After the productions of Atap Genting Atap Rembia from Malaysia (1982),
The Little White Sailing Boat (Singapore Arts Festival 1982), The Oolah World
(Singapore Arts Festival 1984) and The Kopitiam (Singapore Arts Festival 1986),
a group of theatre enthusiasts tested their resolution by starting a training
drill several mornings a week in the pugilistic park at Neil Road.
After six months of training and hard work, they pronounced themselves fit for
theatre combat and officially formed The Practice Theatre Ensemble. The company
was later renamed “The Theatre Practice (TTP)” in 1997.
The birth of this theatre company was a turning point in Singapore's theatre
history. Initially, TTP’s enthusiasm sprung forth in many directions.
They staged The Fire Raisers from Switzerland (1987), Thunderstorm from China
(1988), and many more original works such as The Silly Little Girl and The Funny
Old Tree (1987), Mama Looking For Her Cat (1988), and My Grandfather In The
Cellar (1989). TTP also became increasingly eager to enter the newer conceptions,
approaches and practices of contemporary
world theatre.
In 1991, TTP invited Wong May Lan, a veteran of Hong Kong Repertory Theatre
and long-term specialist in young people's theatre at Chung Ying Theatre Company,
to join their team. In 1994, May Lan formed STEP, the Student's Theatre Exposure
Project, with support from the Georgette Chen Fund and National Arts Council.
Although it has been a challenge promoting Mandarin programmes in Singapore,
where English is prominent, STEP has managed to take root.
The Finger Players, a puppetry group with a focus on performances for children,
became another wing of TTP in 1996. The group had grown from a one-man outfit
working on an ad-hoc project basis to a full-fledged professional theatre company.
In 1999, they registered as and became a company independent of TTP.
Currently, TTP produces about three major productions and one festival (either
the “Kuo Pao Kun Festival” or the “Legend Alive Festival”)
each year. Additionally, TTP had started The Poor Theatre Series in 2003, a
“Pay-As-You-Want” community outreach. Patrons of The Poor Theatre
Series would have seen the productions “The Waterloo Murders” (2003),
“Wu Jun Ru and You and Me and Him” (2004) and the latest addition
to the list, “Play Play” (2005). The Poor Theatre Series is targeted
to be an annual production.
