'Congratulations, Get Rich!' is a musical comedy written, and partially performed, by Merlynn Tong – an Asian-Australian supernatural tale of three women whose lives and afterlives intersect and connect in a hilarious, and hectic, way.
The world premiere is presented by La Boite Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company and Singapore Repertory Theatre.
Merlynn ('Golden Blood') plays the lead character Mandy, who owns a karaoke business she is trying to save by hosting a Reunion Dinner, when she is visited by two family ghosts from the past.
“I wrote the play from my own experiences growing up in my parents' karaoke bars, so this one feels super special,” Merlynn says. “I’ve been working on it since 2021 and it was a long process due to COVID delays, but now I’m really excited that it’s opening on the 100 years anniversary of La Boite.”
“In fact, there seems to be a lot going on with numbers in this show. My character is turning 38 years old and so are the ghosts, so everyone is exactly my age. In Mandarin, 38 means bitch! Coincidence? Oh and it’s the seventh day of Chinese New Year."
Zhengyue is the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar, and according to Chinese custom, Renri was the day human beings were created, so perhaps that has something to do with the timing of Mandy’s supernatural visitors.
"My mother took her own life. And it is said that my grandmother did, too. So I wrote about it in this new form, which is totally fresh to me. I feel like we gotta sing about it, right? Although we are working with deep things, dark things, it’s a joyous experience. I hope people will find it moving and maybe they will even be inspired to seek out their loved ones.”
'Congratulations, Get Rich!' explores themes of the mother/daughter relationship and their complexities through humour and original music, created just for the show. In writing it, Merlynn confronted her ghosts head on, she says, because she wanted to ask a bigger question – are we all bound to our fate, or can we escape the ghosts of the past and create our own futures?
“It’s 100 per cent supernatural and these are unique ghosts,” she says, “so it’s been creative and fun creating these characters.
“For instance, the grandmother is a full kick-ass gangster! She is the monkey. Totally unpredictable, quick thinking and wild. She can also be selfish.
"The mother character is very lush, only wears designer goods, of course. And she behaves like a snake! She is a neurotic, controlling, business woman, desperately wants it all to work. She is sensitive and in need of her mother's help, but will not ask for it."
The cast also includes Zac Boulton, Seong Hui Xuan, Kimie Tsukakoshi ('The Poison Of Polygamy') and is directed by La Boite’s Courtney Stewart.
“There are plans to take it to Singapore in October,” Merlynn says, “which will be something of a homecoming for us – and we’re really looking forward to that, too! Come see it!”
'Congratulations, Get Rich!' plays La Boite Theatre (Brisbane) 4-20 September.
