For its third biennial run, Dream Academy has rallied some of Singapore’s Best Comedians to bring you an overdose of laughter in Happy Ever Laughter: Standup Comedy Madness! Boldly marketed as the miracle cure for all the frustrating ailments endured by Singaporeans on our tiny red dot, your local favourites directed by Hossan Leong will be running amok at the Esplanade Theatre from 26 October – 6 November 2016. Tickets are on sales now!
In case you are wondering, the 11 Comedy Consultants on duty this year include new faces to the standup comedy scene – Suhaimi Yusof, Patricia Mok and Dee Kosh – as well as returning favourites – Kumar, Sebastian Tan a.k.a Broadway Beng, Siti Khalijah, Judee Tan, Rishi Budhrani, Fakkah Fuzz, Sharul Channa and Hossan Leong and they are bent on bringing you the best of Singapore Comedy!
Photos from Dream Academy®
From misunderstood Chindians and Malays who would not do overtime to the irony of making mini Singaporeans. It is a dose of 11 comedians over two hours that will leave you in stitches, so you have Gotta Catch ‘Em All!
Photos from Dream Academy®
When asked about his thoughts on gathering and directing so many talents under one roof, Hossan Leong comments, “It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with my colleagues in this fashion. Sharing ideas, laughing at stories, planning a fantastic show together. I don’t see it as directing the show. It’s more like a collaboration. Everyone in this show is a powerhouse of talent!”
Photos from Dream Academy®
But the Comedy Consultants are not the only mad-dically trained specialists Leong has brought on board! He has recruited a healthy dosage of incredibly talented and some of the Best Script-writers in Singapore – Benjamin ‘Mr Miyagi’ Lee, Edmund Tan, Alfian Sa’at, Jo Tan, Dwayne Lau, Josiah Ng and Leong Ching. “Having this dynamic super writing team, and a group of super funny actors/comedians, every workshop and script meeting has been a hoot!” says Leong. “Be prepared for personal stories, anecdotes and real-life scenarios that you would never believe has happened to our stars!”
Our Review
Stand up comedies are relatively new to us hence we went in without much expectations except to have a good laughter. To start the ball rolling, Hossan Leong made his dramatic entrance (as usual) to introduce the star-studded line up of stand up comedians for the evening. It was a pity that he wasn’t part of the line up.
Photos from Dream Academy®
Although the anchor comedian for the evening was the veteran of stand up comedies in Singapore – Kumar, the person who really stole the show was Sharul Channa. Her entrance was very low profile compared to the rest of her fellow comedians but she soon pulled in the punches with cultural mockery on Westerns misinterpretation of Indian words. The word ‘Nameste’ for example has a whole different meaning for Indians which many western Yoga instructors failed to comprehend.
Photos from Dream Academy®
Kumar delivered well but his session left most of the audiences high and dry for more. We did not time how long he was on stage but we definitely want more of him.
Photos from Dream Academy®
Patricia Mok and Suhaimi Yusof did wonderfully for their virgin stand up comedy performance that focuses on physical appearances – both the lack and excess of it. While Patricia struggles to keep up with the latest plastic surgery technologies, Suhaimi shrugged it off with a ‘Fat’ is a past tense of ‘Fit’ – been there, done that attitude.
Photos from Dream Academy®
Dr. Teo Chew Moi by Judee Tan mild and unassuming ways of delivering killer lines was a refreshing start to Act 2.
Photos from Dream Academy®
Broadway Beng appealed to the older audience who understands Hokkien. Keeping close to the theme that laughter is the best medicine, he sang a gleefully medley of Hokkien songs with clever modifications to insert gout – common arthritis that strikes many of the elderly in Singapore, into the lyrics .
Photos from Dream Academy®
We never had such a good evening of unadulterated fun and laughter for ages! We urge you to go with minimal expectations and just left your hair down for one evening to soak in the laughter therapy. It would go a long way to making your real life a lot more bearable from now till the year end holidays!
Photos from Dream Academy®
Get Your Tickets Now!
Dates: 26 October – 6 November 2016
Time: 8pm (Tues – Sat) & 3pm (Sat & Sun)
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Show Duration: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes (with an additional 30 Minutes interval)
Ticket Prices: From $58
PAssion Card Members enjoy 10% off Category 1 & 2 (Standard Shows) from 22 August 2016
Corporate and Group Bookings (Min 6 Tickets) enjoy 15% off Category 1 & 2 (Standard Shows) & 10% off Category 1 & 2 (Weekend Shows)
Tickets can be purchased from SISTIC or via SISTIC’s Hotline at 6348 5555.
*For your Deepavali special, Kumar will be replaced by Selena Tan at both shows on 29 October 2016.
Photos from Dream Academy®
**Strictly NO admission to persons below 18 years old for all shows