Well-known Local Plays; > Emily of Emerald Hill
The old mansion "Oberon," at 117 Emerald Hill Road, remembered in
the play.
“Emily
of Emerald Hill” is a one-woman play written by Stella Kon about a Nonya
matriarch who ruled over her family, yet at the end, finds that she loses
her most treasured. Emily is an abandoned Chinese Peranakan girl, who braves
her lot in life to emerge as one of the members of high society and the matriarch
of a large and notable household. The play talks about her life story as well
as her estranged relationship with her family.
The play won the First Prize in the National Play-Writing Competition in 1983. Since then, it has been presented more than 100 times by 8 different performers, in Singapore, Malaysia, Hawaii and Edinburg. There have also been translations into Chinese and Japanese and a broadcast over Radio Iceland. A film version is being considered.
Pearlly Chua
The
play was first staged in 1984, in Seremban, directed by Chin and played by
Leow Puay Tin. A year after, it opened in Singapore with Margaret Chan as
Emily. Chua took over the role in 1990. In 1999, Singaporean actor Ivan Heng
from Wild Rice Productions did a lively rendition of Emily to KL audiences.
This play was seen as a huge influence in the theatrical scene in Singapore. It has also been cited in many academic essays and used as a reference in plays and poetry by other Singaporean writers.
Playwright Stella Kon