Legends (Of The Golden Arches)

Two friends hook up over an annual Hungry Ghost (Getai) festival to honour and pay respect to their grandfathers. Legends (Of the Golden Arches) is an entertaining and exciting piece of theatre.

Multidisciplinary creatives Merlyn Tong and Joe Paradise Lui of Performing Lines Company join forces to explore their Singaporean - Chinese roots. Together they have conjured up a diasporic - comical - drama – magical adventure auto biographical story structure. It contains evocative and translucent graphic imagery by Video Artist and AV Designer (Wendy Hu) of legendary Chinese gods from the afterlife that are cleverly orchestrated to pontificate and highlight significant dramatic moments in the show.

A backdrop of a foyer in a high-rise office building (obtuse political reference); Tong burns Joss paper in the celebratory barrel - smoke flares up. She is pensive and reflective until Lui ‘rocks up’. His blasé attitude upsets Tong. Lui always viewed Getai as a time to eat and feast, but now as a mature adult he turns his nose down on the quality of food and urges Tong to join him in search for a trendy eatery. It triggers a barrage of heated arguments, unleashing hidden histories and anecdotal stories about their own family members, randomly time-lined against the political turmoils in Singapore.

Tong‘s earlier play Golden Blood was part of the MTC season in 2024. Tong, an impeccably talented actor, holds her early experiences close to her heart. She recalls a similar story, performed with gusto and passion, of being a young orphan, bewildered and traumatised by her older brother’s violent gang friends who caused damage and havoc at her parents’ funeral.

Lui is an experimental performer / musician / artist. He is in direct contrast with Tong’s traditional art forms. His grungy laid- back attitude is cleverly positioned against Tong’s traditional dramatic pose. When he expresses vague affinity with the Gods at the Gates of Hell, Tong jumps at the chance to reel him back to ritual practises and urges him to burn the joss paper and honour his ancestral past.

Lui has grievances and finds it hard to reconcile with his old homeland. His fork in the road was either military service or exile for life. He chose the latter, knowing he would never see his parents again. Although a little embittered, he feels he is happier in his new country. Yet he remains fond of his family lineage; he laughs when telling the story of his deceased uncle who served his country and only ate McDonalds (Golden Arches) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The political referencing between the old communist regime and the new capitalist country in Singapore is scattered across the play, providing layers of depth and context for the audience and enhancing a greater understanding for and about the two bickering performers.

When Lui gets hungry and orders McDonalds on Uber Eats, he accidentally throws his food into the fire; they are then transported to Chinese Hell where they meet the original Gods of the Getai Festival. The stage is transformed into a colourful neon ‘Song stage’ - it   pays homage to the tacky-kitsch stages that pop up all over the suburbs across Singapore during the annual Holy Ghost (Geia) festival month held on the seventh lunar moon.

The hyper stage becomes central zone for Tong and Lui to battle out their knowledge on the true legends of the Gods from the Gates of Hell. There’s a touching moment of reconciliation, and after they have battled their demons Tong offers Lui a Singaporean McDonalds Taro turnover.

The sets (Cherish Marrington) are outlandish and poignantly colourful and bombastic as are the costumes for the Geia festival (Nicole Marrington). Lighting design (Kate Baldwin) provides diversity in range includes dazzling neon lights. Sound composition (Joe Lui Paradise) offers an impeccable  eclectic mix of tradition and modern sounds and beats.

Legends (Of the Golden Arches) is a colourful journey of illustrious tales seen through the soul-searching eyes of Tong and Lui, sharing their cultural experiences and knowledge, provide scintillating and insightful theatre experiences for their audiences.

Flora Georgiou

Photographer: Jessica Wyld