For years, local theatre company Nine Years Theatre has been producing original and adapted works in Mandarin, primarily targeted at adults, and showcasing the beauty and art of the Chinese language. But this July, they’re breaking new ground and attempting to bring in a completely different demographic of audience – children.

Kicking off this new initiative is original production Phinny & Wally, set to premiere at the Drama Centre Black Box next week. Written and directed by Nine Years Theatre Associate Director Cherilyn Woo, the Mandarin play follows Phinny, a gentle dolphin, and Wally, an enthusiastic Beluga whale, as they navigate unexpected threats from humans encroaching on their oceanic home, and how it is the unbreakable bond of friendship that will see them through the highest of tides.

Cherilyn is no stranger to children’s theatre, having started out her career in theatre with plenty of experience directing for Singapore Theatre Company’s The Little Company, while also working closely with children alongside Isabella Chiam as Issy X Cher. Phinny & Wally then is familiar ground for Cherilyn, and she explains her continued interest in the genre. “I started getting more involved in theatre for young audiences after I had nephews, aged 3 and 6, and I wanted to create work that they could come and watch as well,” says Cherilyn. “In general, there’s a lot more of a fun dynamic in such shows, and a lot more play – what you imagine is so different from regular shows, and what’s more, you get very honest, immediate feedback from how children are reacting to the show.”

The idea for Phinny & Wally actually came about a decade ago, when Cherilyn was just starting out in theatre. Initially envisioned as a children’s book, the concept spawned from Cherilyn’s own feelings towards her transition from college to the real, adult working world, paralleled in how these two sea animals were also growing up, and finally understanding what the world around them was like. “I wanted to create something that was accessible, fun and understandable for everyone, and it came to me at a point in my life where I was entering the industry, and how important it was to have a supportive community around you,” says Cherilyn. “It made me think about how important it was to have friends, and how to be a good friend, not just to each other but extended to the environment and natural world around us, leading to Phinny & Wally.”

“I’d finished the entire story all that time ago, and sent it to be my best friend to read. She encouraged me to keep going at it, but then life got in the way, I shelved the project, and when Nelson (Chia, artistic director of Nine Years Theatre) and I were discussing what we could do, somehow I gravitated back to it again,” adds Cherilyn. “Even now, it’s relevant to adults too – I’m in my 30s now, and realise how difficult it can be to make new friends or even maintain our current friendships, and the show reminds us of how important that is. The story remains more or less the same, but the biggest change is that the two characters were initially a goldfish and a whale – back then I didn’t realise that they couldn’t live in the same environment, which is why she’s now a dolphin instead!”

For Nine Years Theatre, a big reason why they’re venturing into theatre for young audiences is recognising the demand for it, but how difficult it can be for children to maintain their relationship with the Chinese language, leading to concerns surrounding maintaining that connection, as well as the sustainability of artists who can continue to create in the Chinese language. And even with Phinny & Wally, Nine Years Theatre remains steadfast in their goal to recognise and celebrate the multicultural identity of Singaporean Chinese and to tell stories through theatre that remind us of our humanity, regardless of genre and scale.

“The main storyline sees the very cautious Phinny learn to be more daring and bold with the help of Wally, and beyond learning and gaining exposure to Mandarin, the show also has a very strong environmental message – in our research process, we spoke to marine biologist Tiffany Goh, and we found out how whales and dolphins are even affected by things like an increased number of ships and offshore activities that contribute to noise pollution, and how it prevents them from properly sensing their environment and disrupting their daily lives,” says Cherilyn. “We also have a pre-show activity where audiences get to learn about how plastic travels all the way from Singapore to the Arctic Circle, and the potential consequences of plastic waste and trash to the ocean.”

Working closely with local environmental organization Plastify, Phinny & Wally is doubling down on its environmental message by using found and recycled items to create part of the set, even bringing some of these pieces into the theatre, where they will play the role of colourful corals filtering out plastic from the environment, while the performance happens all around them. “It’s the first time I’m working with these designers in the team, and it’s been a very interesting collaboration process this time around – usually, we know exactly what the set looks like, but now we’re basing it on whatever we can get from Plastify, while also ensuring that we’re not transforming it such that we can return it Plastify after the show to be upcycled or reused,” says Cherilyn. “I think it’s always interesting to explore these new methods and ways of creating, whether it’s with technology or simply collaborating with new partners, and seeing how theatre can continue to evolve in terms of process and discipline.”

This also marks the first time her cast, Cheryl Ho and Shu Yi Ching, are working with each other, and Cherilyn comments on the process of directing them. “During the first script read, I reminded them that this would be the prime time to get to know each other properly, and chart that journey of friendship. All this will also play into the performance, and I believe the rehearsal process will also bring them closer to each other,” says Cherilyn. “There’s a misconception that children’s theatre takes less time to prepare for than a typical show, but it’s actually at times a lot more targeted, where we have to make sure that our delivery is precise and simple enough that these children are clear what we’re saying, and get engaged with the story without oversimplifying it. Children actually are capable of having complex emotions, so we can’t just dumb things down for them!”

“In the rehearsal room, I direct in English as Mandarin still doesn’t come naturally to me. I do think theatre transcends language, and while I do translate their lines from Mandarin to English in my head, I also pay a lot of attention to body language and tone,” she adds. “The other people in the room always offer me help when I need it – sometimes when I need a line change, the actors will chip in, or Ellison Tan, who’s helping out and brings her experience as a theatre for young audience specialist, and make sure the lines are still grammatically sound and make sense, and it really adds up to a team effort behind the scenes.”

As for her greatest takeaways from this production, Cherilyn takes a moment to reflect on how far she’s come on her theatre journey, and how she hopes this will continue to be a mainstay for Nine Years Theatre. “All those years ago, Phinny & Wally was one of the first original things I’d created for myself, and revisiting it today, there’s a lot less nervous energy I used to have,” Cherilyn concludes. “Now diving into it again, with friends, new knowledge and experience, there’s a lot more freedom and creativity and inspiration gained from different productions and people I’ve met over the years. Everything I’ve learned about life, I’ve learnt through art, and I hope that my audiences also gain that sense of discovery when they watch this show.”

Photo Credit: Nine Years Theatre

Phinny & Wally plays from 27th July to 4th August 2024 at the Drama Centre Black Box. Tickets available from Peatix