Goh Boon Teck

Goh Boon Teck (Chinese: 吴文徳; pinyin: Wú Wéndé) is a Singaporean director, playwright and production designer.

Early life and education

edit

Goh's mother, Oon Ah Chiam, is a Chinese opera performer who performed with Chinese opera troupe, Sin Sai Hong.[1][2]

When Goh was young, he would follow Oon on stage as a performer, playing the roles of handmaiden or eunuch.[1]

Goh studied at Si Ling Primary School then Swiss Cottage Secondary School before majoring in Fine Arts at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.[3] He was the first Singaporean recipient of the VISA International Arts Scholarship in 1996 which allowed him to study Theatre Directing at Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom.[4]

Career

edit

In 1990, Goh with 13 students, who had performed in Kuo Pao Kun's Lao Jiu, formed Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble, the predecessor of Toy Factory Productions. Goh would become its artistic director and it first produced a 20-minute play, The Bull Over The Rainbow, by Goh.[4]

In 1994, Goh staged Titoudao, a play based on his mother's life story. Titoudao won five awards, Best Play, Best Original Script and Best Actress at the 2001 The Straits Times Life! Theatre Award, Program for Best Production Design/ Art Direction at New York Festivals TV & Film Awards 2021[5] and Best Newcomer at Asia Contents Awards 2021.[6][7][8]

In 2001, Goh was awarded the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore.[9]

In 2007, Goh was appointed the creative director for the 2007 Singapore National Day Parade first held at The Float @ Marina Bay.[10]

Goh is a firm believer in the preservation of Asian heritage, culture and history. His plays such as December Rains (2010),[11] Titoudao (1994), Prism (2003)[12] are a few of such representative works. Other creations such as Purple (2012), The Crab Flower Club (2012), Grind (2016)[13] explore topics on gender and sexuality in contemporary Singapore, often prompting audiences to question morality and humanity.

International and local projects

edit

In 2003, Goh was invited by Japan's Kageboushi Theatre Company to stage Prism as its writer and director.[14] This project involved a 6-countries collaboration, touring Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Goh's original show - The Crab Flower Club (2012) toured in Beijing, China in the East Pioneer Theatre during the China International Theatre Festival. His other work - K (2012) was showcased in Shanghai Modern Drama Valley in the International 5 Cities Public Theatre Festival, which he took on the roles of a Playwright, Director and Set Designer. Glass Anatomy (2014) staged in Shanghai Culture Square, Original Mandarin Music Festival[15] was also the first foreign production invited to the festival and second original Singaporean musical presented in China.

Works

edit
YearTitleRole(s)Ref
1990The Bull Over the RainbowDirector[4]
1991RedearDirector[16]
1992PosteternePlaywright, Director and Set Designer
1993OseanDirector
1994TitoudaoPlaywright and Director[2]
1995I Have A Date With SpringDirector[17]
1996KPlaywright and Director
1998PurplePlaywright and Director
The Phoenix And The TurtleDirector
Mama Looking For Her CatDirector
StormDirector and Set Designer
1999UnderDirector
Guys and DollsDirector and Set Designer[18]
A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Theatre PracticeDirector
I Have A Date With SpringDirector
2000TitoudaoDirector & Playwright
A Tinted EdgeDirector & Playwright
OleannaDirector & Set Designer
Gone With That ThingDirector
Mee Pok Man by Fiction FarmScript adaptation playwright & Set Designer
2001Shopping & F***ingSet Designer
The Eastern Line On My PalmDirector & Playwright
The Seventh DrawerDirector
2002Beautiful Thing (Mandarin)Director
KPlaywright
The Morning PeopleDirector & Set Designer
FirefaceSet Designer
ChessmasterDirector
2003Mad PhoenixDirector & Set Designer
BentSet Director
Beautiful Thing (Mandarin)Director & Set Designer
PrismDirector & Playwright[19]
2004East Side StorySet Designer
Mergers and AccusationsDirector
2005ThunderstormDirector
Dangerous LiaisonsSet Director
PorcelainDirector
SpiritsDirector & Set Designer in Shanghai
2006Long HousePlaywright
Army DazeDirector & Set Designer
CabaretSet Designer
2007TiTouDaoDirector & Playwright
2009Asia On The Edge (September)Creative Director
Asia On The Edge (November)Creative Director
2010Maha MoggallanaDirector & Playwright
December RainsDirector
The Crab Flower ClubPlaywright, Director & Set Designer
2011EquusSet Designer
2012Tin Tan and his Tembusu TreePlaywright & Director
KPlaywright & Director
The Crab Flower ClubPlaywright, Director & Set Designer
PurplePlaywright
2013Glass AnatomyScript Adaptation Playwright, Director & Set Designer
High Class MusicalSet Designer
The Penis SocietyPlaywright
2014Glass AnatomyDirector (in Shanghai Culture Square, Original Mandarin Music Festival)
Ah Boys to Men: The MusicalScript Adaptation Playwright
InnamoratiDirector[20]
2015Savage LandDirector & Set Designer
TitoudaoDirector & Playwright
UpstageDirector
December Rains (Restage)Director
2016GrindDirector & Playwright
KumarajivaDirector
Innamorati TwoDirector[20]
2017PrismPlaywright
Songs of GuidanceDirector
2018Songs of Liu San JieDirector
Sometime MoonDirector & Playwright
A Dream Under The Southern Bough: The BeginningDirector
Masters of ComedyDirector
OedipusDirector
2019The Severing SwordDirector
A Dream Under The Southern Bough: ReverieDirector
Infinite IslandDirector
2020Titoudao (TV version by Mediacorp)Creative Director & Original Playwright
7 Sages of The Bamboo GroveDirector & Co-Playwright
Old songs of Redhill Market (digital)Director
Poetry under the Southern BoughCreative Director
2021All The World Is One's StageDirector
Masters of Comedy 2Director
A Dream Under The Southern Bough - ExistenceDirector
Old Songs of Redhill MarketDirector
2022Roar TalentsDirector
Kwa Geok Choo - Singapore and the Story of Mrs Lee Kuan YewDirector & Chief Artistic Director[21]
2023Quest: The White HarePlaywright & Director
Ignite The SunDirector

Accolades

edit
  • Best Play of the Year (Titoudao) at 2001 The Straits Times Life! Theatre Award[7]
  • Best Original Script (Titoudao) at 2001 LIFE! Theatre Awards[7]
  • 2001 Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council[9]
  • Best Set Design (Fireface) at 2003 DBS LIFE! Theatre Awards 2003
  • Arts and Culture Goh Boon Teck at 2005 Singapore Youth Award
  • The Elite Director Award for Glass Anatomy at 5th One Theatre Prestige Award 2014 by Shanghai Modern Drama Valley

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Growing up in a wayang troupe in old Singapore – with duck poop and sequins". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Interview: Goh Boon Teck on 'Titoudao'". Time Out Singapore. 2 March 2015. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  3. ^ Lin, Yanqin (9 April 2008). "More than a 'poly' for the arts". Today. p. 2. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Toy Factory turns 25 with aim to focus on original works | The Straits Times". The Straits Times. 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Mediacorp wins 22 awards at New York Festivals TV & Film Awards". CNA. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  6. ^ Auto, Hermes (26 September 2021). "Titoudao actress Koe Yeet up for Best Newcomer award at Busan's Asia Contents Awards | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b c "Catch winners of Life! Theatre Awards at Esplanade's Studios season | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 24 March 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Toy Factory's Titoudao returning with new cast | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b "About the Young Artist Award". National Arts Council. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  10. ^ "From wayang to NDP". Today. 14 June 2007. p. 50. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  11. ^ Auto, Hermes (30 August 2015). "December Rains more moving than other recent works of Singaporean musical theatre | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Haunting tales of change | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  13. ^ Auto, Hermes (27 March 2016). "Toy Factory's Grind (R18) glories in being unsubtle | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  14. ^ "Speech by Minister Lee Boon Yang, at The Opening Dinner Of The 2nd World Summit On Arts & Culture, 24 November 2003, 7.30 pm". www.nas.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Singapore's Toy Factory Presents "Glass Anatomy the Musical" at the Original Mandarin Music Festival in Shanghai, 28 to 30 March 2014". www.mfa.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Purple back: Goh Boon Teck". www.fridae.asia. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  17. ^ "I Have A Date with Spring (1999) | SG Theatre Archive". www.centre42.sg. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Guys and Dolls (1999) | SG Theatre Archive". www.centre42.sg. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  19. ^ Hashimi, Hashirin Nurin. "Goh Boon Teck Tackles Cultural Erosion Head-On". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Singing a different tune". TODAY. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  21. ^ Hashimi, Hashirin Nurin. "Playwright Ovidia Yu on Why Kwa Geok Choo's Story Deserves to Be Told". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.