Building a loyal following and domestic audience in Taiwan for over twenty years, Taiwanese artist Wu Nien-jen is finally bringing his beloved Human Condition theatre series to Singapore for the first time. Enjoyed by over half a million Taiwanese theatregoers since its inception in 2000, this year, the Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts will be bringing its latest iteration to the Esplanade Theatre, with Human Condition VIII.

Presented by Greenray Theatre Company, Human Condition VIII tells the story of Mingcan, a retiree who finds himself adrift and without a purpose in life. His status as a respected patriarch has long disappeared as his adult children have their own families and lives to deal with. Unable to contribute to the economy and unneeded by his family, Mingcan questions his self-worth as his dignity slowly fades with each listless, monotonous day. Just as he feels that he has struck rock-bottom, he instead strikes the lottery jackpot, and immediately finds himself to be of interest to his family once more. Mingcan feels respected, needed, wanted. But is this unexpected windfall a stroke of luck or a harbinger of misfortune? 

Unlike previous editions of Human Condition, this eighth instalment is intended to be a comedy, as opposed to a melodrama, one that writer-director Wu Nien-jen believes will be accessible to Singaporean audiences. “There’s no need to read up or prepare for the show before coming into the theatre, I believe the story is strong enough that you can just sit back, relax and enjoy all that is happening onstage,” says Wu. “Especially since this one is more contemporary, I believe that everyone will understand its central theme about growing older and fears surrounding how much you have or haven’t achieved, and the resulting way in which you are perceived by others. It’s especially relatable to men and older audience members who are likely to recognise these dynamics and situations.”

Wu ranks among one of the most prolific artists in Taiwan, having won all four Golden Awards – the Golden Melody Award, Golden Bell Award, Golden Horse Award, and Golden Tripod Award, working across theatre and film as director, writer and actor, and even garnered the prestigious National Cultural Award for the Human Condition series. Despite Human Condition VIII being a comedy, which diverges significantly from previous editions, he was unfazed and completely confident writing it.

“Previous editions of Human Condition would probably have seen audiences reaching for the tissues, but as I get older, I think there’s no need to be so sad, and put some smiles on our faces instead,” says Wu. “How I got my start in writing really came from how I used to write short stories, before someone asked me to write scripts for them. After many scripts, I decided to venture into directing, and well, one thing led to another, especially when I joined a theatre company and learnt the ropes of performance and theatre from there.”

On why he continues to work in the arts, Wu reminisces back to his humble beginnings, and his influences as a child. “In the 1970s, Taiwan had a lot of people who went overseas and came back with plenty of ideas. For me, I was always looking out for something new and exciting, and I found so much joy from going to the theatre and watching films, and it made me want to et involved as well,” says Wu. “It’s never been the awards that motivated me, but because I’ve always loved writing, and wanted to give something to the audiences. I’ve always believed that amidst the instability of my youth, it was always reading and writing that saved me, as a way to connect and express myself and somehow coincided with becoming my career.”

Wu is particularly happy with how Human Condition has brought more elderly audiences to the theatre, reminding him of how his own grandfather used to bring him to shows. “When I was four, my ah gong didn’t know the language, but he still brought me to shows. But these days, you only see young people go to the theatre,” says Wu. “So, I wrote this series to bring in more elderly audiences, and it’s been a joy to see people in their 80s and even older coming to watch it. I’m always worried if the audience will connect to my shows, because unlike film, where you can emphasise certain parts or hide flaws via close-ups and clever editing, you lay it all on the stage and have to ensure the emotions are real and felt by the actor and the audience. But I always believe that there’s something very universal in these stories that everyone can relate to, that people will understand and connect to.”

On finally bringing the series to Singapore, Wu mentions how there are interesting parallels between Taiwan and Singapore, particularly with how the languages are multicultural and multifaceted. “In my scripts, I tend to use a lot of dialect and don’t always include subtitles, yet people can understand this messy mix of Taiwan, Beijing and Japan, and makes it feel alive,” he says. “Singapore too is multicultural, and in a way that’s very different from Taiwan I feel. On the MRT in Singapore, I hear so many different languages the announcements are made in, while Singaporean friends would ask me to ‘la kopi’, which fascinates me with how this literal meaning of ‘having coffee’ translates to hanging out. There’s something so sincere in using and hearing these kinds of languages that makes you feel more connected, and I hope Singaporeans can see and understand my intent and similarly connect to the show when it comes to the Esplanade.”

Photo Credit: Tsai Yuhao

Human Condition VIII plays from 15th to 16th February 2025 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets available here

Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts 2025 runs from 7th to 16th February 2025 at the Esplanade. Tickets and full programme available here