THE PERANAKANBaba Emeric Lau is enchanted by Gunong Sayang Associationโs (GSA) 2026 production, Batu Bo Makan Gegat (The Impossible), a heartwarming dramedy with much pathos.
Batu Bo Makan Gegat had all the elements of a classic melodrama: an ailing matriarch, a scheming suitor, a loyal servant, and a family business with no clear succession plan. Yet under the able direction and skilled writing by Baba Frederick Soh, these familiar ingredients are seasoned with humour, tenderness and an unmistakably Peranakan sensibility.
The title is intriguing and leaves one wondering what exactly is the โimpossibleโ thing the play presents: is it about finding a successor? Reconciling tradition with the desires of a new generation? Or is it a metaphor for keeping Wayang Peranakan itself alive? It lends itself to any number of interpretations.
Baba KT, GSAโs longtime performer of female roles, must be commended for his deft depiction of Bibik Geok Neo. Despite a frail body, KT conveyed a steely mettle: unafraid of death, Geok Neo faces her mortality head on in her straightforward description of a friend who looked haggard in the kapok or coffin after succumbing to cancer and undergoing chemotherapy, deciding firmly that itโs not the route she wants to take.
In the few months between her own cancer diagnosis and passing, Geok Neo is faced with the issue of continuing the legacy of Oh Po Chok, her famous restaurant and lifeโs work, which is eventually resolved when her granddaughter decides to pick up the baton. As she breathes her last, one is filled with a twinge of sadness, but this is tempered with the knowledge that she is going senang hati (at peace), her lifeโs work done. The moment is beautifully underscored by an original song, Nyonya Dulu Kala, composed by Music Director Ernest Thio and sung by Marianne Lee.
Besides KT, veteran cast members include Nyonya Christina Wee as a two-faced family friend Leng Neo; Nyonya Cynthia Lee as Ong Swee Lee, a middle-aged woman caught between placating her mother and daughter; Baba Walter Wu as Tan Hock Chye, and Baba Ming, who brought on the laughs as Geok Neoโs younger sister, Chin Neo. GSAโs Suara Sayang engaged the audience with fresh, acapella arrangements of Suriram and Kopi Susu.
It was heartening to see no less than three younger, first-time Wayang Peranakan actors take to the stage: Ryan Damasus Ng as the sly Joseph, Benedict Khoo as palliative care nurse or โMissyโ James Bong, and Nyonya Cara Ow as career-minded granddaughter Jessica. Despite the evident struggle to get their lines right, they played their roles with much gusto. Their stepping up to thread the boards is a statement that truly matches the plot of the play: here is the next generation, treasuring and wanting to continue our heritage!
Batu Bo Makan Gegat is therefore more than a nostalgic celebration of Peranakan theatre. Like Geok Neo’s restaurant, Wayang Peranakan itself is a legacy that must be handed from one generation to the next. This production suggests that the tradition remains in good hands โ provided these younger hands are willing to take up the baton.
Find out more about Gunong Sayang Association (GSA):
https://www.gunongsayang.com
Follow GSA on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GunongSayang/
Batu Bo Makan Gegat (The Impossible) was staged at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre across 10โ12 September 2026.
Selected images: Gunong Sayang Associationย
