Haw Par Villa is proud to be the venue partner for the 21st edition of TheatreWorks’ popular 24-hour Playwriting Competition. Established in 1985, TheatreWorks is a long-established stalwart in the theatre and arts scene in Singapore with an international reach.
With its quirky sculptures, sprawling greenery and surreal landscape, Haw Par Villa opens up to a world of imagination which fuels the conceptualisation of unique plays for the 24-hour playwriting competition.
Group shot at the grand entrance archway of Haw Par Villa!
Graced by the Guest-of-Honour Dr Maliki Osman, Southeast Community District mayor and supported by South East CDC, the winning scripts stand to be developed by TheatreWorks Writers’ Laboratory as a performance-ready script.
To add to the unpredictability (and sheer genius!), 5 creative stimuli were given to participants sporadically through the competition by game master and drag queen Becca D’ Bus.
Participants gathered in our museum hall for the release of the first stimulus by Dr Maliki Osman, with the precious stimulus encased in a hand-stamped envelope and jazzed up with an emoji sticker. Dr Maliki Osman revealed that he had roped in his family to customise each letter, which explained the thoughtful, personalised touch!
Guest-of-Honour Dr Maliki Osman, Mayor of Southeast Community District giving the opening speech
Supreme game master Becca D'Bus chats with a participant
Participants getting a dose of encouragement from Dr Maliki Osman as the competition kicks off at Haw Par Villa's Museum Hall
The Asian cultural park became the muse for the creative playwrights, who were invited to roam its grounds for inspiration. To kick-start their playwriting process, participants were treated to an insightful talk revealing the fascinating history of the former Tiger Balm Garden, before embarking on a fascinating adventure through Haw Par Villa on a customised guided tour, which unveiled the story of the illustrious Aw brothers, along with the hidden stories behind the eclectic sculptures and dioramas. Highlights of the tour included exploring different perspectives of the afterlife as seen by various world religions in a sneak preview of the upcoming Hell’s Museum and journeying through the Ten Courts of Hell, gaining fascinating insights along the way.
Participants getting to know more about Haw Par Villa and its rich history, heritage and culture during the talk by Journeys
Conceptualised and conducted by Journeys (management of Haw Par Villa and the company behind the award-winning The Original Singapore Walks®), the talk and tour allowed participants to see Haw Par Villa in a new light and draw on their experience to infuse creativity into their playwriting. “Haw Par Villa is one-of-its-kind in the world and we hope to play host to more unique events in the upcoming years”, said Ms Savita Kashyap, Executive Director of Journeys Pte Ltd.
Ms Savita Kashyap, Executive Director of Journeys in an engaging conversation with the Guest-of-Honour and Mayor of South-East District, Dr Maliki Osman
Striking a pose in front of the Thai dancer sculpture, one of the many quirky sculptures in the historic Haw Par Villa
Check out our photos for a behind-the-scenes look at TheatreWorks’ 24-hour Playwriting Competition held at Haw Par Villa over the weekend from 14-15 Jul 2018.
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Let the competition begin!
Customised Haw Par Villa Tour by Journeys
A moment of reflection during the Coffin Experience
Our specialised guide shares more about the significance of hell money
Participants discovering more about the Ten Courts of Hell
Participants were invited to try their hands at a traditional ritual