THE SINGAPORE STORY

The LKY Musical returns to the stage following a successful first run seven years ago. Ahead of its premiere on Sep 7, ADRIAN PANG and KIT CHAN reflect on their roles as Singapore’s founding premier Lee Kuan Yew and his wife, Kwa Geok Choo.

ADRIAN PANG IS MR LEE KUAN YEW Seven years ago, The LKY Musical made its debut at the Sands Theatre. To call it a success is putting it mildly. The home-grown blockbuster show was watched by over 50,000 people, and it went on to win several awards, including Best Actor and Production of the Year (Readers’ Choice) at the Life Theatre Awards 2016.

Considered to be one of Singapore’s most well-received shows of all time, The LKY Musical tells the story of Singapore through the early life of its first prime minister, from his student days in 1941 to the country’s independence in 1965.

Thanks to entertainment production house Aiwei and Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), the musical will be making a comeback from Sep 7 at the same venue where it was first held – with Adrian Pang reprising his acclaimed role as Mr Lee Kuan Yew. This rerun, directed by veteran London West End director Steven Dexter, will also feature new musical arrangements and songs by local musician and composer Dick Lee.

In-between rehearsals, Pang tells us how he feels about playing Singapore’s most salient political figure again, and what he hopes for the audience to take away from the upcoming show.

What is it like revisiting the role after seven years, especially since you would have received public feedback or other observations in your maiden attempt?