Theatre review: Titoudao stands test of time with 30th anniversary staging
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Oon Ah Chiam (Tan Rui Shan, centre) as Titoudao, the character that made play director Goh Boon Teck's wayang actress-mother famous.
PHOTO: POH YU KHING
Titoudao
Toy Factory Productions
Victoria Theatre
July 5, 8pm
Singaporeans may not be the best at recycling, but Toy Factory certainly is, having recycled Titoudao seven times.
This line is among the opening jokes of the show as narrators Or Gao (Alvin Chiam) and Kway Bu (Isabella Chiam) introduce the show to audiences. Their banter, which centres on testing each other’s Hokkien skills and occasional commentary on the Titoudao play within the play, draws audience laughter easily, setting the tone for the show.
Written and directed by Goh Boon Teck, founder and artistic director of Toy Factory Productions, Titoudao was first staged in 1994, making this its 30th anniversary. It was last staged in 2015 at the Drama Centre Theatre at the National Library Building, and a television adaptation aired on Mediacorp in 2020.
The play swept five awards at the inaugural Life Theatre Awards in 2001, including Best Actress for Pam Oei and Play of the Year.
Inspired by Goh’s mother – Madam Oon Ah Chiam, a wayang (street opera) actress – the play is also named after the wayang and character that made his mother famous.
Using the format of a play within a play, it tells the story of Ah Chiam’s (Tan Rui Shan) life from childhood to becoming a wayang actress, interspersed with scenes from the Titoudao wayang.
The wayang follows Titoudao (Tan), the loyal servant to his master, Ti Boon Long (Clement Yeo), as the latter seeks financial support so that he can take the imperial examination in Beijing.
Told in a mix of English, Mandarin and Hokkien, with English and Mandarin surtitles, the show is accessible to all audiences.
Tan does an incredible job as Ah Chiam and Titoudao, capturing both the fiery ambition of the wayang actress and the cheeky loyalty of the servant. Thoughtful choices in the portrayal of Ah Chiam’s childhood as the fifth of 13 children reflect both the playfulness of a child interacting with siblings and the difficulty of being a daughter in a time when sons were more valued.
As Titoudao, Tan shifts into a comedic mode and her choreographic skills shine. Running around the stage dramatically, making exaggerated facial expressions and hitting all her marks with careful precision, she makes theatregoers almost forget that she is playing a character who is playing another character.
She is backed by an equally talented ensemble – Alvin Chiam, Sharon Sum, Yeo, Andy Yew, Isabella Chiam and Xuan Ong – that takes on a multitude of roles.
The actors morph effortlessly from siblings to fellow actors to characters within the wayang, going from serious scenes to comic relief, guided by the brilliant scripting that allows the powerful story of an ambitious, talented woman to hit all the emotional beats while cracking jokes for light relief.
The cast of Titoudao as the siblings of wayang actress Oon Ah Chiam (Tan Rui Shan, top).
PHOTO: POH YU KHING
The script has also been updated for this staging. Through Kway Bu and Or Gao, Goh slides in references to the upcoming general election, sprinklings of Korean slang like “oppa”, and references to American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour in Singapore.
Ah Chiam even comments on social media, speaking to the popularity of wayang in the era before television and “Instagram, Facebook and ti-ti-tok-tok (TikTok)”.
The set, also designed by Goh, transforms easily through the use of banners displaying different backgrounds. The clever use of tables and chairs that are easily moved around the stage allows for quick set-ups and scene changes that each feels distinct.
The addition of a “backstage” area on stage, where the cast sits occasionally after acting out scenes from Titoudao, makes it easier for Ah Chiam and the narrators to break the fourth wall, directly addressing and interacting with the audience in small moments throughout the show.
Sound design and engineering by Vick Low aids in the shifting of scenes and tones. The use of mild reverbs during sad moments, echoes during a scene with wayang ghosts chasing Ah Chiam and her younger sister Ah Dui (Ong) and overlapping chatter that can be heard before the show begins all add to an ambience that speaks to highly detailed intentionality.
In combination with live opera music played slightly off stage by musician Haining, the auditory experience is truly a treat for audiences.
Toy Factory has extended its run for another week, giving audiences until July 28 to catch the show.
Book it/Titoudao
Where: Victoria Theatre, 11 Empress Place /
When: Until July 28, various timings
Admission: From $50
Info:
