Cover Photo: Instagram / @unforgotten.themusical
Photo: Instagram / @unforgotten.themusical
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Beyond mere entertainment, the Singaporean production hopes to spark deeper conversations between the young and old generations
Unforgotten is not your typical musical. According to playwright Jonathan Lim, the upcoming local production is not a “story where a dancing chorus comes in nor one with cute kids dressed as penguins”. Rather, it is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of our past generations and the legacy which they have left behind.
For Lim, Unforgotten isn’t just a story that he wants to share, but one he knows he needs to tell.
A story of survival, loss, dignity and legacy, Unforgotten is inspired by esteemed psychiatrist Professor Kua Ee Heok’s 2000 novel, Listening to Letter from America. The play, showing from July 28 to August 5, transports you to Singapore in the 1980s, where we follow Dr Weng, a newly assigned doctor at the Kranji Home. There, he meets a group of senior citizens—survivors of the Japanese Occupation—who have a shared affliction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As he helps them confront their trauma of remembrance, he safeguards their priceless legacy from being swept away.
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Professor Kua Ee Heok
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“These stories… they are true stories and [about real] people. They are not fiction in a way,” Kua explains. He adds that he wrote the novel when he was the director for the World Health Study on dementia in 1998. During that time, Kua interviewed 612 old folks, asking them to share their stories about the war and the hardships which they had went through.
Kua understood the importance of these stories and why they had to be told. “These people are very important… they were the ones that built Singapore… and we tend to forget that this war-time generation is dying. Our parents and great-grandparents are very strong people who survived the war,” Kua shares, adding that when they pass, their stories will also go with them.
He shares that on top of reading textbooks, the best way to learn about history is by listening to stories of those who had lived through it: “When students ready about history written by a British historian somewhere in London, he would tell you that the Japanese dropped 10,000 tonnes of bombs in Singapore. But they will never tell you what happened after the bomb dropped in Chinatown—the killing, the dying, the bloodshed.”
Turning a novel into a musical
These stories that Kua has told are as important now as it was then. 23 years after the novel was first published, we will get to see Kua’s words come to life.
Transforming a novel into a musical is always a challenge. Lim shares: “If I was told to write is as a play, it will not be that challenging but writing it as a musical is 10 times harder. You have to pick [the scenes] carefully, otherwise it will become a Netflix series.”
He explains that when he first approached the novel, it wasn’t “automatically musical material” but after multiple rounds of “taking the story apart and putting it back together”, Lim began to understand the importance of telling this story.
Above Unforgotten the Musical
Unforgotten the Musical
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The musical is just a snippet of the novel. “I hope it invites people to go back to the book. Whatever [scenes that have been] glimpsed briefly are present in far more detail in the book… none of the musicals are substituted for the book. You know, I treat the musical as a trailer,” he adds.
The musical departs from those you typically see on Broadway. While it highlights heavy themes such as loss and suffering, the musical is also balanced with light and wonderful moments. “Sometimes the darkest stories get the sweetest songs,” shares Lim. Rather than turning the novel into a glamourous musical, Lim wanted to highlight on intimacy. He says that he wants the audience to feel like they were sitting together with these old folks on stage “and not kicking them out just to do a big tap number”.
Starting conversations
As the title suggests, Unforgotten is not just about memories of war but also the memories of the people that we tend to “push aside”. Director Jeremiah Choy explains: “We cannot forget the pain and the suffering of that generation, even though most of them have already passed on. Their stories need to be told.”
Expounding on the title, Lim adds, “Some generations will go quietly, some will be noisier. But it’s the responsibility of the rest of us to not forget… they shouldn’t be the ones waiting to be remembered.”
Lim, Kua and Choy hope that the musical will help to start conversations between the old and young generations. Lim explains that he wants to persuade the older generation that it’s okay to share these experiences with us. “It may be painful but if you can get through the pain, the value of what you lived through can be shared… it makes the suffering a bit less,” he says.
History shouldn’t just be a “textbook thing” but about people’s lives and their memories. Lim says, “We have already lost the chance to talk to the real generation—the generation which we are writing about.” That said, it’s never too late to start conversations with those that are still here.
“I would hate for an old family in Singapore to lose that history because it just dissipated. It happens very fast in Singapore,” Lim shares.
Above Unforgotten the Musical rehearsals
Unforgotten the Musical rehearsals
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Today, many of us enjoy the fruits of our past generations—those who have laboured tirelessly—yet, not many of us know the suffering which they have gone through to get us to where we are. “We’re getting a little bit entitled—whatever I have is mine because I’m blessed. No, you’re not blessed. Someone suffered for this,” says Lim.
Kua adds that one of his favourite lines in his book and a big takeaway from the musical is: “A greater respect for elderly today would mean a clearer tomorrow.”
Above The musical stars Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Audrey Luo, Sugie Phua, among others
The musical stars Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai, Audrey Luo, Sugie Phua, among others
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Honouring those that came before us
Unforgotten is an ode to Singapore and our pioneers—an endearing story that hopes to plant an emotional seed in us.
Choy explained that the most impactful line to him is: “The atrocities of the war remain and continues long after the war has ended.” Apart from the physical damage which many will face after the war, we also need to remember the emotional damage which these people can potentially face for the rest of their lives.
Lim encourages us to watch the musical multiple times. “Watch the musical with your parents and grandparents, then go makan,” he says excitedly. After all, there is no better time to start conversations than at the dinner table.
Above Unforgotten the Musical is showing from July 28 to August 5 at the Drama Centre Theatre.
Unforgotten the Musical is showing from July 28 to August 5 at the Drama Centre Theatre.
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He further adds that the musical is filled with multiple layers. While some may grab ahold of the humorous moments, others may take in the tears instead. “The play can only be experienced if you watch it many times. First might just be to laugh and enjoy the music while the second might be to pay attention to the various stories… [everyone] is on their own journey,” he continues. The various characters may even remind you of your own family members.
Unforgotten honours all those that have lived—whether it be through the war or just through life. Lim’s favourite line from the musical captures this the best: “You are the sum of all our past.”
Unforgotten the Musical is showing from July 28 to August 5 at the Drama Centre Theatre. Tickets are available on sistic.com.
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Amanda Goh was the former senior writer for Tatler Singapore.
