“Like a Pixar film onstage.” That’s how writer Amanda Chong imagines any kind of Theatre For Young Audiences theatre should feel like, rather than talking down or infantilising it in any way, able to connect not just with children, but even with the adults accompanying them by speaking to some fundamental, universal, relatable truths. And in many ways, that is precisely what she’s achieved with her debut play for younger audiences, The Feelings Farm. 

First staged in 2021, as produced by and part of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay’s annual March On children’s festival, The Feelings Farm is a theatrical experience with music intended to help children name and understand emotions with compassion. The play follows three Singaporean children on a trip to Kranji, ending up lost on the eponymous Feelings Farm, where they must learn to journey through if they are to find their way back again. As they adventure on, they encounter landscapes such as the Jungle or Joy or brave the Field of Fear, learning how to handle difficult but familiar feelings. 

“The whole project started when the Esplanade contacted me and wanted me to help contribute a children’s play for March On, which is surprising, because prior to that, I’d never actually written any play professionally before,” says Amanda, who might be better known for critically-acclaimed works such as #WomenSupportingWomen(2022) or Psychobitch (2023). “The initial metaphor I wanted to work with was the idea of feelings as landscapes that we must journey through. I saw feelings as landscapes because they are never the same way twice, and different people would have different experiences of the same feeling. And I knew it had to be local landscapes with imagery drawn from daily life  to create a sense of familiarity and make it more understandable for Singaporean families , which is what led to ideas like the Anthill of Anger filled with red ants, or the Longkang of Loneliness.”

Both director Edith Podesta and Composer Julian Wong liked the idea, and somehow, the email subjects started becoming ‘The Feelings Farm’, eventually becoming the title. The process was then furthered when Amanda and the team conducted workshops with children, drawing from their experiences and stories to give the characters and scenarios even greater significance and realism. “The devising process took place in January 2021, where for about three weeks, myself and several artists would be engaging children from all kinds of backgrounds, including children with disabilities and from various socioeconomic backgrounds,” says Amanda. “We would do various activities with them, like ask them questions like what does sadness look like or sound like, and get them to draw or tell stories about these emotions. It was all about doing a deep dive, and hearing their narratives and perspective which made the emotions in the play feel even more real, where we included characters who dealt with issues like social inequality, alternative family structures and more.” 

Combining music, movement, poetry and puppetry, The Feelings Farm essentially becomes a sprawling map for its intended young audience to be guided through, one that deals with feelings so familiar, the adults too might feel a pang. “Edith and Julian and I all agreed not to write ‘kiddy things’ – we don’t believe in dumbing things down for children, and rather than ‘flattening’ a concept, we distil it instead. Instead of  insulating a child from difficult feelings like grief and loneliness we are here to give children the right language and strategies to process them,” says Amanda. “Edith gave me a great reference point in Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which was a documentary about the television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. And to me it was so incredible that this show covered heavy topics such as  assassination and divorce in the 60s to 80s. One episode even dealt with racial desegregation, where Mr Rogers invited a black police officer to come dip his feet into the same backyard pool with him, in a time where many swimming pools refused entry to black people. Whether it was a child or an adult watching, it would be equally resonant to them.”

“So in the same vein, The Feelings Farm allows even an unaccompanied adult to walk into the theatre and enjoy, or at least, find resonance in the show. it’s almost a natural impulse for me to deal with difficult topics, especially having previously been a sex crimes prosecutor and often having to communicate with children about things that seemed so difficult for them to understand,” continues Amanda. “The literacy programme I co-founded saw me regularly interacting with kids who live in one-room flats. They were  very cognizant of how their modes of transport were  different from their more privileged peers, or how they would never go on overseas holidays. It’s important not to turn away from difficult issues, and acknowledge they exist so we can help to give children the tools to process them.”

In the three years since The Feelings Farm originally premiered, a lot has changed. For one thing, having played during the early days out of lockdown, there were multiple social distancing measures still in place, where the show was staged at the Esplanade Theatre and required creative direction to help make the experience more intimate for its young audience. “Back then only four actors could be working on the show at one go, so when a puppet was used on stage, other  actors had to double up as puppeteers In order to create a sense of intimacy, there was a camera crew who filmed the actors, whose faces were then projected onscreen so that the audience could more clearly see the nuance in their expressions as they went through many different feelings,” says Amanda. “All of that multimedia was an art in itself. The elephant puppet which was made of cardboard had  a very strong DIY quality too, as Edith’s intention was to make our young audience think, wow I could make this in my own living room, and really evoke that sense of wonder and possibility. Even my own niece became inspired to do theatre after watching it, which was amazing to see..”

“Now, we’re presenting it at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre without restrictions, with beautiful puppets operated by professional puppeteers led by Myra Loke, and the ability to add lots of texture to the scenography, and it’s really quite beautiful,” adds Amanda. “ The thing that draws me back to theatre again and again is the collaborative aspect of it, making art with other people, all of whom contribute their own expertise to it.”

Considering that theatre is often perceived as an art form with a high barrier to entry, Amanda is thankful that the production has had a chance to really connect with audiences from all walks of life. “To me, there are two ways we should pay attention to access in theatre. . The first is whether we are able to actually get diverse audiences into the theatre, which is achieved in part thanks to collaborators, charities and donors who go out of their way to sponsor tickets for underserved children who might not be able to afford a ticket, including children with disabilities and children who are in institutional or foster care” says Amanda. “And the other is ensuring that what you put onstage makes  this diverse audience feel welcome, intentionally ensuring that there is meaningful representation from the characters on stage, like the power of friendship across gender, race or socioeconomic background.”

“Several girls from the reading programme I ran really resonated with the character whose father is a delivery rider. They told me they related to this street-smart, resourceful girl who was grappling with feelings of jealousy of classmates who might have been better off financially,” says Amanda. “I also intentionally wrote the male character as more sensitive and emotionally vulnerable, against the stereotypes of masculinity I grew up with. This hopefully would give boys permission to be more emotionally attuned.”

Thinking about her own childhood growing up, Amanda considers the change in landscape and expectation, and feels optimistic about the future. “Growing up in the 90s, I think our parents were more stoic, and if you even talk about feelings, there was this tendency for them to respond with ‘why are you moping?’ There was just no awareness of how to speak about or how to process feelings,” says Amanda. “ Even in the past couple of years, prior to COVID-19, no one really talked about mental health, even in the most mentally taxing of jobs. But these days, it’s fantastic how parents are so much more attuned to helping their kids process emotions. People don’t realise it’s a life skill, and there’s no need to apologise for emotions. This is a society that is learning how to be compassionate.”

“I channeled a lot of those thoughts into The Feelings Farm, where I asked myself what I wished I knew as a kid when going through big feelings. Sometimes it really did feel so overwhelming in the moment, and that feelings like sadness will never go away,” she adds. “Going back to what I said about distilling but not flattening the message, there’s this refrain in the show that reaffirms that feelings come and go, and nothing lasts forever. That was inspired by a Rainer Maria Rilke poem – “Go To The Limits of Your Longing”, and while it’s a kid-friendly version I wrote, it remains this powerful truth to know that you won’t be stuck in the Swamp of Sadness forever, and that people can and will give you the acceptance and compassion to ride it out.”

As for how else she hopes The Feelings Farm will impact others, Amanda ends on a high, positive note that it’s adding to the conversation, and there is strong visibility that mindsets are changing regarding emotions. “As a child, I used to think adults were very dispassionate people who mastered their emotions by internalising them. But in truth, it is far healthier for a child to see someone having an emotional response to something and dealing with it in a healthy way,  rather than think it is better to repress it. Emotions are natural responses to life events. If you see something unjust, of course you should get angry, maybe it might motivate you to do something about the situation. Or if you see someone sad, you empathise with them and be there for them instead of saying they should get over it,” says Amanda. “Adults can model the way by acknowledging the emotion, while explaining how it is important to take a moment to tune in with ourselves, so we do not hurt others or ourselves while in that feeling. There’s a need to validate those emotions, to listen to your body rather than resist it. There’s this other refrain in the show that asks ‘‘Do you know that feeling? Have you felt this way before?”. To me, it’s so important to start by recognising and identifying the emotion you are feeling and then to act with compassion, rather than being so harsh on yourself all the time.”

“The charm of music is that it’s so memorable, and after the first staging, we had parents asking us whether we could send them the soundtrack. We do hope that at some point we can record it so that  families and schools can use it as a tool to provide practical steps and advice for dealing with feelings, as encoded into songs,” concludes Amanda. “ My hope is for The Feelings Farm to reach as many children in Singapore as possible, whether through a soundtrack or even the children staging it in schools themselves. I’d also love to  evolve The Feelings Farm over the years to adapt to new contexts, new issues, and new struggles children may face, ao it may be a source of comfort and compassion.”

Photo(s) by Crispian Chan, courtesy of Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The Feelings Farm ran till 26th October 2024 at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. More information available here