Nelson Chia, the artistic director of Nine Years Theatre, directed No Parking on Odd Days and The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole, monologues written by late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun. In an exploration of cultural sentiments and grassroots sensibilities, Nelson had actors Hang Qian Chou and Tay Kong Hui perform the monologues in Chinese dialects — “No Parking” in Cantonese and “Coffin” in Teochew.
No Parking On Odd Days and The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole are two of late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun’s most famous monologues. Both works have been staged in English and Mandarin numerous times since they were written in the mid-1980s. In Dialects & Dialectics, Nelson Chia – the artistic director of Nine Years Theatre – works with actors Hang Qian Chou and Tay Kong Hui to explore the cultural sentiments and grassroots sensibilities of these plays by staging them in Chinese dialects. Come catch this double-bill showcase performed in Cantonese and Teochew. Chinese and English surtitles are provided.
This edition of The Vault is Nelson’s reciprocal project for the grant he received from Centre 42’s Fellowship programme. Find out more about it here.
REGISTRATION
Friday & Saturday, 5-6 May 2017
8pm @ Centre 42 Black Box
Admission price: Give-What-You-Can
(Cash only, at the door)
Nelson Chia
Nelson Chia is an actor, director and theatre educator. Trained in the Suzuki Method of Actor Training and Viewpoints, he has performed on the Singapore stage for over two decades in both English and Mandarin productions. Nelson holds an MA in Directing from Goldsmiths College and has directed over 25 major productions. He is best known for his translation, adaptation and direction of old and contemporary classics in Mandarin. Nelson previously headed the Department of Theatre at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and lectured at LASALLE College of the Arts and the Theatre Studies Programme at the National University of Singapore. In 2012, Nelson co-founded the award-winning Nine Years Theatre with his wife Mia Chee.
Nine Years Theatre
Nine Years Theatre is a local Mandarin theatre company founded by Nelson Chia and Mia Chee in 2012. Its aims are to reimagine classic plays in Chinese, as well as to create new work. The company has won multiple awards for its productions, such as its Mandarin adaptations of Yasmina Reza’s Art and Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men. In 2013, the Nine Years Theatre Ensemble (NYTE) was established so that a group of actors can train together on a regular basis via systematic methods. To date, the NYTE is the only actor ensemble of this nature in Singapore.
Reading Material
#1: KUO PAO KUN – LIFE EVENTS
#2: THE BILINGUAL POLICY
#3: ABOUT NO PARKING ON ODD DAYS
#4: ABOUT THE COFFIN IS TOO BIG FOR THE HOLE
Programme Handout
Nelson Chia, the artistic director of Nine Years Theatre, directed “No Parking on Odd Days” and “The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole”, monologues written by late theatre doyen Kuo Pao Kun. In an exploration of cultural sentiments and grassroots sensibilities, Nelson had actors Hang Qian Chou and Tay Kong Hui perform the monologues in Chinese dialects — “No Parking” in Cantonese and “Coffin” in Teochew.
Centre 42 presented three showings of “The Vault: Dialects & Dialectics” on 5 and 6 May 2017, where director Nelson Chia revisited Kuo Pao Kun’s monologues “No Parking On Odd Days” and “The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole”. He worked with actors Hang Qian Chou 韩乾畴 and Tay Kong Hui to showcase these works in Cantonese and Teochew with the hope of bringing out the grassroots sentiments found in the plays. With support from 九年剧场 Nine Years Theatre. This edition of The Vault is Nelson’s reciprocal project for the grant he received from Centre 42’s Fellowship programme.
Source: Centre 42 Facebook
