The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole (2001)

What if, at your grandfather’s funeral, his coffin was found to be too big for the hole? Ever argued with a parking attendant till you were blue in the face? THE COFFIN IS TOO BIG FOR THE HOLE & NO PARKING ON ODD DAYS are two timeless comedies written by acclaimed playwright Kuo Pao Kun. At once hilarious and poignant, they tell the story of one woman’s fight against faceless bureaucracy and highlight the absurdity of red-tape. Originally written for a man, this brand new production is now performed by a woman and was a highlight of the Singapore Festival of Arts 2000.

THE COFFIN IS TOO BIG FOR THE HOLE opens as a Chinese family is making burial preparations. The monologue is the recurring nightmare of a young man, who as eldest grandchild and surviving male descendant is obliged to oversee an appropriate burial. But the reverent occasion is thrown off balance, as the elaborate coffin is too big for the hole. And to add insult to injury, regulations forbid the digging of a larger than standard-size plot. The Coffin is too Big for the Hole finds comedy in the mixed experience of modernisation, as tradition collides with new urban reality and a young man is left to resolve problems of the living and the dead.

Cast: Neo Swee Lin

Creative & Production

Playwright: Kuo Pao Kun
Director: Krishen Jit
Producer: Ivan Heng
Production Manager: Felina Khong

Set/Costume Designers: Ivan Heng & Chowee Leow
Lighting Designer: Mac Chan
Sound Designers: Ivan Heng & Lim Kay Siu
Stage Manager & Lighting Operator: Teo Kuang Han
Sound Operator: Nora Razak
Follow Spot Operator: Daniel Ang

Publicity & Marketing

Publicist: Tan Kheng Hua
Marketing Manager: Doris Lee
Marketing Executive: Mabel Ho
Poster, Flyer & Programme Design: Angeline Liu, The Picture Makers
Photography: Nicholas Leong, Green Edible Tomatoes

Band Members

Trumpet: Pauline Leong
Euphonium: Susie Tan
French Horn: Edmund Ng
Percussion: Lee Lin Chow

(Source: Wild Rice Programme)