The school holidays are fast upon us! Aside from year-end camps, play dates and trips to Singapore’s best playgrounds, why not feed your kids’ thirst for adventure by taking them on an exhilarating trip to Treasure Island?
Suitable for the entire family, the new musical adaptation by Singapore Repertory Theatre’s The Little Company is based on the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. Following the epic tale of Jim Hawkins, a 13-year-old who yearns for an adventure (played by lead actress Ann Lek in a great new twist), expect to be kept at the edge of your seats as her thrilling journey to retrieve hidden treasure involves serious danger…including a tussle with plotting pirates and mutiny at every corner (yikes!).
We chat with lead actress Ann Lek about her role as the courageous Jim Hawkins and what to expect from this exciting, feel-good musical…
We love that the role of Jim is portrayed as a 13-year-old girl in this production! What do you think this twist does for such a well-known story?
It’s always lovely to see characters that are traditionally male portrayed as females! Treasure Island is really about the coming-of-age of Jim, who goes from the obedient child of the owner of an inn to a brave young adult who battles pirates and brings the other characters together. Through exploration, getting thrown overboard and swordfights, Jim grows up quickly during the trip, showing cleverness and courage as time passes. It’s fantastic that Jim is now a girl in our production, because adventure, bravery and passion isn’t exclusive to boys, and the narrative about growing up is very much relevant to females as well!
What do you love about this role?
It’s great playing Jim because she’s so full of energy and hope throughout the story. Her never-give-up attitude is so contagious! But more importantly, each character in the show serves as a role model for different aspects of life, and it’s fabulous fun when they all come together on this journey of exploration and adventure. What I love the most about playing Jim is having the chance to interact with the very interesting characters in the show.
We hear there’s a bit of singing involved – tell us about your favourite number in the show!
The creatives behind our version of Treasure Island are such geniuses and we have absolutely beautiful music. It’s so difficult to pick a favourite number because each song is so catchy! My favourites include Bump in the Night (where lots of the chasing sequences and action occurs) and Life on the Sea (where you get to see and understand more of each character on board the ship). All You Need Is a Friend is also very lovely to sing along to. There’s just too many beautiful numbers!
The show is packed with fun and action – what messages do you think it shares along the way?
We’re all fascinated by adventure and exploration, and you can’t go wrong with a story full of pirates and treasure! It’s a story that inspires the young to pursue their dreams and believe in themselves, and reminds the young-at-heart to not lose our sense of wonder and passion. It never hurts to fill our lives with curiosity, wonder and excitement, and the story of Treasure Island is all about that.
How do you think this version of Treasure Island will really surprise and entertain the audience?
Our version of Treasure Island will keep the audience excited and entertained with very beautiful songs and action-packed scenes! It’ll be a great experience for an audience of any age as the classic adventure story transcends time and genre. The colourful personalities and their personal conflicts will keep everyone engaged and the exotic setting is bound to capture your attention!