We went along to the Saturday premiere of Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Rising Son. Long story short: if you haven’t already bought your tickets to this highly anticipated play, you need to. Here’s why.
In this first edition of local music maestro Dick Lee’s Family Trilogy, we are reminded of true adversity and urged to appreciate friendships near and far, no matter how fleeting they are.
These troubled years in Singapore’s history are certainly difficult to tackle, but Rising Son quietly succeeds in this unconventional tale with an honest piece of writing about the frailties of war and the human condition.
Expect a no-frills, minimalistic set as dramaturg Eric Ting leads your eye to subtle changes in the characters onstage.
The tale follows the journey of three very different individuals struggling to survive in Syonan-to (Japanese-occupied Singapore). Tan Shou Chen turns in a raw, painfully honest performance as Sunny Lee, a young Peranakan boy (aka Dick Lee’s father). Sunny defies convention and invites condemnation when he strikes up a friendship with his next-door neighbour, the refined Colonel Hiroyuki Sato (Caleb Goh). It’s teetering on the edge of sleeping with the enemy, but it helps that Sato-san isn’t your typical tough-guy soldier. He reads Shakespeare, teaches Sunny what a haiku is, and talks about Mount Fuji fondly, in a touching cultural exchange.
While their friendship blossoms, Ruby (Seong Hui Xuan), Sunny’s younger sister, begins to question – and bust – societal norms and long-held stereotypes. She does this with carefree glee, much to Sunny’s increasing frustration and Sato-san’s bewilderment. Her frank, devil-may-care attitude is refreshing (and it gets the most laughs too!).
Like all good theatre, Rising Son will inspire you, make you feel, question your own relationships and challenge your beliefs. And if so, it’s done its job.
Rising Son runs till Saturday, 12 April 2014 at DBS Arts Centre. Get your tickets on SISTIC now ($30 – $55).
Images: Rising Son, Singapore Repertory Theatre