Private Parts & Other Play Things

"The Singaporean theatre is presently forging and continuing the creation of an indigenous theatre which is relevant to Singaporeans. There has been the search for a culture of immediacy which has manifested itself in a theatre of recognition and celebration. Michael Chiang has been one of the chief playwrights of this movement, bringing much laughter, nostalgia, and poignancy to our stage. He has shown an uncanny ability to tap popular culture, drawing a direct response from massive crowds totalling 20,000 for a three-week performance of a new play.

[...]

"... This heightens further the role of the dramatic literature of Michael Chiang. Their performances are modern rituals of community affirmation which strip away the Westernised mask of the community and allow a reintegration with the Singaporean self as often reflected in our everyday life. As Ngal, another African scholar wrote: "Creation itself acquires the stamp of authenticity only if it is not cut off from the culture of the people. It expresses the people, if the people recognise themselves in it."

– Ong Keng Sen 

(Source: Private Parts & Other Play Things introduction)