From the award-winning playwright that brought you Boom and Everything but The Brain, Jean Tay’s SmartyPants and the Swordfish is a compelling immersive, interactive and inclusive theatre play that delves into Singapore’s history while taking a constructive look at the issue of bullying.

With acclaimed directors Samantha Scott-Blackhall and Tan Beng Tian at the helm, the story opens with a group of students investigating the legend of Redhill, probing to uncover how a young kampung boy met his demise at the hands of a jealous sultan. As they peel back the layers of this age-old tale, they uncover hidden truths, meet evil advisors and even fend off an attack by swordfishes!

Featuring a collaborative staging between mainstream actors and artists with disabilities, who will be manoeuvring colourful puppets to bring the play to life, the diverse casting underpins the importance to have empathy and respect for one another, regardless of differences.

SmartyPants and the Swordfish does not just re-tell history. Through a post-show dialogue, it engages young audiences to explore the dynamics of power and learn how to prevent bullying. The play further provides a platform for intellectually disabled artists to showcase their skills, gain professional experience and be recognised as equal contributors to the creative process.

Shan is 12 going on 13. This is a big year for her. A significant year.

This year—today—she finds herself at the edge of a precipice.

What is a pre-ci-pice?

This is a word she learnt recently while studying for the exams.

Precipice: a very steep rock face or cliff, especially a tall one.

Scary sounding.

Scary feeling.

Shan is not literally at the edge of a steep tall cliff.

It just feels like it; a place wholly unfamiliar.

12 Going On 13 is a story for those of us who find ourselves in a place where the weight of expectations crashes against waves of uncertainty. Where fears of failing and falling seem larger than ever. Where we feel the smallness of being in a vast and overwhelming world. Ultimately, 12 Going On 13 is a story about accepting change, overcoming anxiety, and finding the courage and community to help one arrive at that hopeful place of solid ground.

Returning in 2024, 12 Going On 13 is an immersive theatre production that shows children how to ask for help when they need it, and to find strength in their community.

Caroline is 17. She suffers from a liver disease and misses school a lot.

Anthony is 17. He is charming, confident, does well academically and is the star basketball player on the school team.

Caroline and Anthony could not be more different. Caroline lives with her single mother who spends most of the day working. Anthony’s father is a university professor who spends a lot of time with his son. Caroline lives in a flat, Anthony lives in a condo. Caroline and Anthony are classmates, but they barely know each other.

One afternoon, Anthony arrives unexpectedly at Caroline’s door with a copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, a group project for their Literature class. Through their (initially unwilling) analysis of the text, they discover similarities, share dreams, secrets, argue about music and slowly the walls come down, they bond, and their relationship deepens.

As the day comes to an end, and they wrap up their homework, something happens … what brought them together, could now tear them apart. A shocking twist that changes everything.

• The need for community and “in-person” relationships, especially in a COVID world.
• Teens that live in a cyber world and the negative effects it has on one’s ability to connect to others.
• Social anxiety and social withdrawal that may discourage a lower level of intimacy and sense of companionship in young people’s friendships.
• Mental wellness amongst teenagers who isolate themselves (in their rooms/homes) and rely on the internet, social media, games, Google as their primary source of external connection.
• The coming-of-age for an iGen
• Identifying and then fighting for your dreams and passions