Golden Child a hit with Singapore

"...In this way the narrative covers much ground without losing focus and without succumbing to didacticism or becoming bogged down in historical facts. The impact of Western influences is explored on a domestic level, and the pace of progress is shown to be a rough, divisive force rather than a welcome change for the better....

"The tension and conflict, liberally laced with comedy, provide meaty roles for the high-profile cast, all of whom possess impressive stage credentials....

"There are times when a three-strong, masked chorus appears, again, for another quick Chinese dance, or more incense is lit, or the English missionary explains the new Chinese word for in-di-vid-u-al, and you scream internally "Enough already -we get the point ". But then the play was written for a Broadway audience and they will soon have the chance to judge for themselves whether Golden Child is to go the way of M Butterfly or Face Values. Given the initial enthusiastic reception in Singapore and around the US, the former seems much more likely. "

Ben Munroe
Business Times (Singapore)

"IT IS everything a Broadway play should be, and more....

"Its two-year journey to completion has served it well: The writing, acting, directing and design are nearly flawless.

"Half-drawing-room melodrama a la Oscar Wilde, half-Shavian discussion play, Golden Child tells the true story of the playwright's great-grandfather....

"The story is told by Ahn (Julyana Soelistyo), Eng's daughter by his first wife and the mother of contemporary character Andrew Kwong (Kim). She appears at his bedside as a figure he is dreaming while asleep with his pregnant wife (Ming- Na Wen).

"Wen, appearing currently in the new Mike Figgis film One Night Stand, plays both Andrew's contemporary American wife and Eng's youngest and most beloved third wife, Eling.

"Her charmingly coquettish manner with Eng softens her contemporary robustness, though she remains the most modern of the three, perhaps as a reminder that she is being dreamt into the historical role by husband Andrew.

"Ahn provides a thread for the audience both to and through the action in China. She is the only character to have lived in both worlds and she acts as the bridge between times and cultures.

"She is "Chinese Christian -best of East, best of West ". Soelistyo delivers a performance of understated brilliance.

"Her transformation from old woman to pre-adolescent child is not only believable, but also a delectable treat for the audience.

"Her precision keeps the all-important thread clearly defined and yet non-intrusive. Never have I seen an adult play a child so convincingly, with appropriate intelligence and ignorance.

"But the frame is flimsy. The audience is given little opportunity to understand Kwong and his inner turmoil, only seeing him in a decontextualised bed rolled out under the curtain as an afterthought....

"Anybody with any interest in theatre, no matter how small, should see this play. It is that well-done.

"So should those who have settled easily into modern Christian ways here in Singapore, but still speak to their ancestors or watch family members light joss-sticks occasionally. So should anybody who associates individualism with the West and community or family with the East. So should anybody who has felt a desire for solitude or privacy.

"Or a good laugh. While the play offers a poignant and particular portrait of a Chinese man pulling up his roots, it also offers a hilarious, acerbic account of a family in crisis. "

Elizabeth A. Kaiden
Singapore Strait Times

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