Cabbies to star in tell-all plays about challenges on the job
Some of the taxi drivers who are part of the PAssionArts Festival feature, Taxi-on-call! Stories of Taxi Drivers, which consists of four different shows. The cabbies will perform between July 23 and Oct 8. Photo: Damien Teo
SINGAPORE — The scenarios are familiar: A taxi driver picks up a grumpy passenger and has to keep his cool so as to prevent his emotions from spilling over to the next passenger. Or the driver is accused of charging a higher fare and has to explain to the passenger the route he had to take.
These are just some of the everyday personal encounters that 25 cabbies will act out in plays for the first time in the PAssionArts Festival this year, kicking off on Saturday.
There will be four different shows for the feature Taxi-on-call! Stories of Taxi Drivers.
The cabbies will perform at different community locations such as the Cheng San Market in Ang Mo Kio and Teck Whye Square in Chua Chu Kang between July 23 and Oct 8.
Taxi driver Alan Ho, 64, hopes that the shows will allow people to better understand their lifestyles and the problems they face.
“We are not only driving to earn money, we also want to take care of the public,” he said.
Mr Ho will be performing with nine other drivers at Tech Whye Square, an open area next to Teck Whye Market, on July 24.
On how he manages unpleasant passengers, Mr Ho said: “In Singapore, at most, it’s a 30-minute drive. If you scold me, never mind, we’ll just move on. If we don’t move on, it will be very unhealthy for ourselves and unfair for the next passenger (if my anger spills over).”
Mr Nah Juay Hng, group director for arts and culture at People’s Association, the event organiser, said that through these shows, the association and the National Taxi Association may pay tribute to taxi drivers for their contributions to the Singapore economy.
Apart from this, the festival will feature theatre and Chinese opera performances, and showcase artworks that celebrate National Day.
Madam Chua Wan Leng, 40, a business development officer, will be performing at a Chinese opera show in Marine Parade Community Club together with her mother, sister and four-year-old daughter.
“(The art of Chinese opera is) dying off. It’s good that we can have the younger generation involved in this performance so that they can carry on the tradition,” she said.
Mdm Chua has been involved in an opera troupe for two years now, and her husband helps out in the troupe as its official photographer, allowing the three generations in their family to bond.
The Chinese opera performances will be held at the Marine Parade Community Club’s theatrette, or the Queenstown Community Centre’s auditorium between June 18 and Sept 30.
All shows are free to the public, and the festival is expected to draw about 30,000 visitors this year.
