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Esplanade Presents
20 – 23 Oct 2026
View dates and time(Intermission: None)
Esplanade Recital Studio
It is 2030 in Singapore. First the floods came, followed by a prolonged period of drought and contamination to our water supply. There is a shortage of clean water and an energy crunch. Water has become a controlled good, persistent power outages are disrupting the lives of Singaporeans, and there are strains in the social order.
How will water be distributed? In times of crisis, how do we organise resources, and learn to trust one another? How do we communicate with, understand and accommodate each other?
This forum theatre play challenges students to rethink their values and priorities, and to consider perspectives coming from different concerns and needs. There is no model answer and no prescribed ways to deal with the problem. Instead, through dialogue, discussion and exchange, students get to devise new strategies and try out various solutions, preparing them to participate and take action in life.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice? was first produced in 2012 by Drama Box for IPS Prism: An Immersive Arts Experience, presented by Institute of Policy Studies of the National University of Singapore.
Director: Han Xuemei
Playwright: Kok Heng Leun
Learning Objectives
Categories: Character Development & Citizenship
Explore issues related to civic responsibility.
Develop a greater appreciation for competing priorities and challenges faced in decision-making and policy formation.
Consider multiple perspectives and communicate effectively.
Encourage critical thinking and analytical skills.
What to Expect
In forum theatre, the play ends on a cliffhanger, with issues unresolved. Instead of just watching in the audience seat, audience members gets to take on the role of “spect-actors”, replacing characters onstage to try out strategies and influence the outcome of the play.
Accessibility
Assistive Listening
Han Xuemei
Han Xuemei is a theatre director, facilitator, educator, designer and Co-Artistic Director of Drama Box.
Xuemei believes that theatre can inspire growth. She creates different forms of artistic experiences that engage with audiences from all walks of life. Her works seek to deepen reflection and dialogue about pertinent issues so that we can grow our individual and collective capacity to contribute to a better society. Since 2012, she has conceptualised, directed, designed and facilitated numerous projects about issues such as development and displacement, domestic violence, as well as violence in school. She is specifically interested in the possibilities of theatre in youth engagement and education. She has consistently created performances for youth, and continues to study and explore different ways of engaging and co-creating with youth.
Notable projects include Camp-O, A Young Person’s Guide to Surviving in Singapore (Seeing the Obvious, 2023), Re: Assembly, MISSING: The City of Lost Things (2018, nominated for “Best Multimedia” at the 2019 Straits Times LIFE! Theatre Awards), and The Young Can Change The World (SCENES: Forum Theatre, 2015).
In recognition of her artistic endeavour and development, she received the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council of Singapore in 2021.
Kok Heng Leun
Heng Leun is a prominent theatre director, playwright, dramaturg, and educator, known for engaging the community on various issues through the arts, championing civic discourse across different societal segments.
As Founder, artist of Drama Box (Singapore), notable directorial works over his three-decade career include Drift, Trick or Threat, and Underclass; site-specific theatre ubin and Project Mending Sky, Both Sides, Now, which explores end-of-life conversations, and the recent Air, about the dispossession of the indigenous Malays and Orang Seletar of Singapore.
National awards received include the Young Artist Award, Cultural Fellowship and Cultural Medallion. He also served as a Nominated Member of Parliament (2016– 2018), representing the arts sector. In 2024, he received an honorary doctorate from the National University of Tainan, for his achievements in the fields of academia, arts and education.
Assistive Listening
Assistive listening system is available for this venue. Hearing aid users with a Telecoil-enabled programme can benefit from the system provided. Please arrive at the venue 30 min before the performance so we can assist with the setup.
Assistive Listening
20 Oct 2026, Tue
2.30pm
21 Oct 2026, Wed
2.30pm
22 Oct 2026, Thu
2.30pm
23 Oct 2026, Fri
2.30pm
Schools (All Mainstream Primary and Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges and Centralised Institute)
For every 20 student tickets purchased per performance, one complimentary teacher ticket will be issued.
The complimentary offer is only available for purchases made in a single transaction for the same show title.
Homeschools and International Schools
To make a booking, please contact Esplanade Box Office at 68288389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com.
For enquiries, email education@esplanade.com.
Tote Board Arts Grant
All Primary, Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges / Centralised Institute & ITEs may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 50% of the programme cost.
For more details, please contact Esplanade Box Office at 6828 8389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com.
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