2025 STC Media Release Congratulations, Get Rich!

Following a critically acclaimed season at La Boite as part of Brisbane Festival and direct from Singapore Repertory Theatre lands Congratulations, Get Rich! (恭喜发财, 人日快乐) for its Sydney premiere.

Kicking off on 21 November at Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf 1 Theatre, this international co production is “an incredibly funny play” (The Saturday Paper).

 

 

Written by and starring Merlynn Tong (Golden Blood) and directed by La Boite Artistic Director and former STC Resident Artist, Courtney Stewart (The Poison of Polygamy), Congratulations, Get Rich! is a celebration of Singaporean culture and a deep dive into familial relationships, grief and trauma. Inspired by Tong’s upbringing in her family’s karaoke bars in Singapore, this semi-autobiographical work is set to bring “chaos, comedy and catharsis” (Stage Buzz Brisbane) to Sydney audiences.

Tong plays Mandy, joint karaoke bar owner and romantic partner to Xavier, played by Tong’s real-life fiancé, Zac Boulton. Joining them are the talented Kimie Tsukakoshi and Seong Hui Xuan, who portray Mandy’s late grandmother and mother.

 

 

Reflecting on her writing, Tong explains:

I have based these characters on very real people, but I have also allowed my imagination to run wild. This has created a perfect fuel of ‘fantastic autobiography’ where our audience will get to meet a suite of characters who feel authentic and real but are also part of a narrative that is outrageous, fun and phenomenal.

There is a lot of symbolism in the show about being 38 years old. All three female characters are this age and, coincidentally, I am also turning 38 years old during the seasons of this show. As I approach the age when my mother died, I can’t help but ponder about my blood, about this maternal impulse that lives within m

Congratulations, Get Rich! is brought to life by a stellar creative line-up including James Lew (Design), Gabriel Chan (Lighting), Guy Webster (Composition and Sound), Jules Orcullo (Dramaturgy),Alex Van den Broek (Music Direction), and NJ Price (Fight and Intimacy Direction).

Congratulations, Get Rich! plays at STC’s Wharf 1 Theatre .

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Season Details

Venue: Wharf 1 Theatre
Date: 21 Nov – 14 Dec 2025

For more information click HERE