Facing one’s fears and trauma to tell the story of survival.

There are some things in life that are best left unsaid. But there are also some things that should absolutely be made known, the key parts of one’s own personal history that when spoken aloud, begins a process of healing by acknowledging and facing these debilitating traumas head-on.

That is the newfangled methodology young Dr Weng uses at least, when he is reluctantly seconded to the Kranji Home Facility for seniors, and meets a reticent group of elderlies during 1980s Singapore. Inspired by the novel Listening to Letter from America, by geriatric psychiatrist Professor Kua Ee Heok, Unforgotten The Musical then follows Dr Weng (played by Prof. Kua’s own son, Timothy Kua) as he engages these seniors in a series of group therapy sessions to uncover and hear them share about their oftentimes painful memories sustained from World War II.

Directed by Jeremiah Choy, with book and lyrics by Jonathan Lim and music composed by Elaine Chan, Unforgotten The Musical is a remarkable feat of adaptation. While it does feel like a simple story somewhat overstuffed with scenes, from a lengthy script to a whopping 19 musical numbers, Unforgotten has powerful material to pull from, and the collective history of Singaporeans who’ve been taught riveting war stories from young. In recalling those stories, told through ‘survivors’ who recount each one with painful, aching emotion, Unforgotten gets right the sheer amount of heart that goes into staging such history, and making us care about these events that took place almost 80 years ago.

Unforgotten The Musical takes its time in getting Dr Weng warmed up to his motley crew of six, with Lim (Leslie Tay), Li Mei (Audrey Luo), Joe de Souza (Rai Kanu, of Jack & Rai fame), Ali (Amin Alifin), Rani (Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai) and Seng Huat (Sugie Phua). While this does drag a little at the beginning, the play really comes alive once the introductions are over, and the seniors finally come alive when Dr Weng connects with them over old records and they spring up with energy over nostalgia. This segues into a greater willingness to tell their stories, and what director Jeremiah Choy does so well is bring a certain heaviness and gravitas to the seniors when they begin to speak, their voices on the verge of cracking as the memories flood back. Whether recalling the Battle at Bukit Chandu firsthand or the anxiety over their family’s survival as they heard bombs fall around them, each time the characters recall their past, their faces are gripped with a look of primal fear and inscrutable pain at all they’ve lost.

Getting younger actors to play senior citizens could easily come off as overdone or hackneyed, but hair and makeup artist Joseph Ng makes their transformation believable, along with Moe Kassim’s costumes that perfectly match each character’s personalities. This is also buoyed by the main cast’s performances, all of whom imbue their words and dialogue with a realness and natural physicality, where each of these senior citizens are given clear and distinct characters, and are endearing in their own way, never overplaying them to the point of caricature, and always finding the human element beneath the jokes and makeup, and sharing strong onstage chemistry with each other.

Amidst the cast, standouts include Rai Kanu, who despite his lack of stage experience, has been given the perfect character in the wisecracking, Hawaiian-shirt wearing Joe, as he continually uses humour as a defence mechanism, to the point of annoyance. At the same time, Rai skilfully switches into his more serious, emotional side when he needs to, and you feel the genuine sense of camaraderie for his brethren when he needs to. Watching his journey, one can’t help but appreciate the growth even an older man like him can still undergo, learning to let others speak for themselves rather than speak for them.

Also outstanding is Sugie Phua, whose Seng Huat spends most of the play stuttering and unable to form complete sentences. What could easily have been played off as a stock character is given depth with Sugie’s performance, showcasing a broken man who wants to heal (in a particularly charming scene where he attempts to court Li Mei), but is completely held back by his PTSD, crippling him each time he recalls the past. While his lines are more limited, it is a joy to see Sugie back onstage and doing what he does best, bringing out so much sweetness and innocence to his character one can’t help but empathise with.

Jonathan Lim has also done especially well with his script. Though lengthy, the play nails the mood through its songs and speech. Throughout, these are littered with Singlish that blends well with the dialogue, a difficult feat to achieve, and makes it feel like a quintessentially Singaporean story. As heavy as the material is, Jonathan’s script also allows for lighter moments, such as the standout ‘The MP Is Coming Today’ in Act 2, where the entire cast enters a surreal state and perform a cabaret-style number led by the uptight Director Ngeow (Xavier Kang), which offers a much-needed break from how the play at times feels repetitive or long-winded in trying to flesh out all six characters’ backstories.

By the time one reaches the second half, Unforgotten The Musical really gets its act together and amps up the pace, ensuring that there is much stronger forward momentum and for the seniors to really find their groove as they get cheekier, more daring, and use the bond built up over the weeks to literally save each other. Its final scenes hit especially hard as Seng Huat shares the heartwrenching story he’s been holding back the entire time, a harrowing experience that makes one truly reflect on the horrors of war and how easy it is to forget what our forebears have gone through, and when the gang reunite, one might even shed a tear over the newfound attachment they have for each other, as a found family who’ve survived the horrors of war and choose to boldly live on.

Unforgotten The Musical is decidedly not one for audience members with a short attention span. But if anything, the musical’s form itself is a plea to take a break from the fast-paced stream of content we’re used to, sit with these characters a while, and just hear what they have to say. If anything, this is a show that will make you feel for the past, understand the need to remember and confront trauma, and move you with strong acting and musical performances.

Musical Theatre Limited has tackled a difficult topic, but has managed to treat the sensitive subject matter with respect and make it feel both relevant and a key part of our own ancestry. Bringing history to life, while reminding us that what we have should never be taken for granted, this is a necessary musical for the Singapore theatre canon to have that pays tribute to our elders and delivers an evocative message that everyone has a story worth listening to.

Photo Credit: Musical Theatre Limited

Unforgotten The Musical plays from 28th July to 5th August 2023 at the Drama Centre Theatre. Tickets available from SISTIC

Production Credits:

Director: Jeremiah Choy Assistant Director: Gavin Low

Playwright: Jonathan Lim

Music Director/Composer: Elaine Chan

Cast: Timothy Kua, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Audrey Luo, Sugie Phua, Amin Alifin, Rai Kanu, Leslie Tay, Nicholas Bloodworth, Miriam Cheong, Abby Lai and Xavier Kang

Costume Design: Moe Kasim Hair/Makeup: Joseph Ng

Lighting Design: Shawn Chong

Set Design: Wong Chee Wai Graphic Designer: Grace Wan

Sound Design: Varian Tan

Stage Manager: Elnie S Mashari

Producer: Florence Teo