The Magic of Geylang

For a brief moment in time, the myths, mystery and magic of Geylang came to life in a black-box theatre in the heart of Orchard Road. Over seven exhilarating, explosive performances from 13-17 May 2015, the third cohort of young & W!LD presented their second showcase to completely sold-out audiences at 10 Square @ Orchard Central.

In the months leading up to the show, the 15 members of young & W!LD lived and breathed the stories they had dreamt up about Singapore’s most colourful district. Together with Rodney Oliveiro, programme director for young & W!LD, the troupe made a field trip to Geylang. They also participated in intensive workshops, improvising characters and narratives that were eventually woven into the final script of the show.

The result was a bold, raucous blast of theatre. From star-crossed lovers to civil servants, mamasans and gangsters, the young & W!LD ensemble found depth, meaning, and innuendo in the unlikeliest of places. Geylang unearthed comedy in the rituals of a cult, and found pathos and a little tragedy in stories about the loss of our heritage and history.

“Watching the actors really give their all during the performances was very gratifying,” says Oliveiro, who co-directed the show with Serena Ho and co-wrote the five short plays that make up Geylang with his young & W!LD protégés. “It was a challenging script and they really held court in their roles, moving the audience through a range of emotions, from laughter to terror, sometimes within the same scene. I hope that, through this entire process, they’ve learned about the power of storytelling, of theatre.”