LIFE / Art
Thereareangels,andthentherearearchangels.For
WildRice,AnthoniaHuiandherhusband,LeonardoDrago,
comeunderthelattercategoryofbeings—toppedonly
byphilanthropistKayKuok,whoisits“guardianangel”.
ThethreeareamongWildRice’sfoundingpatronsand
itsbiggestsupporterssincetheearlydays.(Thetitleof
“WildRiceAngel”isbestoweduponpatronswhohave
madegenerouscontributionstothecompany.)
Hui’saffinitywithWildRicestartedwhenshemet
co‑artisticdirector,GlenGoei,inLondonwhenhe
starredalongsideAnthonyHopkinsinMButterfly.The
tworeconnectedwhenHuimovedtoSingaporefrom
HongKongalmost 20 yearsago,duringwhichtime,Goei
hadaskedherforafavour—tocoachactressPamOeion
herHongKongaccentforherroleinthe 2002 production
offarcicalcomedy,BoeingBoeing.Huithoroughlyenjoyed
theshowaswellassubsequentproductionsthatfollowed.
“WhenIfirstarrived,IthoughSingaporewasa‘cultural
desert’,justlikeHongKong.ButIwaspleasantlysurprised
bythequalityofWildRiceproductionsandtheirability
tointegratelocalmaterialwithaWesternscript.Watching
theshowsgavemeaverydifferentperspectiveaboutthe
performingartssceneinSingapore.”
Morethanthat,theproductionshave“helpedme
tointegrateintoSingaporemuchfasterandeasierasa
foreigner.Throughtheshows,I’velearnedsomuchabout
thecountry,thelocalhumour,thewaypeopleseeanddo
things—goodorbad,itdoesn’tmatter.What’sportrayed
isreal,theydon’tactuallytwistthefacts.SowhenIwent
backtowork,Icouldunderstandmycolleaguesbetterand
feltthatIshouldgiveallowancestocertainthingsthat
wasperhapsnotagreeabletomyownupbringingorvalue
system.I’velearnthowtoadapt,”saidHui.Thecouplehas
sincebecomeSingaporeans.
Hui’sinterestinperformingartshasrubbedoffonher
husband.Dragoshared:“I’veactuallynevergonetothe
theatrebeforeinSingapore.WhilethefirstWildRice
productionthatwesawwasacomedy,therearealsothe
moreseriousplays, which tackle a lot of important issues.
WildRiceputson a fantastic show every time, so we are
quitehappytosupport them.”
In2014,Huiwas invited to join the Wild Rice board
ofdirectors,andsheisalsoonitsdevelopmentboard,
whichwassetupspecificallytoraisemoneyforthenew
theatre.Havingseenfirst‑hand the impact that Wild Rice
productionshave on its audiences, the duo’s support for the
theatrecompany has been unwavering “especially since this
isahomegrown entity that actually has been working hard
forthepast 20 years to remain sustainable and viable. They
arenotheretomake money. They are here to serve the
community”,enthused Hui.WildRice’sGrandOpeningSeasoncontinuesfromOctober 10
withMerdeka,a thought-provoking riposte on Singapore’s
bicentennialcommemoration; and from November 21 with
PeterPaninSerangoon Gardens, an original musical take
ontheclassicfavourite, at The Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre
@WildRice.THE PATRONS
ANTHONIA HUI AND LEONARDO DRAGO,
WILD RICE ARCHANGELS
212 singapore tatler. october 2019