The need to integrate the child and the adult is close to the heart of the stylised play by this young Singaporean theatre group. Entitled Lanterns Never Go Out, it revolves around Kah-wei, a recent graduate and freshly initiated into the working world. When the play starts, it is Chinese New Year. Her relatives’ nagging and unwanted advice force Kah-wei to seek refuge in her room. The scenes that follow reveal the different aspects of her character, and her relationships with those around her in childhood and in adult life.
The play is the result of a series of improvisational workshops in which cast and director worked on a first draft script. The result is a tightly unified work in which form and function are totally integrated. This work is an example of the high standards achieved by young Singaporean theatre groups in their exploration of different forms of theatrical expression, and a landmark in the development of a Singaporean dramaturgy.