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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GLEN GOEI & IVAN HENG APPEAR ON STAGE TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME

IN W!LD RICE’S BRAND-NEW ORIGINAL MUSICAL, MAMA WHITE SNAKE!

11 September 2017 – This November, Mama White Snake – the 15th edition of W!LD RICE’s annual must-see holiday musical – makes its world premiere at the Drama Centre Theatre. In this playful, funny retelling of ancient Chinese folk tale Madam White Snake, long-time collaborators and best friends Glen Goei and Ivan Heng will take to the stage to play the celestial snakes of legend. Making his long-awaited return to the Singapore stage after 30 years, Goei takes the

lead role of the enchanting White Snake. His last appearance on stage was in the title

role of M. Butterfly (1987) opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins. “I grew up on these Chinese

folktales and now, they are lost on an entire generation who grew up on Western culture.”

says Goei. “I think it is time we reclaim them and introduce them to a younger audience,

our cultural heritage needs to be preserved and passed on.”

As the second half of this sister act, Heng plays the charismatic Green Snake. “Glen and

I first met at a fancy dress competition in secondary school,” Heng recalls. “And, after

years of shared adventures in the theatre, we are so glad to finally be in a show together

– once again in fancy dress!”

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Directed by Pam Oei and written by W!LD RICE’s own resident playwright, Alfian Sa’at,

this blockbuster production tells the tale of a young man who suffers an identity crisis

when he discovers that his mother and her best friend are not who he has always

believed them to be.

“I wanted to stay true to the spirit of the original story while also introducing new

perspectives and ideas,” explains Alfian.

“In many ways, Mama White Snake celebrates unconventionality. Meng, our young hero,

grew up in a non-traditional household, raised by his hardworking, widowed mother and

her sister. But these women are not just efficient home-makers. They’re also fighters, in

a very literal sense. And I think the script plays tribute to the strength and spirit of these

women.”

Featuring brand-new songs by award-winning composer Elaine Chan and choreography

by dance prodigy Andy Benjamin Cai, Mama White Snake showcases the finest talents

from Singapore and the region, including Andrew Marko, Cheryl Tan, Siti Khalijah Zainal

and Zelda Tatiana Ng.

In the months leading up to this exciting new production, the cast have trained tirelessly

with experts such as martial arts choreographer Gordon Choy.

“It’s been inspiring and humbling, for me, to watch Glen and Ivan – these theatre

veterans who are also dear friends of mine – embrace the physical training so

completely,” says Oei. “They put millennials, and me, to shame!”

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An Eye-Popping Adventure!

Expect to be transported into another dimension filled with eye-popping displays of

traditional martial arts, stunning acrobatic sequences and daring sword-fights, as well as

elaborate, stunning costumes inspired by classical Chinese operas.

Catch the young talents from FIRST STAGE!, a W!LD RICE programme that nurtures

young talents from the ages of 5 to 12. This year, over 20 children will train and rehearse

alongside professional theatre-makers. They will be playing multiple roles in the

production, including singing, dancing and wushu.

A heartwarming story with plenty of stitch-inducing comedy and nail-biting action, W!LD

RICE’s Mama White Snake promises to be the perfect holiday entertainment for the

entire family.

Tickets to Mama White Snake go on sale from today via SISTIC.

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FAST FACTS Title : Mama White Snake Playwright : Alfian Sa’at Composer/ Music Director/ : Elaine Chan Vocal Coach Director : Pam Oei Cast : Glen Goei as White Snake

Ivan Heng as Green Snake Siti Khalijah Zainal as Fahai Zelda Tatiana Ng as Madam Ngiao

Cheryl Tan as Mimi and Andrew Marko as Meng

Dance Choreographer : Andy Benjamin Cai Martial Arts Choreographer : Gordon Choy

Chinese Opera

Choreographer : Choy Yien Chow

Dance Captain : Nicholas Long Set Design : Wong Chee Wai Lighting Design : Adrian Tan Sound Design : Shah Tahir Costume Design : Tube Gallery by Phisit & Saxit Hair Design : Ashley Lim Make-Up Design : The Make Up Room Producer : Tony Trickett Show Dates : 24 November – 16 December 2017 Venue : Drama Centre Theatre

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Ticketing Agent : SISTIC.com Pte Ltd SISTIC Hotline (65) 6348-5555 SISTIC Website www.sistic.com.sg SISTIC Authorised Agents Ticket Prices : S$45, S$60, S$70

(Previews 24 Nov, 7.30pm & 25 Nov, 2.30pm) S$50, S$65, S$75

(Tue, Wed, Thu 7.30pm) S$50, S$70, S$80

(Fri & Sat, 7.30pm and Sat & Sun 2.30pm) Prices exclude $4 SISTIC handling fee

Discounts : EARLY BIRD: 15% for General Public 11 September to 4 October

20% for DBS/POSB Cardmembers (11 September to 4 October)

10% for DBS/POSB Cardmembers (5 October to 16 December)

Concessions available for Students, Senior Citizens, Full-time NSFs, PAssion and SAFRA Card Holders

Schools can apply for the Tote Board Arts Grant to enjoy up to 50% in subsidies on ticket prices.

Corporate & Group Deals : For bookings of 20 or more tickets, please contact Ross Toh at 6292-2685 or sales@wildrice.com.sg. Press Contact : BlessAnn Luah

Huntington Communications DID: 6339-2883

blessann.luah@huntington.com.sg

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SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS

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CAST BIOGRAPHIES

GLEN GOEI as White Snake Glen’s substantial body of work encompasses a wide range of the performing arts, including theatre, film, parades and world expos. Highlights include his Olivier Award-nominated performance in the title role of M. Butterfly opposite Anthony Hopkins in London’s West End; and his critically acclaimed feature films, Forever Fever and The Blue Mansion. Glen has also made significant contributions to Singapore’s theatre scene. Since 2002, Glen has served as the Co-Artistic Director of W!LD RICE, for which he has directed hits such as HOTEL, Public Enemy, The Importance Of Being Earnest, The House Of Bernarda Alba, Cook A Pot Of Curry, Emily Of Emerald Hill, Blithe Spirit, The Magic Fundoshi, Aladdin and Boeing Boeing. IVAN HENG as Green Snake Ivan is one of Singapore’s most prominent and dynamic creative personalities. In a pioneering career spanning nearly three decades, Ivan has directed and acted in many landmark Singapore theatre productions, which have been performed in more than 20 cities around the world. In 2000, with his portrayal of Emily Of Emerald Hill, Ivan founded W!LD RICE. Under his leadership, the company is today at the vanguard of creating theatre with a distinctive Singaporean voice, celebrating our diversity and reflecting on the problems and possibilities of our times. In 2013, he was awarded the Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s highest cultural award, for his contribution to excellence and distinction in arts and culture. SITI KHALIJAH ZAINAL as Fahai Siti made her debut as a full-time theatre actress after she attended The Necessary Stage’s year-long Theatre for Youth Ensemble programme in 2003. Since then, she has worked with a wide range of theatre companies, both locally and internationally, and she considers herself very lucky. She won the Best Actress Award twice at The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for her performances in Model Citizens (2010) and Off Centre (2015). She was awarded the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council in 2014. ZELDA TATIANA NG as Madam Ngiao Zelda is an actor/director who graduated from the Theatre Training & Research Programme (currently known as the Intercultural Theatre Institute) in Singapore in 2003. For over 18 years, she has been working as a theatre practitioner with almost all of the major established theatre companies in Singapore. As a director, her recent credits include: You Are Always On My Mind (The Finger Players & GroundZ-0 – Nagoya Gekio Asia Festival, also playwright); Inheritance, Afar (The Finger Players); Three Children and Titoudao (Esplanade The Studios – fifty). Acting credits include: How Did I Mess Up (Unsaid Productions – M1 Peer Pleasure), Unbroken (Kelvin Sng Productions), Body X II, Web Of Deceit (The Paper Monkey – ASEAN Puppetry Festival), Square Moon and 100 Years of Solitude – Cultural Revolution (Zuni Icosahedron (Hong Kong) & Drama Box). Her other means of expression include singing, writing, painting and photography.

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CHERYL TAN as Mimi Cheryl is an actor, singer and voice teacher from Malaysia. She recently played Young Yehenara in Forbidden City to critical acclaim. Before that, she made her TV acting debut, starring as Dr. Sylvia Soo in Faculty. Other notable roles include Juliet in Romeo & Juliet for Shakespeare in the Park; and Ivy Chan in Beauty World. Cheryl also worked with celebrated auteur Boo Junfeng on Parting, his installment of film anthology 7 Letters. Mama White Snake marks her first collaboration with W!LD RICE, hat-tricking what has been a wonderful year of firsts. ANDREW MARKO as Meng Andrew is just an ordinary guy who has been lucky enough to be able to pursue his love for performing. On top of acting, Andrew also writes, cooks, sings at bars with his band, Van Milos, and does stand-up comedy. Andrew was seen at TEDxNUS where he showcased his spoken-word poetry and his short play, Doctor! Doctor?. Andrew is best known for his performance as Joshua, a teenager with severe autism, in Pangdemonium’s Falling, for which he won a Straits Times Life! Theatre Award for Best Actor. Notable theatre credits: Every Brilliant Thing (Bhumi Collective), Electra (Cake Theatrical Productions), State Of Mind (Playground Entertainment), RENT (Pangdemonium), The Emperor’s New Clothes (W!LD RICE), Bunny Finds The Right Stuff (Esplanade Playtime), Lord Of The Flies (SRT), Off Centre and All This Intimacy (Yellow Chair Productions).

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CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES ALFIAN SA’AT – Playwright Alfian is the Resident Playwright of W!LD RICE. He has been nominated at the Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards for Best Original Script ten times, and has received the award four times. His plays with W!LD RICE include HOTEL (with Marcia Vanderstraaten), The Asian Boys Trilogy, Cooling-Off Day, The Optic Trilogy and Homesick. He was the winner of the Golden Point Award for Poetry and the National Arts Council Young Artist Award for Literature in 2001. His publications include Collected Plays One and Two; poetry collections One Fierce Hour, A History Of Amnesia and The Invisible Manuscript; and short-story collections Corridor and Malay Sketches. ELAINE CHAN – Composer / Music Director / Vocal Coach This award-winning music director/composer/arranger/vocal coach has music-directed, composed and arranged for several major musicals on the Singapore stage, notably: most of W!LD RICE’s pantomimes, the fabulous RICE BALLS and La Cage Aux Folles (2017 and 2012); Toy Factory’s December Rains, 881 The Musical and Glass Anatomy; and Dream Academy’s Into The Woods, Dim Sum Dollies and Broadway Beng. She has also produced arrangements and orchestrations for the National Day Parade (2013, 2005), MOE’s Youth Celebrate! and Mediacorp’s The Dance Floor. Her scores for Cinderel-LAH! (2010) and Monkey Goes West (2015) were nominated for Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards. PAM OEI – Director Pam has been in over 80 theatre, television and film productions. Her theatre acting credits include the critically acclaimed HOTEL, Animal Farm, The Campaign To Confer The Public Service Star On JBJ, Titoudao, Everything But The Brain, RENT and Boeing Boeing. Pam is best known for being one third of the cabaret trio, The Dim Sum Dollies. Her film credits include Unlucky Plaza, Sex.Violence.FamilyValues, The Blue Mansion, Forever Fever and Peggy Su!. Pam has also directed W!LD RICE’s 2017 production of Boeing Boeing, as well as two of W!LD RICE’s pantomimes – The Emperor’s New Clothes (2015) and Hansel & Gretel (2012). She is currently the frontwoman of local rock band Ugly in the Morning. ANDY BENJAMIN CAI – Dance Choreographer Andy started his professional dancing career after graduating with a Diploma in Dance from LASALLE College of the Arts in 2005. Shortly after, he won the Best Dancer Award in Mediacorp dance competition The Dance Floor. As a dance instructor/choreographer, he has won top awards for his work in the Singapore Youth Festival (from 2007 to 2015) as well as competitions in Italy, France and Russia. Andy has performed in and/or choreographed several local theatre productions, including La Cage Aux Folles (2017 and 2012), Victor/Victoria, Lightseeker, Voyage De La Vie, Crazy Christmas, Great World Cabaret, Dim Sum Dollies, The LKY Musical, December Rains, Turandot, RENT and Monkey Goes West. He was the Chief Choreographer of the 2017 National Day

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Parade. GORDON CHOY – Martial Arts Choreographer Gordon is an actor and choreographer renowned in the local theatre industry for his skills in wushu, stilt-walking, lion/dragon dance and acrobatic stunts. Well-known in Singapore’s Chinese opera scene for playing the Monkey God, he performed the role in celebration of the Year of the Monkey on Chingay 2016’s main float. Formerly a member of Singapore’s national wushu team, he is presently the artistic creative director of Martial House. Gordon has choreographed for large-scale events, including ten National Day Parades, and theatre productions such as SRT’s Romeo & Juliet (2016), for which he was the fight/dance choreographer. In 2014, he was part of the award-winning ensemble of Nine Years Theatre’s Twelve Angry Men. WONG CHEE WAI – Set Designer Chee Wai is a full-time freelance set designer. He has designed and worked with various performing arts companies in Singapore. Some of his recent works include W!LD RICE’s My Mother Buys Condoms, HOTEL, Public Enemy, Monkey Goes West and The House Of Bernarda Alba; Pangdemonium’s Tribes; Sight Lines Productions’ Lord Of The Flies, Everything But The Brain and Boom, Michael Chiang & Dick Lee’s Beauty World; Blank Space Theatre’s Red and Freud’s Last Session; The Theatre Practice’s Liao Zhai Rocks! (2016), Legends Of The Southern Arch and If There’re Seasons (2014); and Nine Years Theatre’s Red Demon, Art, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and Twelve Angry Men. ADRIAN TAN – Lighting Designer Since graduating from LASALLE College of the Arts in 2006, Adrian has designed shows that have been staged locally and internationally. His work spans a wide spectrum of the performing arts as well as outdoor light installations. He has created designs and spaces for most of Singapore’s major theatre and dance companies, including W!LD RICE, Dream Academy, The Necessary Stage, Singapore Lyric Opera, Singapore Dance Theatre, T.H.E Dance Company and Re:Dance Theatre. He has worked on several award-winning theatre productions, including Monkey Goes West by W!LD RICE, A Cage Goes In Search Of A Bird by A Group Of People; and Dark Room x 8, which was commissioned by The Esplanade. SHAH TAHIR – Sound Designer Shah has been involved in various aspects of the audio and music industries for more than 20 years. In 2015, he was given the Artistic Excellence Award by the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore (COMPASS). Currently, Shah is very much involved as the audio consultant and/or sound designer for live performances and broadcast events, including the National Day Parade (from 2009 to 2017) and the 2015 SEA Games. He has designed and mixed audio for several major theatrical productions in Singapore, including Kumar The Queen, Dim Sum Dollies, The Importance Of Being Earnest and Great World Cabaret.

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TUBE GALLERY BY PHISIT & SAXIT – Costume Designer Tube Gallery comprises two dynamic designers, Saksit Pisalasupongs and Phisit Jongnarangsin. This new-generation Bangkok fashion house has showcased its pieces at renowned fashion shows all over the world. Tube Gallery has also designed costumes for several stage productions in Singapore, Thailand and Korea. Singapore credits include Kumarajiva, Romeo & Juliet and The Emperor’s New Clothes. Tube Gallery’s designs for 881 The Musical and Monkey Goes West were honoured with the Best Costume Design Award at The Straits Times Life! Theatre Awards. Tube Gallery was also the costume and puppet designer for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2015 SEA Games, as well as the costume designer for Singapore’s 51st National Day Parade. ASHLEY LIM – Hair Designer Ashley started his hairstyling career in 1986 and set up Ashley Salon in 1999 to further pursue his dedication towards the art of hairdressing, especially for the theatre. Since 1987, he has worked on over 300 productions locally and abroad. He is privileged to be widely recognised by the local theatre community as a veteran in his artistry. Some of Ashley’s most memorable creations include his headpieces for Forbidden City and Monkey Goes West. Recent credits include The Great Wall; SRT’s Forbidden City; Michael Chiang’s Army Daze 2; Pangdemonium’s Fun Home; W!LD RICE’s Boeing Boeing, La Cage Aux Folles and HOTEL; The Theatre Practice’s Liao Zhai Rocks! and Dream Academy’s Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert. He recently took home the Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre, presented by Mediacorp. THE MAKE UP ROOM – Make-Up Designer Comprising Bobbie Ng and Low Jyue Huey, The Make Up Room has been passionately involved in designing make-up for local theatre productions for the past 13 years. Some of The Make Up Room’s recent projects include W!LD RICE’s Boeing Boeing, La Cage Aux Folles and Monkey Goes West; Dream Academy’s Broadway Beng; SRT’s Romeo & Juliet; Toy Factory’s Kumarajiva; The Theatre Practice’s Liao Zhai Rocks!; the 2016 National Day Parade and various shows at the 2016 Singapore International Festival of Arts. Their make-up artistry also extends to weddings and an academy through which they share their skills and knowledge with aspiring make-up artists. TONY TRICKETT – Producer Born in Liverpool, Tony moved to Singapore from the UK in 1997. Prior to joining W!LD RICE, he worked as a management consultant, specialising in leadership coaching and team development for multi-national companies. Tony acted as a consultant in the establishment of W!LD RICE and became a director of the company in 2001. In August 2002, he was appointed Executive Director, responsible for the overall management of the company. Tony is the producer for all W!LD RICE shows, both in Singapore and abroad. He also produced the acclaimed 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2016 Singapore Theatre Festivals, which he conceived together with Artistic Director Ivan Heng.

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ABOUT W!LD RICE W!LD RICE was founded in 2000 by Ivan Heng, an internationally acclaimed and award-winning theatre practitioner, and is recognised today as one of Singapore’s leading professional theatre companies. Its mission is to provide an open forum for the shared experience of theatre: celebrating our diversity, reflecting on the problems and possibilities of our times, and presenting productions that inspire, challenge and entertain. A commitment to the highest standards informs every aspect of W!LD RICE’s creative work, which is first and foremost a celebration of Singapore’s theatrical talent. By producing and touring productions that are distinctively local in flavour and yet universal in vision and concerns, the company creates memorable experiences for audiences in Singapore and across the world. The company’s exciting and varied programming for the main stage includes: • New and original works; • New productions of the Singapore repertoire; and • New interpretations of world classics. The company’s mission to build a theatre culture also extends to the w ider community through the following divisions: • FIRST STAGE!, a project that nurtures young talents from the ages of 5 to 12; and • young & W!LD, which identifies and develops Singapore’s young theatre professionals. W!LD RICE is committed to touring its shows internationally to raise the profile of Singapore theatre, to create an international awareness of its unique productions, and to engage its artists and collaborators in creative dialogues with the international arts community. Its distinctively Singaporean productions have won great acclaim in major international arts festivals in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand and Russia. In August 2006, W!LD RICE presented the inaugural Singapore Theatre Festival, an event dedicated to celebrating contemporary Singaporean theatre through the development and presentation of new and original local writing. Over 10 years and five editions, the Festival has collaborated with local theatre companies and artists to present 32 productions, including 19 world premieres, of new local writing. In 2013, the Festival launched ‘In The Spotlight’ to present a season dedicated to the works of a single local playwright. The Festival has been hailed as “the main event in the world of the arts” (SPH The Straits Times) and the “Blockbuster Event of the Year” (TODAY).