Jeremiah Kupusamy is a Christian chettiar (Indian money lender) and a successful one. Because he lends liberally, he has to employ many henchmen to ensure that his borrowers pay up on time. Samuel Seng is the Chinese gangster chief who controls the underworld that lives on theft and extortion. His stylish Western ways win the love of Pala, daughter of Jeremiah Kupusamy but he incurs the wrath of her disapproving parents.
Pala’s parents plot with whores, with whom Samuel is on familiar terms, to betray him to the police when they hear that he has married Pala. But they have to contend with the fact that Sam and Tiger Brown, the English police chief, are old army friends. Sam frees himself from the first arrest, is arrested a second time and now faces death by hanging. But at the last minute, Tiger Brown arrives with an official pardon for Sam from the British queen.
All this takes place in Singapore just after the turn of the last century.
A completely Singaporean cast will perform this play. It has many songs and could perhaps be described more appropriately as a dramatic musical. It is based on John Gay's The Beggar's Opera.