Shakespeare & Singapore, 1900–1975

First aired on 5 March 2020 as part of our HistoriaSG lecture series
Dr Emily Soon
Research Fellow, National Museum of Singapore

What role did Shakespeare play in 20th-century Singapore? How did individuals from Singapore’s diverse ethnic communities respond to, and rework, the plays of this English Renaissance playwright? Beyond the classroom, how did students and teachers creatively adapt Shakespeare’s texts to better resonate with life in this tropical city?

This talk by Dr Emily Soon explores the Shakespearean threads within Singapore’s multicultural history, tracing how people in Singapore engaged with Shakespeare as the island transitioned from being a British colony to an independent Southeast Asian state.