they respond to our call for audition, especially for the few who have not even acted before?" Was it just to get rid of boredom? Was it to make up for lost opportunities in their own lifetime?

Project Director
Kok Heng Leun

In 1995, however, the National Arts Council decided to stop YPT. It was with regret that my colleagues and I heard this. The building of new audiences must be a continuous and long-term effort.

Young people's theatre is an art form that needs nourishing for it to grow. it is different from mainstream adult theatre in its approach, methodology and forms. A specific focus on young people's theatre is particularly important in Singapore where we have a diversity of cultural heritage to draw from. With this resource, young people's theatre can go far and in time, evolve to become a vibrant part of Singapore's indigenous theatre.

Artistic Director's Message
Alvin Tan

A youth theatre festival has a significant role to play in a nation's cultural development. Because we are a small nation, it is crucial that effort is put in to create opportunities to identify and platform local talent and creativity in the arts. The presence of a youth festival in a nation's calendar of events celebrates theatre for and by youth.

Our Vision for Drama In and Across the Curriculum in Singapore

It is therefore important and urgent for us to advocate for an increased presence of drama in school life. It is vital that people's mindsets change in greater recognition of the scope and benefits of drama as a teaching tool and a subject in its own right. It is necessary to raise the value and status of drama and we beleive this can be done by placing it securely within the frame of S21 and within the new direction towards holistic, creative and ability-driven education in Singapore.

Such Sweet Sorrow
Haresh Sharma

Of the three stories, the one depicting Adrian Lim and Catherine Tan is the most horrific. I was initially unsure if it would be an appropriate story for students. But there is much that can be taken away from this gruesome tale which happened in our very own backyard. Similar to What Big Bombs You Have, the play is best discussed with guidance and strong facilitation.

Portraits—Of Youth
Charmaine Tan

Our first performance was at Marine Parade Library. We were understandably anxious; a lighting gel that wouldn't stick to the light frame didn't really help matters. Midway through BLOOD CAGES, the first play, the gel detached itself and hung precariously by its side. As there was no interval, nothing could be done except to hold our breath.

Trust the Imagination
Alvin Tan

As there is no attempt to dumb down the issues, students will be confronted with identity, community, fighting for one's passion, taking risks, self-hurt, abused love, failure in intergenerational communication, suicide, terrorism, history as myth, and other challenging and often pressing themes.