Wild Rice is a professional theatre company started in 2000 by noted actor, playwright and director Ivan Heng. The company stages shows in Singapore and abroad, with a stated commitment to provide a platform for local theatrical talents and to bring Singapore theatre to international audience. Besides the main company, Wild Rice also operates Chilli Padi, an education and outreach arm; First Stage, a talent identification programme for children and teenagers; and Young & Wild, a development scheme for young theatre professionals.
Beginnings
By the late 1980s, Heng had already made a name for himself acting in iconic Singapore plays such as Beauty World and Army Daze. After completing his theatre education at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1993, Heng moved to London, where he acted and started his own troupe, Tripitaka Theatre Company. He returned to Singapore in 1998. After a brief stint as artistic director at the Singapore Repertory Theatre and as an actor in Malaysia, Heng founded Wild Rice in 2000 and served as its artistic director. Since then, he has directed, overseen set design and acted in Wild Rice projects.
The company’s name drew inspiration from a mainstay of Asian food. “Rice is a staple, and I think that’s what the arts should be,” said Heng. Wild Rice was launched with the Stella Kon-penned, one-man drama Emily of Emerald Hill, a play which has become a signature performance of both the company and Heng.
The following year, Wild Rice staged Blithe Spirit, featuring Heng’s long-time friend Glen Goei. In 2002, Goei joined the company as associate artistic director.
Productions
Wild Rice’s repertoire has centred around new and original works, new productions of Singapore plays and new interpretations of world classics. The company envisages its works to be infused with a “distinctly local flavour and yet global in its visions and concerns”. Some of the themes explored in past productions include gender and sexual politics, identity, cross-cultural interactions, migration and globalization.
The company has a reputation for striking a fine balance between experimental works and popular, mainstream fare, and has established itself as one of Singapore’s most successful theatrical groups, with a knack of producing blockbuster shows. For example, their pantomime production Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs was one of the hits of 2008, selling 16.500 tickets and boasting a 92% average attendance across a 29-week run.
Timeline of Wild Rice productions
2000 : Emily of Emerald Hill (written by Stella Kon, directed by Krishen Jit)
2001 : Blithe Spirit (written by Noel Coward, directed by Glen Goei)
Emily of Emerald Hill (written by Stella Kon, directed by Krishen Jit)
The Woman in a Tree on the Hill (written by Ovidia Yu, directed by Ivan Heng)
An Occasional Orchid (written by Ivan Heng and Chowee Leow, directed by Ivan Heng)
The Coffin is Too Big for the Hole/No Parking on Odd Days (written by Kuo Pao Kun, directed by Krishen Jit)
2002 : Boeing Boeing (written by Marc Camoletti, directed by Glen Goei)
Ang Tau Mui (written by Leow Puay Tin, directed by Ivan Heng)
Animal Farm (written by George Orwell, directed by Ivan Heng)
2003 : Cinderel-LAH! (written by Selena Tan, directed by Selena Tan and Ivan Heng)
Animal Farm (written by George Orwell, directed by Ivan Heng)
The Eleanor Wong Trilogy – Invitation to Treat (written by Eleanor Wong, directed by Claire Wong)
2004 : Landmarks - Asian Boys Vol. 2 (written by Alfian Sa’at, directed by Ivan Heng)
For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again (written by Michel Tremblay, directed by D. Michael Dobbin)
The Visit of the Tai-Tai (written by Friedrich Durenmatt, directed by Ivan Heng)
Aladdin (written by Selena Tan, directed by Glen Goei)
2005 : Oi! Sleeping Beauty!! The Wake Up Musical (written by Jonathan Lim, directed by Ivan Heng)
Second Link: The Singapore-Malaysia Text Exchange (curated by Eleanor Wong, directed by Ivan Heng and Krishen Jit)
Boeing Boeing (written by Marc Camoletti, directed by Glen Goei)
2006 : Jack and the Beansprout! (written by Desmond Sim, directed by Jonathan Lim)
The Magic Fundoshi (written by Donald Ritchie, directed by Glen Goei)
Homesick (written by Alfian Sa’at)
The Campaign to Confer the Public Service Star on JBJ (written by Eleanor Wong)
The Silence of the Kittens (written by Ovidia Yu, directed by Aidli "Alin" Mosbit)
2007 : Blithe Spirit (written by Noel Coward, directed by Glen Goei)
Happy Endings - Asian Boys Vol. 3 (written by Alfian Sa’at, directed by Ivan Heng)
The Campaign to Confer the Public Service Star on JBJ (written by Eleanor Wong, directed by Ivan Heng)
2008 : Beauty World (written by Michael Chiang, directed by Ivan Heng)
The Swordfish, then the Concubine (written by Kee Thuan Chye, directed by Ivan Heng)
Generation/S: Spotlight Singapore in Moscow (directed by Ivan Heng)
The Last Temptation of Stamford Raffles (written by Ng Yi-Sheng, directed by Christina Sergeant)
Apocalypse Live! (written by Ken Kwek, directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall)
Own Time Own Target (a production which featured two short plays, Radio Silence and Full Tank, written by Laremy Lee, and a musical,
Botak Boys, written by Julian Wong; directed by Jonanthan Lim)
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (written by Alfian Sa’at, directed by Hossan Leong)
2009 : The Importance of being Earnest (written Oscar Wilde, directed by Glen Goei)
Beauty And The Beast (written by Alfian Sa’at, directed by Hossan Leong)
Own Time Own Target (featured two plays, Full Tank and Botak Boys)
Singapore Theatre Festival
In 2006, Heng conceived the Singapore Theatre Festival as a biannual affair to showcase Singaporean talent. Wild Rice is the producer and facilitator of the Festival, which has included plays from other groups such as TheatreWorks, Drama Box and Spell#7. Heng said, “When I asked local playwrights why they weren't writing, they responded it was because no one was producing their work. It is time to hear the Singaporean voice - or that is what will establish us as a theatre presence.”
The inaugural Festival ran for three weeks in August and featured nine plays, six of which were new works. Playwrights featured included Alfian Sa’at, Eleanor Wong and Ovidia Yu. The 62 performances overall drew 11,500 people, with three plays sold out and the rest averaging 95% - 80% attendance. The Festival cost S$500,000 to produce and broke even financially. The second festival (renamed OCBC Singapore Theatre Festival) was held in 2008 and featured 14 plays. It was attended by some 10,000 people and 22 of the 47 performances were sold out.
Chilli Padi and Young & Wild
Chilli Padi is Wild Rice’s education and outreach division, catering largely to children and youths.. It aims to expose the young to various facets of the arts and theatre through plays, workshops, excursion trips and customised school productions.
Young & Wild is the arm of Wild Rice which trains and nurtures young theatre professionals. This programme aims to prime Singapore’s next generation of actors and theatre practitioners through a series of workshops incorporating theory, practical project work and critical discussions.
Young & Wild’s production of Mad Forest in 2007 led to a nomination for Best Ensemble in the Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards 2008. It was the first time the youth division of a local theatre group had been nominated in the awards.
Author
Alvin Chua
References
Cheong, J. (2008, March 6). Days of being young & wild. The Straits Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
Chew, D. (2006, January 26). What's your flava? S'pore theatre making a comeback with a host of diverse performances. Today. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
Chia, A. (2008, July 10). Fresh & wild. The Straits Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
Chia, A. (2008, September 1). Local dramas on Target. The Straits Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
First-ever festival of local plays aims to be platform for Singaporean playwrights. (2006, August 2). Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
He fills in the blanks. (2006, August 2). Today. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Hong, X. Y. (2005, November 28). Days of being wild. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Hong, X. Y. (2006, August 22). Theatre fest drew 11,500. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Hong, X. Y. (2006, July 29). Theatre festival takes on the issues. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Lo, J. (2004). Staging nation: English language theatre in Malaysia and Singapore (pp.177-178). Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
(Call no.: SING 792.09595 LO)
Lye, A. (2006, July 28). Driving a point home. The Business Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
Munroe, B. (2008, August 29). Buzz, excitement & controversy. The Business Times. Retrieved November 8, 2009, from Factiva database.
Safdar, A. (2006, August 2). Wild rice wrestles Merlion in festival. Today. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Wild Rice. (2006). In Singapore: The encyclopedia (p. 589). Singapore: Editions Didier Millet.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57003 SIN - [HIS])
Suhaila, S. (2002, February 18). Wild rice paradise. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Tan, C. (2006, June 13). A leg up for theatre. The Straits Times. Retrieved February 14, 2011, from NewspaperSG.
Wild Rice presents The Magic Fundoshi by Donald Richie; directed by Glen Goei; 4-23 April 2006 Drama Centre @ National Library. (2006). Singapore: Wild Rice.
(Call no.: RSING 792.029 WIL)
Wild Rice. (2000). Singapore: Wild Rice.
(Call no.: RCLOS O394 v. 1)
Wild Rice. (2009). Retrieved November 4, 2009, from http://www.wildrice.com.sg
Further Readings
Lim, J. (2003, July-August). Wild about Ivan: Seeding local talent. Esplanade : the arts magazine, 80.
(Call no.: RSING 791.095957
Mai, C. T. (2006, August). A mirror to society. Expat Living, 49, 80 .
(Call no.; RSING 959.5705 EL)
The information in this article is valid as at 2010 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
