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Goh Boon Teck (Chinese: 吴文徳; pinyin: Wú Wéndé) is a Singaporean director, playwright and production designer.

Early life and education

Goh's mother, Oon Ah Chiam, is a Chinese opera performer who performed with Chinese opera troupe, Sin Sai Hong.

When Goh was young, he would follow Oon on stage as a performer, playing the roles of handmaiden or eunuch.

Goh studied at Si Ling Primary School then Swiss Cottage Secondary School before majoring in Fine Arts at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. He was the first Singaporean recipient of the VISA International Arts Scholarship in 1996 which allowed him to study Theatre Directing at Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom.

Career

In 1990, Goh with 13 students, who had performed in Kuo Pao Kun's Lao Jiu, formed Toy Factory Theatre Ensemble, the predecessor of Toy Factory Productions. Goh would become its artistic director and it first produced a 20-minute play, The Bull Over The Rainbow, by Goh.

In 1994, Goh staged Titoudao, a play based on his mother's life story. Titoudao won five awards, Best Play, Best Original Script and Best Actress at the 2001 The Straits Times Life! Theatre Award, Program for Best Production Design/ Art Direction at New York Festivals TV & Film Awards 2021 and Best Newcomer at Asia Contents Awards 2021.

In 2001, Goh was awarded the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore.

In 2007, Goh was appointed the creative director for the 2007 Singapore National Day Parade first held at The Float @ Marina Bay.

Goh is a firm believer in the preservation of Asian heritage, culture and history. His plays such as December Rains (2010), Titoudao (1994), Prism (2003) are a few of such representative works. Other creations such as Purple (2012), The Crab Flower Club (2012), Grind (2016) explore topics on gender and sexuality in contemporary Singapore, often prompting audiences to question morality and humanity.

International and local projects

In 2003, Goh was invited by Japan's Kageboushi Theatre Company to stage Prism as its writer and director. This project involved a 6-countries collaboration, touring Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Goh's original show - The Crab Flower Club (2012) toured in Beijing, China in the East Pioneer Theatre during the China International Theatre Festival. His other work - K (2012) was showcased in Shanghai Modern Drama Valley in the International 5 Cities Public Theatre Festival, which he took on the roles of a Playwright, Director and Set Designer. Glass Anatomy (2014) staged in Shanghai Culture Square, Original Mandarin Music Festival was also the first foreign production invited to the festival and second original Singaporean musical presented in China.

Works

Accolades

• Best Play of the Year (Titoudao) at 2001 The Straits Times Life! Theatre Award
• Best Original Script (Titoudao) at 2001 LIFE! Theatre Awards
• 2001 Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council
• Best Set Design (Fireface) at 2003 DBS LIFE! Theatre Awards 2003
• Arts and Culture Goh Boon Teck at 2005 Singapore Youth Award
• The Elite Director Award for Glass Anatomy at 5th One Theatre Prestige Award 2014 by Shanghai Modern Drama Valley

References

1. ^ "Growing up in a wayang troupe in old Singapore – with duck poop and sequins". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
2. ^ "Interview: Goh Boon Teck on 'Titoudao'". Time Out Singapore. 2 March 2015. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
3. Lin, Yanqin (9 April 2008). "More than a 'poly' for the arts". Today. p. 2. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
4. ^ "Toy Factory turns 25 with aim to focus on original works | The Straits Times". The Straits Times. 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
5. "Mediacorp wins 22 awards at New York Festivals TV & Film Awards". CNA. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
6. Auto, Hermes (26 September 2021). "Titoudao actress Koe Yeet up for Best Newcomer award at Busan's Asia Contents Awards | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
7. ^ "Catch winners of Life! Theatre Awards at Esplanade's Studios season | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 24 March 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
8. "Toy Factory's Titoudao returning with new cast | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
9. ^ "About the Young Artist Award". National Arts Council. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
10. "From wayang to NDP". Today. 14 June 2007. p. 50. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
11. Auto, Hermes (30 August 2015). "December Rains more moving than other recent works of Singaporean musical theatre | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
12. "Haunting tales of change | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
13. Auto, Hermes (27 March 2016). "Toy Factory's Grind (R18) glories in being unsubtle | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
14. "Speech by Minister Lee Boon Yang, at The Opening Dinner Of The 2nd World Summit On Arts & Culture, 24 November 2003, 7.30 pm". www.nas.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
15. "Singapore's Toy Factory Presents "Glass Anatomy the Musical" at the Original Mandarin Music Festival in Shanghai, 28 to 30 March 2014". www.mfa.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
16. "Purple back: Goh Boon Teck". www.fridae.asia. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
17. "I Have A Date with Spring (1999) | SG Theatre Archive". www.centre42.sg. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
18. "Guys and Dolls (1999) | SG Theatre Archive". www.centre42.sg. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
19. Hashimi, Hashirin Nurin. "Goh Boon Teck Tackles Cultural Erosion Head-On". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
20. ^ "Singing a different tune". TODAY. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
21. Hashimi, Hashirin Nurin. "Playwright Ovidia Yu on Why Kwa Geok Choo's Story Deserves to Be Told". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.

• 20th-century births
• Living people
• 21st-century Singaporean dramatists and playwrights
• Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts alumni
• Alumni of Middlesex University
• Production designers