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

Early life and education

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

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

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

Year Title Role(s) Ref
1990 The Bull Over the Rainbow Director [4]
1991 Redear Director [16]
1992 Posteterne Playwright, Director and Set Designer
1993 Osean Director
1994 Titoudao Playwright and Director [2]
1995 I Have A Date With Spring Director [17]
1996 K Playwright and Director
1998 Purple Playwright and Director
The Phoenix And The Turtle Director
Mama Looking For Her Cat Director
Storm Director and Set Designer
1999 Under Director
Guys and Dolls Director and Set Designer [18]
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the Theatre Practice Director
I Have A Date With Spring Director
2000 Titoudao Director & Playwright
A Tinted Edge Director & Playwright
Oleanna Director & Set Designer
Gone With That Thing Director
Mee Pok Man by Fiction Farm Script adaptation playwright & Set Designer
2001 Shopping & F***ing Set Designer
The Eastern Line On My Palm Director & Playwright
The Seventh Drawer Director
2002 Beautiful Thing (Mandarin) Director
K Playwright
The Morning People Director & Set Designer
Fireface Set Designer
Chessmaster Director
2003 Mad Phoenix Director & Set Designer
Bent Set Director
Beautiful Thing (Mandarin) Director & Set Designer
Prism Director & Playwright [19]
2004 East Side Story Set Designer
Mergers and Accusations Director
2005 Thunderstorm Director
Dangerous Liaisons Set Director
Porcelain Director
Spirits Director & Set Designer in Shanghai
2006 Long House Playwright
Army Daze Director & Set Designer
Cabaret Set Designer
2007 TiTouDao Director & Playwright
2009 Asia On The Edge (September) Creative Director
Asia On The Edge (November) Creative Director
2010 Maha Moggallana Director & Playwright
December Rains Director
The Crab Flower Club Playwright, Director & Set Designer
2011 Equus Set Designer
2012 Tin Tan and his Tembusu Tree Playwright & Director
K Playwright & Director
The Crab Flower Club Playwright, Director & Set Designer
Purple Playwright
2013 Glass Anatomy Script Adaptation Playwright, Director & Set Designer
High Class Musical Set Designer
The Penis Society Playwright
2014 Glass Anatomy Director (in Shanghai Culture Square, Original Mandarin Music Festival)
Ah Boys to Men: The Musical Script Adaptation Playwright
Innamorati Director [20]
2015 Savage Land Director & Set Designer
Titoudao Director & Playwright
Upstage Director
December Rains (Restage) Director
2016 Grind Director & Playwright
Kumarajiva Director
Innamorati Two Director [20]
2017 Prism Playwright
Songs of Guidance Director
2018 Songs of Liu San Jie Director
Sometime Moon Director & Playwright
A Dream Under The Southern Bough: The Beginning Director
Masters of Comedy Director
Oedipus Director
2019 The Severing Sword Director
A Dream Under The Southern Bough: Reverie Director
Infinite Island Director
2020 Titoudao (TV version by Mediacorp) Creative Director & Original Playwright
7 Sages of The Bamboo Grove Director & Co-Playwright
Old songs of Redhill Market (digital) Director
Poetry under the Southern Bough Creative Director
2021 All The World Is One's Stage Director
Masters of Comedy 2 Director
A Dream Under The Southern Bough - Existence Director
Old Songs of Redhill Market Director
2022 Roar Talents Director
Kwa Geok Choo - Singapore and the Story of Mrs Lee Kuan Yew Director & Chief Artistic Director [21]
2023 Quest: The White Hare Playwright & Director
Ignite The Sun Director

Accolades

  • 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

  1. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 "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. 1 2 "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.
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