Event: “Firecrackers & Bombshells” by Playground Entertainment
Venue: Play Den @ The Arts House
Run: 15th – 19th Jan 2014
Directed by Jalyn Han
Playwright: Jacke Chye
Cast: Karen Tan, Ernest Seah, Loong Seng Onn, Sonja Steinmetz, Bruce San, Michael Tan, Beatrice Chien, Timothy Wan, Dorothy Khoo
Mayhem and catfights are not on the menu for Lunar New Year but what do you expect when family secrets are exposed during the festivities?
Ma’s a racist, Da Sao is not who she appears to be, Er Ge wants to move out with his lover, and San Sao just wants to be Daughter-in-Law of the Year. And what secret does Ah Yee have that has her ostracised from every reunion dinner…apart from always conveniently ‘forgetting’ to exchange back the mandarin oranges?
Inaugural productions are always a wonderful thing to be a part of as it signifies the birth of a fantastic new theatre venture and possibly the start of many great adventures to come.
A comedy by playwright Jacke Chye is about the mayhem that ensues when family secrets are exposed during the Chinese New Year festivities. Presented by Playground Entertainment, the cast includes Karen Tan, Ernest Seah, Sonja Steinmetz and Michael Tan.
We laughed, we cried, we smiled. That was how enjoyable the play was.
“Firecrackers & Bombshells” is set during the CNY festive period, and it is a play that hits close to home as it details the various quirks and idiosyncrasies inherent in many a local family, and how the intra-familial complexities and politics all unwittingly come to a head at the annual reunion dinner.
The play was generally kept light-hearted and comical throughout, and Karen Tan (by far the most established actor among the entire cast) was the beneficiary of many of the best lines, although you often wonder if she makes the lines better than they are.
I love Sonia especially when she kept on saying the, "Wo Lai, Wo Lai".
Hilarious!
There was a couple of scenes when Ernest Seah had to cry, we cried along with him. So believable.
There was no eye drops used for the crying scene. They had to do it real.
The “elders” in the cast, namely Michael Tan, Beatrice Chien and Dorothy Khoo all did a marvellous job playing Pa, Ma and Ah Yee respectively, and you have to give it to them for putting their all into their roles.
Playground Entertainment has certainly chosen the most opportune time to stage a play with a distinct CNY backdrop, and I doubt there’s any other play in town like this at the moment.
There definitely are some nice moments and some great lines in this delightful romp, and Karen Tan probably elevates the performance of the entire cast by that much thanks to her sheer experience, energy and stage presence.
Congrats to Jacke Chye and the team on their bold new venture, and we look forward to greater things ahead.
