Musicals in Singapore: Interview with Jean Tay, Playwright of The Great Wall Musical: One Woman’s Journey

This July, Glowtape Productions will be presenting a captivating profoundly moving musicalThe Great Wall Musical: One Woman’s Journey, based on one of the most enduring tales in Chinese folklore: the story of Meng Jiang Nü and her beloved Fan Qi Liang. It’s considered to be one of China’s Four Great Folktales (alongside Madam White Snake, The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and Butterfly Lovers.

Produced from a brand-new script by acclaimed Singaporean playwright Jean Tay, who won Best Original Script for Everything But The Brain and authored Boom (both literature texts in schools), The Great Wall: One Woman’s Journey is led by an international team of artists – featuring UK composer David Shrubsole (National Gallery Singapore’s Opening Festival, London Road) from the UK, Australian director Darren Yap (Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia!), and starring talents from the West End.

the great wall musical

On the bill is Dutch-Korean actress Na-Young Jeon, whose credits include the likes of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon), George Chan (Chicago, December Rains), and closer to home, Singaporean singer-songwriter Nathan Hartono, fresh from his stint on Sing! China and well… Milo.

Set in Imperial China during the Qin Dynasty, theatre-lovers can look forward to being thrilled by the spectacular musical adaptation that transforms Meng Jiang Nü’s epic story into a soaring musical odyssey, where raw emotions are laid bare in a dazzling display of vocal showmanship as the characters come to life in gorgeous contemporary settings detailed with traditional design references.

“We are all stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Meng Jiang Nü showed us that. If one person dares to take the first step out, then no walls, physical or otherwise, can ever hope to stand against the strength of the indomitable human spirit”, says Na-Young Jeon who takes on the starring role of Meng Jiang Nü.

the great wall musicalBack on the stage after a hiatus from musical theatre, Nathan Hartono also quips, “It is incredible to be part of this production. The story of Meng Jiang Nü is so moving and powerful. I was attracted by the score and the beautiful songs. I can’t wait to go back on stage and share this with audiences!” Nathan plays the part of Fan Qi Liang, who is escaping the army from conscription to build the Great Wall. According to Nathan, he is “not your typical chao keng kia”!

Nathan adds, “I find myself falling so in love with this musical. The story, the music, the message behind it… It’s all very strong and full of meaning. I’m lucky to be a part of it now, in its early stages. It’s exciting because it’s a completely new piece of work, and we as a company are helping to build it brick by brick in our own small ways. I personally can’t wait for this musical to expand beyond Singapore’s shores. I believe it’s that good.”

To find out more about the musical, we caught up with playwright behind it all, Jean Tay.

What inspired you to write The Great Wall: One Woman’s Journey?

Six years ago, I was working on another musical with the director Darren Yap and composer David Shrubsole, when producer Grace Low approached us to develop a new idea for a musical. We decided to adapt an Asian folktale with a strong female protagonist, and that’s how we came up with the idea of doing a musical adaptation of the epic journey of Meng Jiang Nu. We were drawn to her story because she is a very strong female protagonist, which is actually quite rare in traditional Chinese folktales. And yet, she starts off as an ordinary village girl, driven by her loyalty and love for her husband to undertake a remarkable journey across China that she is ill-equipped for. But because she perseveres through that journey, she becomes someone who is quite extraordinary, whose story has been endured through generations.

Nowadays, it seems very easy to start building walls between ourselves and people who are different from us. There’s a lot of fear and misunderstanding, and unwillingness to listen to others who may hold different views. I hope that audiences will find the courage to step out of their own comfort zones, and to reach out to those who are different from us.

Your previous plays have been based in Singapore. Is this story, which is based in China, a new venture for you?

One of my very first plays written as a student in 1996, was Water from the Well, which was set in China during the Cultural Revolution, and tackled the issue of female infanticide. More recently, another play of mine Senang, staged in 2014, about prison riots in 1960s Singapore was also adapted from the Chinese classic Water Margin. So I think there are some stories which are universal and have resonance across different cultures, and certainly the story of Meng Jiang Nu’s strength and courage is one of them.

The Great Wall: One Woman’s Journey is running from 14 July to 30 July 2017 at the Drama Centre Theatre. Tickets are priced at $58, $68, $78, $88, $98, $118, and $128, available via SISTIC. Check out the Facebook page here for more details.


Nithia is a freelance marketing communications professional, copywriter and editor. She is passionate about supporting the arts in Singapore and getting more people fired up about local productions and the arts scene. passions are cookery, cinema and travel.