Nine Years Theatre's "Everything for You" and the Maturing of Singaporean Theatre
17 February 2024 | Audrey Wong
When the Esplanade was opened in 2002, with the main theatre having a capacity of 1,900 seats and the Concert Hall seating over 1,600, one of the big questions asked was, is it meant for foreign productions rather than local works? Many were skeptical, and saw the ‘durian’ as a force that would siphon away resources from other arts groups and marginalise the local.
Today, we see Singapore productions staged at the Theatre and filling up the house. Last night, over 1,000 people came for Nine Years 九年剧场 Nine Years Theatre’s commissioned production for the Huayi Festival, “Everything for You” and it was apparent they enjoyed it. Many probably had also been there for NYT’s previous Huayi production “Between You and Me.”
Audiences have gotten used to seeing Singapore theatre companies’ works in this big theatre and I feel it’s important to acknowledge how the Singapore theatre / arts scene has developed these twenty years. I remember conversations with Esplanade staff in the past about local theatre and they had expressed a wish to see a local theatre company fill the theatre like a Stan Lai play would. In my Substation days, we also talked with Esplanade about how our Associate Artists would do experiments at The Substation and move on or develop these to a new work produced by the Esplanade. (Which happened a few times). Credit should be given to the Esplanade for sticking to their aim of developing the local theatre scene and giving confidence to Singapore theatre-makers, and credit must go to our theatre talents for their dedication to continually honing their craft, rising to challenges and dreaming big.
Well done to Nine Years and all involved in “Everything for You” which the Straits Times review today (17 Feb 2024) called “measuredly progressive in its politics and artfully conventional”.
And Nelson Chia even incorporates a brief treatise and debate about on what makes “Singapore” theatre midway, through a mother-daughter/ actor-director quarrel. Characteristically, even within the form of a Chinese melodrama, Nelson continues to pursue his interest in theatrical and dramatic form through a bit of meta-theatricality.
Let’s not stop now. Keep supporting #singaporetheatre.
#tell2nyt #nineyearstheatre #mydurian
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