Quest – The White Hare | Hokkien Opera Introduction

In the classic Hokkien Opera The White Hare, a mysterious rabbit reunites a mother and son after 16 years of separation—can this same fabled being reconnect us back to our cultural roots?

Upon the completion of a major renovation at Feng Ling Community Centre, a large-scale Hokkien opera was proposed to justify its funding. The centre summoned Wu, a Singaporean theatre director to recreate The White Hare, and instructed staff member Micky Lim to coordinate this project.

A member of parliament, a kindergarten teacher, a coffee shop cleaner, a junior college student, and an opera veteran are gathered together; rehearsals become a breeding ground for misunderstandings between contemporary and traditional ideologies. Opera movements lost in a forest of doubts, and frustrations rolled in as clouds of fear. Will the rabbit hop in time to rescue them out of the well of confusion to complete their performance?

Following a successful run of The Crab Flower Club in 2022, director Goh Boon Teck join hands with the same creative team to bring his new, original script to life. This production fuses traditional Hokkien opera with modern theatrical elements, peppered with colourful and familiar Singaporean and Hokkien expressions throughout the show. Audiences will also have the rare opportunity to watch Hokkien opera excerpts by veteran performer Mdm Wei Li Fen, who used to perform with the famed Sin Sai Hong, Singapore’s oldest Hokkien opera troupe that last performed together in 2014. A tender celebration of the art of Hokkien opera, Quest – The White Hare bridges the traditional and contemporary with heart and humour, leading audiences down a path of joyful discovery.

Show Details

• Quest – The White Hare
• Date: 3 - 4 Mar 2023
• Time: 8pm
• Venue: Esplanade Theatre
• Address: 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981

Ticketing Information

• Tickets available on Esplanade
• Price:
• Cat 1 Standard: $88 | PWDs (Limited): $32
• Cat 2 Standard: $68 | PWDs (Limited): $32
• Cat 3 Standard: $48 | Students, NSFs & Seniors (Limited): $42 | PWDs (Limited): $32
• Cat 4 Standard: $38 | Students, NSFs & Seniors (Limited): $32 | PWDs (Limited): $32
• Admission Age: 6 and above
• Language: Mandarin, Hokkien
• Surtitle Language: English

Cast

Wei Li Fen

Doreen Toh Wendy Toh

Timothy Wan

Tiara Yap

Wayne Lim

Clement Yeo

Asher Kang Zhan Feng

Creative Team

Playwright and Director: Goh Boon Teck

Music Arranger: August Lum

Set Designer: Abigail Goh

Lighting Designer: Gabriel Chan

Sound Designer and Sound Engineer: Sandra Tay

Costume and Headgear Designer: Max Tan

Make up Designer: Hong Ruwang

Opera Movement Coach: Zhang Manxi

Information Source: Esplanade