ONCE UPON AN ISLAND

Visual|Music

ONCE UPON AN ISLAND is the festival presentation of Oliver Chong's What the Island Remembers. The work reimagines three iconic Singapore legends, the founding of Singapura, the Redhill Swordfish legend, and the Kusu Island legend, into a single narrative about survival, sacrifice, community, and collective memory. Through a blend of large scale shadow puppetry, contemporary movement, music, and immersive outdoor staging, the non verbal performance asks what remains of a story after generations of retelling, and what is lost, added, or transformed along the way.

Date	28 & 29 Aug 2026 \| 4 & 5 Sep 2026
Time	7.45pm, 8.45pm, 9.45pm \| 15 mins per show
Venue	SMU Connexion

Creative Director / Playwright / Set & Puppet Designer

Oliver Chong

Oliver Chong is a multi-award-winning and published playwright, director, actor, puppeteer; and set and puppet designer. His acclaimed works have toured internationally, and he served as Artistic Director of The Finger Players (2023–2026).

Choreographer

Guofeng Hong

Guofeng Hong is a Singapore-based choreographer whose practice explores improvisation, experimentation, and embodiment, creating immersive works that investigate memory, presence, and the relationship between body, space, and audience.

Lindsey Lum

Lindsey Lum is an award-winning Latin ballroom dancer, choreographer, and educator with over 20 years of competitive experience. She is dedicated to developing dancers through technical excellence, artistry, and performance.

Performers

Dancers (Sea)

[Back, left to right] Tan Ai Lin, Goh Zhi Yu, Tan Colleen, Clara Tan Wen Ying
[Front, left to right] Lai In Tung, Ko Wei Xuan, Amelia, Emberlyn Tham Yoke Wai

Dancers (Sword Fish)

[Back, left to right] Kang Chun Hui, Tan Tse Wee Charlton, Jiang Zhu Cen, Pang Zhi Xiong, Chee En Cheston
[Front, left to right] Lim Pao Ling Rachel, Joie Yap, Chow Li Yue, Cheong Yee Ning, Anna Tseng Rui Wen

Ensemble (Performer - Puppeteer)

[Back, left to right] Muhammad Yazid Bin Abdul Jalil, Emiley J Williams, Elizabeth Loh
[Front, left to right] Isabella Faith Lew, Li Yunxi Kethy, Carmen Low Gah Mung, Nguyen Thanh Thao Lam

In PARTNERship WITH

The Finger Players

The Finger Players is one of Singapore’s leading theatre companies, best known for inventively fusing traditional and contemporary puppetry elements, and integrating other artistic disciplines into its visually-arresting productions.

Clubs

SMU Ardiente

Established in 2008, SMU Ardiente is SMU’s Latin Ballroom dance club, inspiring a passion for dance through the vibrant styles of Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Jive, Samba, and Paso Doble.

SMU Indancity

SMU INDANCITY is SMU's premier contemporary dance club, dedicated to cultivating excellence in dance technique and artistry. Through various performances, we nurture expressive dancers while inspiring appreciation for contemporary dance.

SMU Stageit

Stageit is SMU’s premier theatre club, providing its students the platform to hone their craft and build a fun, loving and tight-knit community!

Established in 2002, students are given the opportunity to delve into the numerous aspects of theatre namely acting, script writing, directing, producing and the behind the scenes of what makes a drama a success.

Credits

producing team

Producer
Producer
Producer
Co-Producer (The Finger Players)
Assistant to Co-Producer (The Finger Players)

Wee E-Chiing
Samantha Chia
Gloria Chee
Myra Loke
Chloe Ong

creative team

Creative Director / Playwright
(Core Team of The Finger Players)
SMU Ardiente Choreographer
SMU INDANCITY Choreographer
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer and Composer
Set and Puppet Designer
(Core Team of The Finger Players)

Oliver Chong

Lindsey Lum
Hong Guofeng
Clement Cheong
Bennett Bay
Oliver Chong

puppet realisation

Puppet Maker
(Core Team of The Finger Players)
Puppet Maker Assistant

Loo An Ni

Tanya Ang

stage management team

Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager

Chim Sin Yee
Michelle Tan Shok Hui
Rhiannon Mei-Ling Jones

student organising committee

Production - Director
Production - Deputy Director
Production - Deputy Director
Production - Deputy Director
Production - Associate
Production - Associate
Production - Associate
Production - Associate
Production - Associate
Production - Associate
Production - Associate

Magdadaro Ellyzse Marcee Fampulme
Jamie Tan JiaHui
Liew Jia Yun
Poh Hui En
Chai Yueh Ying
Chavonn Lee En Qi
Joanna Yeo Rui-En
Joy Lim Jun Xin
Lau Yi Lin
Lee Yun Ling
Seah Qi En Marilyn

PERFORMERS

Performer - Puppeteer (The Finger Players)
Performer - Puppeteer (The Finger Players)
Performer - Puppeteer (The Finger Players)
Puppeteer
Puppeteer
Puppeteer
Puppeteer
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Swordfish Dancer (SMU Ardiente)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)
Sea Dancer (SMU INDANCITY)

Elizabeth Loh
Li Yunxi Kethy
Muhammad Yazid Bin Abdul Jalil
Carmen Low Gah Mung
Emiley J Williams
Isabella Faith Lew
Nguyen Thanh Thao Lam
Anna Tseng Rui Wen
Chee En Cheston
Cheong Yee Ning
Chow Li Yue
Jiang Zhu Cen
Joie Yap
Kang Chun Hui
Lim Pao Ling Rachel
Pang Zhi Xiong
Tan Tse Wee Charlton
Emberlyn Tham Yoke Wai
Clara Tan Wen Ying
Goh Zhi Yu
Ko Wei Xuan, Amelia
Lai In Tung
Tan Ai Lin
Tan Colleen

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Programme Highlights