The Vault: Past Perfect

The Vault: Past Perfect returns after its first run under the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) in May 2023. This time, expect more tidbits and artefacts from the 90s - a decade of growth and experimentation in Singapore theatre, and expanded scenes!

3 actors gather and they reflect on their journey through Theatre in the 1990s. With 20/20 hindsight, what did it mean to DO theatre in the 1990s? Why did they do what they do and more importantly, how? Without any rose-tinted glass, no misty water-coloured memories, these actors share their thoughts and ruminations – is the past really so perfect?

Conceptualised by Robin Loon and Casey Lim, and co-created with Nelson Chia, Oniatta Effendi and Serene Chen, The Vault: Past Perfect is a performance of pieces that draw on the personal archive, reflecting on the energy and legacy of Singapore theatre-making in the 1990s.

The Vault: Past Perfect was first staged as part of a group show SIFA X: there is no future in nostalgia. An interview was also conducted with conceptualizers Casey Lim and Robin Loon. Read the latest interview by Catch with Casey and Robin here!

Find out more about the first staging at SIFA and go behind-the-scenes on the process of restaging Past Perfect in the links below!

Click below for a look at some of the productions the Past Perfect creators were involved in back in the 1990s! 

We asked the cast of The Vault: Past Perfect a few fun questions as they were in the midst of preparing for the show. How does Oniatta feel the production has evolved since its first staging in May? What nuggets of wisdom would Nelson impart on his younger self? Why did Serene want to perform in the musical adaptation of Minfong Ho's Sing to the Dawn? Watch the video below to hear from the cast!

While theatre about theatre may seem indulgent, these processes enable a community to engage in new forms of collective introspection, bonding, and healing. The making of shared meaning is a relentless process for any group of people, and one can’t help but feel that many organisations, creative or otherwise, might benefit from the restorative rhythms of their own attempt at "Past Perfect".
 

- Corrie Tan, in her Jom Media article "What is the grammar of our relationships?" – The Vault: Past Perfect" at Centre 42

Oral histories are powerful. In the sharing, we light the way for others further up the path. Thank you for lighting mine. I’ve needed this. Necessary viewing if you are a theatre practitioner.
 

- Zee Wong

This work made me reflect upon myself. My tears were not just for nostalgia… But there are many things to ponder - about the arts, about the scene, about the audience, about ourselves, about our progress and our future.
 

- Zelda Tatiana Ng

They showed me what it’s like to persist, to care about what you do, to choose, to learn as you do, and do as you can. I left the theatre thinking about the impact of the work that we do, the shows, the words, the relationships forged, the moments of discovery, and the stories —— Always the stories.
 

- Ahmad Musta'ain B Khamis

We thank the following organisations and playwrights for their permissions and access to the original material featured in The Vault: Past Perfect. 

Eleanor Wong
Michael Chiang
Ovidia Yu
Noor Effendy Ibrahim 
SPH Media
Tan Tarn How
The Necessary Stage
The Theatre Practice
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