By time · the second way through
Process Timeline
The same evidence the department sections hold, ordered as it happened: Pre-Rehearsal → Rehearsal → Performance → Reflection. Every item links back to its department.
Pre-Rehearsal
Scriptwriting, the conceptualisation of the creative and artistic direction, and the auditions.
Publicity and Marketing2B Drama Challenge|Trailer 1
Publicity and Marketing2B Drama Challenge|Trailer 2
Playwrights2B Drama Challenge Script|Version 1
Playwrights2B Drama Challenge Script|Version 3
Playwrights2B Drama Challenge Script|Version 6
- Publicity and Marketing
Our First Post
The first ig post on our Drama Challenge Instagram Account, shares about our play and the cast and backstage crew.
- Publicity and Marketing
Sneak Peak Behind cast's scrip memorising process
Long and daunting process of script rehearsal and memorisation.
- Publicity and Marketing
Makerspace session 23rd July
Sneak peak behind the set and prop team's hard work in making the stalls, food, miscellaneous items, etc.
PlaywrightsScene 5
Our Version of the funeral orations, Carefully written by Menglong
Sets and Props DesignBackdrop planning
Every set starts of with an idea, and this is how we thought of creating the backdrop at first
Sets and Props DesignBackdrop Ver 2
Due to limitations and constraints, original idea was unfeasible and redesigned
Sets and Props DesignStalls design Origina.
How we thought of creating the pasar malam stalls, essential to a typical pasar malam
Sets and Props DesignPodium design
How we thought of building a podium
Sets and Props DesignPlan on Building the Mic Stand
Microphone stand used by reporter during Scene 5
Sets and Props DesignFans
Fans (physical and electronic) used by the stallowners for satay, focused on realism and forging a pasar malam atmosphere
Stage ManagersA drawing of a early plan for the stage and classroom layout
- Actors
Audition notes from director
We initially had a few students in mind but we decided to host the auditions anyways. As we had been in the same class for almost 1 and a half years already, we knew each student’s personalities quite well. This also played a part in our choosing of who played which character. For example, Yexiang who played Jalil, has a tall and intimidating figure which could represent Jalil’s oppressive nature. Our auditions were very simple. We invited any student who wanted to play a major actor to come early to school during the AWS period. Whoever did not come, we decided that that showed a lack of responsibility and therefore did not choose anyone who said that they would show up, but ended up not coming. During the auditions itself, we invited each student to leave the class for 5 minutes memorising a part of the script that the playwright and other director thought was important and could show the student’s skills well. This part was Bao’s soliloquy. After this 5 minutes, they came to the front of the class and acted out that part of the script. After that, we gave feedback and then asked them to perform the same line but in a different manner, for example more caring, or more selfish. We judged based on how well they acted out the scene, as well as how receptive they were to feedback and their ability to adapt. Some complications did arise however. Firstly, Yexiang was unable to perform as time did not permit. However, he willingly sent me a video recording of himself performing within a set time limit. Secondly, we thought that the other students were unfit to act. Hence, we had to appeal to other students we thought could be suitable. That was how we ended up on Jun Ming. After that, the director, playwright and I held a short discussion on who we thought were good enough to play our main actors. Then, we decided who should play which role in the play.
Costume DesignJalil's costume ideation
We chose to give Jalil more formal and expensive-looking attire because we wanted to distinguish him from the rest of the Pasar Malam stall owners and put him up as a powerful figure with more influence than the rest.
Costume DesignMarco, Cai, Bao, Soo costume ideation
The colour of the gloves shows their intentions. Here, the black gloves symbolise that theu have hidden sinster intentions, differentiating them from the blue gloves of the other stall owners.
Costume DesignMinor Actor (stall owner) costume ideation
The colour of the gloves shows the lower level of influence within the Pasar Malam compared to the major characters.
DocumentariansScenes of the documentation team at work during rehearsals and Makerspace sessions
Costume DesignOfficial Costumes for Actors
- Multimedia, Light and Sound
Technical website
https://2btechnical.netlify.app/
Rehearsal
Actors rehearsing — and the making of sets, props, costumes, multimedia, lights, sound and publicity.
Rehearsals22 Jul 2026Scenes form our first rehersal
Rehearsals22 Jul 2026Scenes form our first rehersal
Rehearsals27 Jul 2026Script Rehersal in sch GAP day 27/7/26
Some actors were absent.
Rehearsals11 Aug 2026DC Rehersal on 11/8/26
Max was absent.
Rehearsals11 Aug 2026DC Rehersal on 11/8/26
Max was absent.
Actors11 Aug 2026Jalil (Yexiang)
"Innovation over tradition—I put us on the map!" > The Visionary Leader. Ambitious, forward-thinking, and proud. Jalil believes taking bold risks and charging higher rent at Marina Bay Sands is the only way to save the Pasar Malam from irrelevance, blind to how his grand vision squeezes the everyday stall owner.
Rehearsals19 Aug 2026Scenes form our second In-class DC rehersal
some actors were absent.
Rehearsals19 Aug 2026Scenes form our second In-class DC rehersal
Some actors were absent.
- Publicity and Marketing
Meet the Main Actors
Introduces our primary cast, Yexiang (Jalil), Maqil (Cai), Jun Ming (Marco), Max (Bao)
- Publicity and Marketing
Makerspace session 31st July
Sneak peak behind the team's hard work in putting together a fantastic play to come...
- Publicity and Marketing
Rehersal → Sets Building
Original Planned dress rehearsal on 7/8/26 turned to sets building due to miscommunications and lack of preparations
- Publicity and Marketing
Gap Day ❌ Backdrop Painting✅
The sets and props team and certain directorial team members working hard to put together our backdrop
Sets and Props Designprops in progress
All the small props though unnoticeable, plays a high attention to detail and how we create a real pasar malam setting
Sets and Props DesignStalls in progress
One of the main highlights, the pasar malm stalls build in progress
Sets and Props DesignBackdrop work in progress
One of the main highlights, painting, cutting, all the blood sweats and tears on this massive piece of art
Sets and Props DesignCash register
Where all the earnings are stored, how the stallowners pay there rent—money
Sets and Props DesignHow we secure the stalls
One major setback we had was the stalls all falling and not being sturdy enough during our whole DC, tried multiple methods, and finally found one that works perfectly
RehearsalsPhotos taken from drama challenge rehearsals from multiple days
Multimedia, Light and SoundScript + MLS cues
The script which the MLS team follows, ensuring everything is on track
- Rehearsals
Write Up
Our first draft was basically Rome with a night market painted on. We read it through once and most of us were checking our phones by Scene 3. Scene 4 took the longest to fix. The original version had the conspirators just confront Jalil and it looked like a canteen fight. Someone pointed out that hawkers don't stab people, they stop paying rent, and we rebuilt the whole scene around that. The loan sharks came in as the ones who actually do the violence, so the conspirators keep their hands clean. Jalil's "choke me with my own contributions" line went in that same session. We later split the scene in two so the first, friendly rent collection sets up the second. Marco's speech got rewritten more than anything else. We tried keeping "honourable" seven times like Shakespeare and it died around the fourth. Now it's twice, and the second one is "capable". Moving the forum to a press conference helped because the journalist can ask how the "overthrow" happened, which is what exposes the lie. We argued about whether Marco is being calculating. We decided no. The cynical version made the ending feel cheap and none of us liked it. Language was a running problem. Draft one was in proper English. Nobody talks like that at a pasar malam so we let the cast speak how they'd actually speak, and the eavesdropping in Scene 1 and the betrayal in Scene 4 suddenly sounded like real conversations. Some things we found by accident. The shadow scenes after 3 and 5 started as a way to cover a costume change. The thunder has to run a second early or it lands after the line. Bao's sampan speech used to be addressed to the police; we turned him to the audience with Cai nodding beside him and that gave us the closing image.
Costume DesignCostume for Loansharks
Costume DesignCostume for Jalil
Multimedia, Light and SoundSurtitles Presentation used during play
- Our Adaptation
Concept Notes
Rome in Julius Caesar is a republic terrified of a king. A pasar malam is a community of small stall owners terrified of rent. It's the same fear at a smaller scale: one person gets too big, and everyone else pays for it. Once we saw that, the substitutions mostly made themselves. The crown became a prime spot at MBS, the thing Jalil reaches for that the others can't afford. The Senate became the EC. Cassius's forged letters became post-it notes pasted on Bao's stall, because that's how a hawker would fake a petition. The daggers became loan sharks, summoned by the conspirators withholding rent, which lets the conspirators keep their hands clean the way Brutus never could. The Forum became a press conference, and the Roman mob became six stall owners with declining sales. Some things wouldn't transpose. Nobody dies in a night market, so Jalil is dragged off and detained instead. There's no Philippi, so the police close the play. The soothsayer became Soo, an adviser we hear about but never meet, which is roughly what happens to warnings anyway. The language changed to Singlish, Mandarin and Malay because the setting demanded it. Nobody at a pasar malam speaks in proper English, and the moment they did, the market stopped feeling like a place. What we didn't change is the argument. Tradition or progress, and who gets to decide. Singapore has that argument about hawker centres, old estates and rent every year. It was already ours.
- Our Adaptation
Our Script|Shakesphere
From the adapted script (Marco, Scene 5) "Is this just a desperate attempt to validate your importance? Or are you the power-hungry devil that you portray others to be? I shall be the mirror for our stall owners." From the source (Antony, Act III Scene 2) "I only speak right on; I tell you that which you yourselves do know; Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths, And bid them speak for me."
- Publicity and Marketing
From Publicity:
Have you noticed most of the publicity materials are all centred around out 3D models? Well, the publicity team's big idea, is to Think Different. It is to stand out. And what better way to do it than the tested and proven over and over again method: 3D modelling. Somehow, teachers are always impressed if my WA projects have 3D modelling and animaton. Thus, this time round, Our Publicity theme had centred our publicity thyeme on 3D modelling, through these aspects: 1. Trailers (half animated using custom in-house assets) 2. Video Games (reusing those assets in a more optimised way for real-time gameplay) 3. Website character wheel (models of actors) We worked extremely hard for the production of the trailer, with more than 30 hours to make and 100 hours of rendering in 4k. We really hope you enjoy them. These connected experiences, all within one website, 2bdrama.vercel.app, provides an extraordinary publicity experience
Stage ManagersBackstage photos from a in-class rehearsal
- Multimedia, Light and Sound
Technical’s website
The main control panel of the sounds and effects
Performance
The performance itself, in front of its audience.
Actors11 Aug 2026Journalist (Anson)
"Following the second leadership restructuring this month... how did you overthrow Mr Jalil?" The Inquisitive Press. Eager for the scoop on the sudden market shakeup, they ask the probing questions that put Mr Bao and Mr Cai on the spot. They serve as the public eye, broadcasting the drama, shifting narratives, and capturing the downfall of the Pasar Malam's leadership.
Performance Day28 Aug 2026Et Tu, Bao?
Our Official DC.
Director's AddressDirector's Message—Brevous
Director's AddressDirector's Message—Jensen
Playwrights2B Drama Challenge Script
PlaywrightsCharacters Introduction
- Publicity and Marketing
Official 10 day Countndown to DC begins
From today onwards, everyday saw another countdown post similar to that of this post.
- Publicity and Marketing
Et Tu, Bao? | Trailer 1 Come witness the fall of a pasar malam Book Tickets: https://2bdrama.vercel.app/ E-Portfolio: https://www.2bi.studio/ Cast: @2bdramachallenge2026 @tuozhanmax @yexiang_w @_jmjm_1 @intruderunder.urbed @thereal_edward12 @ans02nliu @zhai_zilong @nigel.c24
Official release of trailer 1 to the public
- Publicity and Marketing
Et Tu, Bao? | Trailer 2 Come witness the fall of a pasar malam Book Tickets: https://2bdrama.vercel.app/ E-Portfolio: https://www.2bi.studio/ Cast: @2bdramachallenge2026 @tuozhanmax @yexiang_w @_jmjm_1 @intruderunder.urbed @thereal_edward12 @ans02nliu @zhai_zilong @nigel.c24
Official release of trailer 2 to public
- Publicity and Marketing
The 2B Drama Challenge website is officially out! 2bdrama.vercel.app.
Release of the 2B Drama Challenge publicity website, features video game, trailers and character introduction
- Publicity and Marketing
Directions to DC venue
Shows the public how our guide signs to venue looks like for easy identification
ActorsJun Ming(Marco)
Marco has been at the Pasar Malam as long as Jalil, and says almost nothing for most of the play. He gets one excited line during the celebration. Then his friend is dragged off by loan sharks, and the quiet man snatches a microphone. He never accuses anyone directly. He asks questions, repeats "Cai and Bao are honourable" until it stops sounding like a compliment, and lets one fact loose: there was never any vote. Antony had a crowd of thousands. Marco has six stall owners and a press conference, and it turns out that's enough.
ActorsMax(Bao)
Bao did the work everyone credits Jalil for. The emails, the MBS meetings, the late nights: his, uncredited, and he never once complained about it. That's the man Cai finds. Not ambitious, just persuadable, and convinced that honour settles every question. A wall of fake post-it notes and some flattery later, Bao betrays his best friend to protect people who never asked to be protected. Everything he does wrong, he does for defensible reasons. At the end he compares himself to a sampan, bobbing, powerless against the storms of fortune. But the storm was a choice, and it was his.
ActorsMaqil(Cai)
Cai does everything and appears nowhere. The fake customer notes, the withheld rent, the loan sharks arriving right on cue: every mechanism of Jalil's fall has his fingerprints on it, and his name on none of it. His real skill is knowing what people need to hear. Bao needs to feel seen, so Cai calls him an unsung hero. The stall owners need someone to blame, so he hands them a tyrant. What Cai himself wants, he never says out loud, though "so atas sia" in the opening scene is probably the closest he comes to honesty. When it all collapses, he goes quietly. Even his ending is someone else's speech.
ActorsEdward & Raoul (L1, L2)
L1 and L2 have the simplest motive in the play: fifty thousand dollars, owed too long. They don't care about tradition, innovation, or the Pasar Malam. Owe money, pay money. That simplicity is what makes them useful. Cai's plot needs violence, and the conspirators can't afford to be the ones holding Jalil when it happens. So they starve him of rent and let his debt do the rest. In our Julius Caesar, the loan sharks are the daggers: they do exactly what the hands directing them intend, and feel nothing about it. They appear in one scene, take one man, and leave. The weather does more talking than they do.
ActorsRaoul, Nigel, Mika,ZIlong (Stall Owners—Minor Actors)
The stall owners are our Roman crowd, and the play's real subject. Nobody fights over the market's soul without fighting over them. Individually they're reasonable people. Mika asks a fair question, S6 makes fair arguments, S5 is genuinely bewildered. Collectively they're a weathervane. They cheer Jalil's deal, doubt it when Cai reframes it, accept Bao's explanation, reverse completely for Marco, and end the play as a mob condemning men they applauded two scenes earlier. Every position they hold is sincere, and none of them lasts a scene. What moves them isn't rhetoric alone. It's sales figures. When revenue is up, Jalil is a visionary; when it drops, whoever's in charge is a liar. Marco understands this and Bao never does: Bao offers them honour, Marco offers them an explanation for their losses. They're also the only characters who never conspire, and the ones every conspirator claims to be protecting. Jalil raises their rent for their future. Bao betrays his friend for their sake. Cai speaks in their name. Nobody asks them anything until the journalists show up. Played by six actors, they should feel like one organism with one appetite and a very short memory.
ActorsZilong, Nigel (Police Officers)
P1 and P2 arrive in the last scene and end the play in about six lines. No persuasion, no arguments, no Singlish even: just charges, procedure, and the official caution, delivered word for word. After five scenes of people bending language to get what they want, the police are the first characters whose words mean exactly what they say. They're our Philippi. Shakespeare needed armies and two suicides to close the ledger on the conspirators; we need a siren and a detention. There's no malice in them, which is the point. They aren't on Jalil's side or the mob's. They're what was always going to happen once the scheming ran out, and the market parts to let them through like weather finally arriving.
Performance Dayphotos from the set-up of the stage and from the performance
Sets and Props DesignJalil's stalls + corresponding props
How our sets and props harmoniously combine to create Jalil's Stall
Sets and Props DesignBao's stalls + corresponding props
How we harmoniously infuse Bao's Stall and corresponding props
Sets and Props DesignCai's Stall + Corresponding Props
Where the most cunning conspirator resides, with his props and stall
Sets and Props DesignMarco's stall+Corresponding props
The stall of Jalil's right hand man, Marco, and his tools needed to create fantastic Western food
Sets and Props DesignOur Stunning Backdrop
Features defualt night skyline, with detachable MBS (to show location change) and Company logos (to show location change from CBD to heartlands)
Sets and Props DesignCamera used during Scene 5 (Reporter Scene)
High level of attention to detail, camera to livestream interviews to the public through TV
Multimedia, Light and SoundMLSS website
How Xuanyu used his power with technology to create a website which stores all the sounds needed, sorted by scenes
- Stage Managers
Full cues for the stagehands
STAGEHANDS PLS READ Scene 1 pre set (S2)Flip stalls: (<15 sec) Two people each stall Jalil: me, @Eshan Cai: @~Haorui @~Mindcap real trust Bao: @tingyi @Ari Marco: @Conor @~gideon For 2-2 arrangement those in charge of stalls are the same, flip the stalls as well. In detail Cai stall move left and Bao stall move left side so the gap is in the mid of Cai Bao ___ Jalil Marco k (<25 sec) Scene 3 same Scene 4 same Remove MBS+tak off signs : me very quickly Take away everything+collapse Jalil sign horizontal (<10seconds) Scene 6 same
Costume DesignExample of costumes for stall owners
Costume DesignCostume of Police officers
Miscellaneous PhotosClass photo
Miscellaneous PhotosMr Director
Miscellaneous PhotosMason
Miscellaneous PhotosXuanyu
Miscellaneous PhotosBuff Loansharks
Miscellaneous PhotosMr Playwright
Performance DayPerformance Photographs
- Miscellaneous Photos
Onedrive Link:
https://riedusg-my.sharepoint.com/:f:/g/personal/30yquek518f_student_ri_edu_sg/IgAhKhdCLDLSS4tTrsNgX7GRAVEITjWO5x9FaAg9CIA66lw?e=sw65oR
- Publicity and Marketing
Website used of advertising
Reflection
The company looks back on the Drama Challenge.
Multimedia, Light and Sound17 Aug 2026MLS cue sheet
This is the MLS cue sheet that the members of MLS have agreed on. Making use of suitable music and sound effects, we have brought the pasar malam experience to life. The music also reflects the chaotic atmosphere and unseen betrayals and amplifies it. The lights are used in a multitude of ways to enhance the dramatic effect of the play, such as using coloured lights and shadows.
Sets and Props Design25 Aug 2026Sets IC — Davien's thoughts
Interview with Sets IC Davien
- Post-DC Reflections28 Aug 2026
Jensen
Throughout this drama challenge, I have learned many valuable life lessons through facing and overcoming the numerous challenges. For example, when I secured a Makerspace session on the National Day celebration day, I had initially thought that this was a great success as few people would have after school activities. However, this Makerspace session was cancelled and many classmates weren’t able to come to class even for a short while as they had planned activities. I learnt the hard way that I need to plan ahead for unforeseen circumstances and always have a back up plan. However, this Drama Challenge has been overall quite stressful, yet enjoyable. Helping Menglong with the script occasionally, hosting rehearsals, sending out reminders and dealing with slacking classmates, though seemingly mundane and difficult, I’ve come to see how over time the class starts to become more cohesive and I hope that this pays off on the actual day.
- Post-DC Reflections
Anson
Throughout this drama challenge it was heartwarming to see the class unite as one and all work relentlessly on one goal. However, even friends argue sometimes and misunderstanding will occur. To prevent this, we should start earlier, communicate properly, respect people’s opinions and lastly take responsibility in your work. Together, I am sure we will accomplish something great
- Post-DC Reflections
Nabil
Throughout this drama challenge, I have learnt many important qualities such as teamwork and communication. Before this, I was always shy to speak up and mainly tried to solve problems on my own. After experiencing drama challenge, I realised that I do not need to always be alone. I learned that teamwork helps get work done quicker and reduce the stress load on me. Furthermore, communication skills I have developed has improved by allowing me to be clear and firm with what my class needs. Not only that, I am no longer shy to speak up when I am in need of help. All and all, I feel that this drama challenge has not only improved my teamwork with others, but rather helped me overcome some challenges that I myself is facing in my daily life.
- Post-DC Reflections
Davien
My department intends on finishing the stalls first. We have made two and there are two more. We need to finish quick and maximise productivity. We intend on making the backdrop and trying it out. However this will not happen if there is no one from the department and no time to do. They are inconsistently attending sessions and we are running out of time. However, personally I also need more feedback from the team about what else to make because sets is not simply about backdrop and stalls and so simplistic. We need to hurry up fast. After conersing with the team and setting out clear goals, we managed to complete everything on time.
- Post-DC Reflections
Jun Wen
Throughout the process of our Drama Challenge, I learnt many things, but perhaps the most important thing I learnt was to take the initiative to get all the Costumes in time. For example, the collection of costumes was not going smoothly despite the class indicating that they could bring items from their homes, which is why I decided to bring a box for costumes to be put into. I hoped that my classmates would see how little we had and be more inclined to bring their items. Moreover, I also sent messages to classmates asking for their items. But in the end, our class spirit came together and we got all the costumes.
- Post-DC Reflections
Zikry
This Drama Challenge has been quite eventful and hectic for me. The start was quite frustrating as many members of various departments were uncooperative with the Directorial Team’s demands and urges to start work early, and we got off to a very slow start. Things became worse when the Costumes incident came out due to some members’ stubbornness to comply with the class fund rules and buying the police costumes. Things only went downhill from then as Sets and Props had no clue what to make despite me providing a bounty of cardboard in the classroom to be used. At least I was glad my Technical department got the job done quickly and the SFX website Xuanyu really impressed me, as it was done fully by AI and some coding of his. After a crashout by Runwei on the class where tears were shed, things changed immediately It was almost shocking when everybody started helping out, actors started memorising their lines, completed Sets and Props were slowly filling up the sides of the class, and less arguments happened online in Whatsapp chats. It is very fulfilling so far to be leading the class in this project. Although we started slow, it is always better late than never. Watch us pull this off.
- Post-DC Reflections
Conor
Teamwork goes beyond everyone finishing their tasks. Many drama productions, unlike other forms of literature, requires technical managers, actors, sets designers, playwrights and many other roles to work together in unison. Certainly, this was the first project for many of us on such a large scale, and through such an experience, I have realised that beyond playing our own parts, we had to constantly communicate and connect with many other departments to succeed. This helped me to learn that success cannot be attained by combining the lone efforts of individuals, but the team must work as one interconnected and complete collective for any project to be a success.
- Post-DC Reflections
Raoul
the drama challenge has thought me resilience, staying calm through challenges and the ability to collaborate well with others. This is through scheduling meetings to collate what we have done, brainstorming ideas for a missing part of costume that we require, or aiding my classmates with any work that they require within their own groups and jobs. the drama challenge is also a good opportunity for me to contribute to the betterment of our class, as i am able to organise activities, learn more about my classmates, and show my appreciation of others work towards the drama challenge.
- Post-DC Reflections
Yexiang
the drama challenge to me personally was one that allowed me to work with my entire class one last time. i believe that drama challenge will leave each and every one of us in 2B a unforgettable memory. although we had some conflict and argument, we were able to overcome them and work together as a class. i am incredibly proud of what we have done and the journey that took us here, and would just like to say thank you to each and every one of you who contributed. through this drama challenge, i have learnt the importance of working together and the importance of time management, it has not been easy for me to juggle cca, drama challenge, WAs and nsg together. i think i would have had a easier time if i was able to manage my time more efficiently and effectively.
- Post-DC Reflections
Richard
I learnt a lot of things through drama challenge. At first, I did not contribute a lot as I was blur and due to me having MEP on thursday, I was also unable to attend a lot of makerspace sessions. However, I started to realise the importance of teamwork, and sets might not finish everything in time if i slacked. Thus, I became a lot more helpful, turning up for makerspace sessions when I could and helping Davien in the morning. The DC made me realise that everyone's contributions, no matter how big or small, still matters and can push the progress forward. I also feel a sense of satisfaction after fixing the stalls or helping set up the scene. If I took part in something similar to the DC in the future, I would definitely contribute a lot more and work all the way from the beginning. Overall, I enjoyed the DC as it was quite magical to see every piece of the puzzle slowly falling into place, to form the whole play.
- Post-DC Reflections
Victor
This experience has taught me the importance of teamwork and everyone doing their part. For my department, we really did not do anything for the first three weeks. Everyone forgot about the drama challenge and no one did what they had to. It was only after the first rehearsal that we realised the horrible state our department was in and that we really had to catch up. Through teamwork and intense preparations, we managed to prepare a wonderful performance. This experience was a truly enriching one, and opened my eyes to the world of dramas and plays. I would love to have an experience like this again and I hope my juniors enjoy it next time as much as I did.
- Post-DC Reflections
Xuanyu
Technical has been a rewarding but also challenging experience. throughout this drama challenge, I have been exposed to the various elements of drama making. I realized that technical was not as simple it looks, the various multimedia lights and sounds can make a huge impact on the dramatic effect of the play. The collection of all the proper technical elements also took much more time and effort than expected, as well as how they are actually played
- Post-DC Reflections
Pei Runwei
Have you noticed most of the publicity materials are all centred around out 3D models? Well, the publicity team's big idea, is to Think Different. It is to stand out. And what better way to do it than the tested and proven over and over again method: 3D modelling. Somehow, teachers are always impressed if my WA projects have 3D modelling and animaton. Thus, this time round, Our Publicity theme had centred our publicity thyeme on 3D modelling, through these aspects: 1. Trailers (half animated using custom in-house assets) 2. Video Games (reusing those assets in a more optimised way for real-time gameplay) 3. Website character wheel (models of actors) We worked extremely hard for the production of the trailer, with more than 30 hours to make and 100 hours of rendering in 4k. We really hope you enjoy them. These connected experiences, all within one website, 2bdrama.vercel.app, provides an extraordinary publicity experience
- Post-DC Reflections
Mason
From the drama challenge experience, I have gained valuable insights and knowledge. However, I believe the most important thing that I have learnt is the importance of communication. As the IC of MLS, I had to clearly communicate with my fellow group members, so as to allocate the work without feelings of injustice. Furthermore, I have to communicate with the directorial team, sets, etc, so as to make sure that we share the same artistic vision. For example, I asked our playwright on his opinions on the music choice, to which he gave some comments, greatly helping the progress of MLS. What surprised me was the importance of the music and lights on the dramatic effect of the play. At first, I knew that lights and music had an impact on the play, but not the large scale that it had. I learned this while attending the multiple rehearsals that we had, many of which had conditions that affected the music and lighting. However, after many rounds of trail and error, my department finally found suitable lights and sound. When using it, I could finally tell the great difference it made on the play. However, one thing that I would do differently was to start earlier. For the first three weeks, we did very little work, as we thought that it would be okay to relax for a while. However, the first in class rehearsal was a wake up call for us. Due to our unpreparedness, we faced major issues with the music, thus being criticised by the teacher. Thankfully, we put in the effort afterwards, and were able to make up for lost time. All in all, the drama challenge rehearsal was an enriching experience for me, and it will definitely be an unforgettable memory.
- Post-DC Reflections
Eshan
As a sets builder for the Drama Challenge, I learned the importance of being flexible and adaptable. Although my main role was working on sets, I often had to alternate between helping the sets team and the props team, depending on who needed more support. At first, we all thought we were cooked because there was so much to complete and not much time. However, as we continued working together, everything slowly started to come together. This experience taught me that teamwork is about more than completing your own role. It is also about supporting others, adapting to problems and working together towards a common goal.
- Post-DC Reflections
Amsyar
So, as a performance stage manager for the Et Tu Bao production, i must say that it was quite a pleasant experience, because during the production, I was able to spend time with some classmates, who I won't naturally spend my free time with, as well as spend more time working together with my other friends. Moreover, though there were some arguments and disputes, mainly between some actors and the directorial team, most of the different sections were surprisingly cooperative, and tried their best. One of the best experience I ever had, and I hoped to do it all again
- Post-DC Reflections
Brevous
Being the director of a play taught me that leadership is not just about giving instructions, but also about listening, adapting and bringing people together. At the beginning, I thought my main responsibility would be planning the scenes and making sure everyone knew what to do. However, I soon realised that directing required much more communication and teamwork. I had to understand different opinions, solve disagreements and make decisions that would benefit the whole cast. I also learnt the importance of being patient, especially when scenes did not turn out the way I expected. There were times when rehearsals were challenging and progress was slow, but these experiences taught me to stay calm and find solutions instead of becoming frustrated. Most importantly, I learnt how important trust is when working as a team. Seeing everyone’s effort come together during the final performance was extremely rewarding. Overall, directing helped me become a more responsible, confident and adaptable leader.
- Playwrights
The Hardest Scene to Adapt:
Marco's speech in Scene 5. Antony gets a corpse to stand over and a crowd big enough to burn a city. We have fifteen stall owners and a Jalil who is alive, offstage, at a police station. So the forum became a press conference. The mob is six people who are unhappy about their sales figures. The irony gave us more trouble. "Brutus is an honourable man" works because Shakespeare can repeat it seven times until it turns on itself. Try that in a twenty minute school production and people start checking their phones. We used the line twice, changed the second one to "capable", and shifted the weight onto Marco's questions. We also couldn't agree on how much of it Marco means. Antony is in control the whole way through. We let Marco be genuinely angry about Jalil instead, because the fully calculating version made the ending feel cheap and none of us enjoyed watching it. He curses everyone at the end of Scene 4. We left that in because we think he means it. Changes: broke the rule of three, desymmetrised the forum/mob pair, cut "was worse" and "curdle", and replaced the closing one-liner with something that states a decision rather than performing one.
- Post-DC Reflections
Zhanchen
the drama challenge was definitely different from any other exam or assignment I ever received. Especially because it was class work it required not only everyone’s contributions but also proper communication between everybody. I feel like it most certainly helped bring the class together while also allowing myself to be more responsible with the tasks assigned to me. Finally, it also emphasised the importance of teamwork as there was no way we could have finished all the sets and props on time without the entire class’s help. Personally, since I’m in costumes, I definitely needed many of my classmates to help bring the costumes to school too. Overall, my main takeaways are simple the importance of teamwork and the courage to try new things. It was quite a fun experience, while stressful. I do hope we can have more WA’s of a similar flavour.
- Post-DC Reflections
Edward
As a minor actor of our Drama Challenge, even though this role may look minor, but I know that i had to try my best to play a part and help all the departments to the best of my ability. I took initiative in memorising my lines, watching crimewatch to learn how loansharks behave, and tried my best to potray a fierce and evil loanshark. I also helped out with sets and props through makerspace sessions. This DC has taught me teamwork is a very invaluable skill, and how close our class can get bonded together when we set our minds to the same goal, the Play, and i am also extremely proud of how our play turned out, with the stunning lights, sets and also all the actors for acting their hearts out.
- Post-DC Reflections
Zejia
The drama challenge process was both fun and challenging at the same time. I faced quite a few difficulties, like selecting a design for the programme booklets and posters, or having to visit the printer shop countless times. However, the experience was also fun and fruitful as I got the chance to express my creativity and put it to use. Working with my partner and sharing our ideas together was also very engaging. Through this process, I have learnt to work with other people better and the fact that although something might be very challenging there is fun in them.
- Post-DC Reflections
Menglong
Through this drama challenge, not only did I gain a deeper understanding of drama production, but also gained invaluable insights and relationships. After the drama challenge, my first instinct was to hug my director Jensen. Jensen had been there with me from the start, from script drafting to rehearsals to ideation for all departments. Through our close cooperation, and my assistance with other departments, my classmates and I got closer in all the long hours and late nights, gaining a newfound appreciation for each other in our final months together. I learnt to always cherish the moments together, to always be considerate and thoughtful in teamwork, which created lasting memories. The strength of the wolf is in the pack. After 2 terms of sheer dedication, i finally understood its true meaning.
- Post-DC Reflections
Tingyu
I felt that the DC is actually quite fun and quite interesting as I get to work work with my friends and for me, I get to make things which actually allows me to temporary take my mind off my stresses. I like making the things, and sometimes the rush and the challenges made the experience much more interesting and memorable for me. All in all, I think the DC is very memorable for me and I enjoyed the experience of it making things and working with my friends
- Post-DC Reflections
Max
This drama challenge has been quite the journey. It started in terms 1 where we had to design the outline of the script. Somehow our group’s one was chosen. I tried my best during rehearsals and got the role as Bao aka Brutus. I was really excited and I tried my best to live up to the expectations of a main actor. However, not every was good as a classmate kept accusing me of not learning my lines. He said some extremely mean words to me and I felt it was unfair as I had memorised my lines while some other actors hadn’t. However, I proved them wrong as I did well during rehearsals. In the final week to the drama challenge; I was extremely nervous. We didn’t even have a single full rehearsal that week and we would only practice on the actual day. Finally, I managed to lock in and so did the others and we didn’t well for the drama challenge. Overall, I loved this experience and would love to act as Bao again.
- Post-DC Reflections
Haorui
As the props IC for drama challenge, I was in charge of designing and making a list of props, as well as allocating the roles for our department. I was also involved in sourcing set items for the arts department. While I was expecting quick progress from my department at first, which had the most people, I was dismayed by the fact that no one was really participating in the discussions we had for props suggestions. The early makerspace sessions, that would later turn out to be extremely crucial, also had minimal attendance. Thus, I took up the task of kickstarting the props making by drafting a list of props. Sure enough, ideas from my group mates started coming in. Still not the progress I envisioned, but it was a good beginning. After the list was finalised, I took the initiative to make the microphone stand, one of the bigger props so that our department could focus more on the smaller props during makerspace sessions instead of spending the entire time on a prop that was difficult to make but had a simple concept. During the making of the microphone stand, I also realised that old household items could be repurposed to make our props. During this period, I regularly stayed behind during breaks as well to make up for time lost due to the ongoing Badminton NSG season. Due to our quick progress, we became the first department to finish, which meant that the people in my department could be sent to sets instead. This contributed to our class finishing all the major sets before our actual performance despite the tight schedule. Although there were many disagreements and times where the sets and props broke (which caused me to break down in tears :/) we managed to deliver a respectable performance on the day itself, leaving no regrets. Overall, this drama challenge has taught me not just how to repurpose items, but also how to communicate effectively and calmly to ensure minimum conflict.
- Post-DC Reflections
Jun Ming
As a Major Actor acting as Mark Anthony in Drama Challenge, this experience is nerve-wrecking but also deeply rewarding. Nerve-wrecking because I knew the way I acted played a major role in our class' play and also representing our class to the seniors and teachers watching the play. Acting in a play required me to not only memorise my script, but also act with emotions to effectively showcase the unique energy of our play. Reflecting on the process, this journey has taught me invaluable lessons about teamwork and personal resilience. I also understood how in a play, everyone plays an important part. The sets, props, publicity, actors, directors departments all need to come together for the play to flow effectively, and to put up an amazing performance. Though this journey, I am incredibly proud of my class for working so well together to gain compliments from the audience. From the late night rehearsals to the countless early mornings in schools preparing sets, everyone played a crucial role.
- Post-DC Reflections
Ari
Through working in the sets department, I learnt that we cannot control everything that happens in the actual performance or during preparations but we have to improvise and work with what we have to make the best out of it. For example, during the first few makerspace sessions, we would only have 2 or 3 people, including myself, actually going down to help make the stall signs and stands. Since not everyone was reliable, we suffered and lagged behind from the other departments in terms of progress due to the lack of manpower. However, we did not let this stop us from trying our best. Eshan, Davien and I from the sets department used good communication to inform each other of what we had done with people from other departments, like our playwright and director, as we all could not attend the same sessions at first. I also realised how important sacrifices have to be made for the greater cause of a larger community. On our final makerspace session, we realised that there was not enough black paper to make enouh buildings that can fit the whole backdrop. Thus, I had to make a 1h 20min to and fro journey from school to ITE Central to buy paper from the Popular store there as the one in Bishan was not open yet. After that, we managed to finish up the rest of the buildings and eventually complete the backdrop. In conclusion, I feel like I have grown as a person and in terms of working together with others as the drama challenge preparations and stage-handling has taught me how to deal with unexpected situations in a calm manner. These skills will forever stay with me throughout my future endeavours.
- Post-DC Reflections
Zilong
Going through the whole Drama Challenge process from start to finish taught me a lot more than I expected. Our production, “Pasar Malam,” was an adaptation of Julius Caesar set in a Singaporean night market, and there was way more work involved than just acting on the day itself. One of the biggest things I learned was how to collaborate when everyone in the group had different opinions on how the story should be told. We spent a lot of time critiquing and rewriting the script, sometimes almost from scratch, and there were real disagreements along the way, whether it was about how scenes should merge or how closely we should stick to the original Julius Caesar structure. At times it was frustrating, especially when I liked a certain version of a scene and had to let it go because the rest of the group felt otherwise. But eventually I realised these disagreements actually pushed us to think more carefully about what worked, instead of just settling for the first draft. I learned to listen more, explain myself better, and accept that compromising was often more useful than insisting I was right.
- Post-DC Reflections
Nigel
This drama challenge has been a wonderful experience. There were many highs and lows throughout this journey but ultimately I feel that it has brought the class closer together. From late nights to staying back late after school to build props, most of us did our part to contribute to DC. Personally, I have grown as a person in ways I didn’t imagine. For instance, I learnt how important it was to have emotion and feelings as well as cooperating with team members and directors. As a minor actor, I think that I have provided all the help I could, from building sets and props at Makerspace to bringing my own costumes and props. On the downside, I also noticed people not contributing as much or attending rehearsals often. I think that since we can’t change that fact, we should do our best to cover and fill in for them, not because what they’re doing is right but because WE as a class is responsible for this play as one collective group. I’ve also seen myself stepping up to fill in for these people as well as offer any support or provide materials where necessary. At the end of the day, everyone has a part to play whether they like it or not and some people contribute more than others but I feel we can all be proud of the performance as in my opinion, it was a huge success worth celebrating.
- Post-DC Reflections
Tuo Zhan (Max)
This drama challenge has been quite the journey. It started in terms 1 where we had to design the outline of the script. Somehow our group’s one was chosen. I tried my best during rehearsals and got the role as Bao aka Brutus. I was really excited and I tried my best to live up to the expectations of a main actor. However, not every was good as a classmate kept accusing me of not learning my lines. He said some extremely mean words to me and I felt it was unfair as I had memorised my lines while some other actors hadn’t. However, I proved them wrong as I did well during rehearsals. In the final week to the drama challenge; I was extremely nervous. We didn’t even have a single full rehearsal that week and we would only practice on the actual day. Finally, I managed to lock in and so did the others and we didn’t well for the drama challenge. Overall, I loved this experience and would love to act as Bao again.
- Post-DC Reflections
Maqil
From dc, i learnt to make compromises in order for the benefit of the class. Sometimes, even though i am feeling tired, i still go for rehearsals because it is very rare for most of the class to show up and i want to make the best of the rehearsals and resources of the class. I feel greatly satisfied as I managed to do my part and collaborate with the class to put on an exceptional performance. The sets were able to last for the entire play and all the actors were coordinate and on point with the sound effects and the music. Overall, dc was a very challenging task, yet we yielded satisfactory results
- Post-DC Reflections
Shengyuan
Even though documentarian is often viewed as a "slacker" job, i did not view it that way. Documentarians are essential to our play, as it is what enables people to see the process and how we made the play, not just the final product, as often a times, the process shows more than the final product. Hence, I wanted to harness my technology skills to make the documentarian job a fun and enjoyable one. First, i created a website under https://www.2bi.studio/, which is the documentation hub. First, the landing page, where sits our e-portfolio that can be embedded with different types of media as evidences. Additionally, there is a member's hub, where each classmate gets an account, and they can have access to log progress under their names. This will be reviewd and approved by Documentarians. Furthermore, there is an analytics page, where it gives a oversight on our progress, and zooms in on all the data to show our progress. Overall, this DC has taught me that working together with classmates is an invaluable skill, and only under good comunication skills, we can all share our ideas and help create a fantastic play, which i think we did.
- Post-DC Reflections
Tun Chee
Through this drama challenge, I have learnt the importance of teamwork and adaptability. Teamwork is crucial due to the huge workload in order for the drama to be the best and adaptability is also crucial as things will always take a turn, whether is good or bad, really depends on the point of view and ability to adapt. This drama challenge was not a smooth journey but that’s what makes it memorable, I’m very glad that i’m part of 2B. I learnt many values and the grade doesn’t really matter because 10 years down the road i’m sure the only thing i will take away from this drama challenge is the memories and values.
- Post-DC Reflections
Jaymus
Throughout the course of the drama challenge, I learned how to manage my time effectively and collaborate with my classmates to document the drama challenge effectively. Many of the rehearsals and Makerspace sessions clashed with my other commitments like CCA and 3rd Language. To solve this, I communicated with shengyuan to ensure that 1 documentarian would always be present at the sessions. When both of us were absent, I had to ask my classmates to assist me in taking photos and videos. It was also difficult and frustrating to get everyone to update their own contributions on the website by themselves. I had to send multiple reminders and ask them to check their own portfolio to convince them to proactively check and update.
Sets and Props DesignHaorui's interview
Haorui, props IC's thoughts and ideas
PlaywrightsMenglong's interview
Words from our only playwright
Multimedia, Light and SoundXuanyu's thoughts
How Xuanyu thought about MLSS
Multimedia, Light and SoundVictor's thoughts
Words from Victor, which played a huge role in MLSS
ActorsInterview with Mika
ActorsInterview with Jun Ming
ActorsInterview with Yexiang
Costume DesignInterview with Costumes IC jun wen
- Director's Address
Director's Lettter
Julius Caesar is a play about people who destroy the thing they love while insisting they are saving it. That felt closer to home than togas and the Senate, so we moved it to a pasar malam. Our Rome is a night market. Our Caesar is Jalil, a stall owner who secures a prime spot and raises the rent to pay for it. His conspirators are his oldest friends, who genuinely believe the market will die if he goes on. Almost everyone here is trying to do right by the same community. That is what makes the ending hard to sit with. We wrote it in the languages our characters would actually use: Singlish, Mandarin and Malay, often in the same breath. Hawkers don't code-switch for an audience, and we didn't want ours to either. That mix is how the community sounds, and the community is what everyone in this play is fighting over. The question we want to leave you with is the one Bao never manages to answer. When tradition and progress pull in opposite directions, who gets to decide, and who ends up paying?
- Documentarians
Coordination of documentation
We had to communicate and plan around each other's schedules throughout the course of the drama challenge. As both of us had many commitments, it was sometimes difficult to ensure that at least one of us would be present at the rehearsals or Makerspace sessions. Early on we compared our timetables and CCA commitments and marked out which sessions each of us could realistically attend, so we knew in advance where the gaps were rather than discovering them on the day. For the sessions neither of us could make, we made alternative arrangements and asked some of our classmates to take photos and videos on our behalf. We gave them a short brief beforehand on what to capture: wide shots of blocking, close-ups of key moments like the confrontation in Scene 4, and any props or set pieces being built in Makerspace. This meant the footage we received was usable rather than random, and we could still track how the scenes were developing even when we weren't there ourselves. To keep everything in one place, Jaymus created a OneDrive folder which he shared with the advertising team. He maintained a detailed log of all the photos and videos taken throughout the course of the drama challenge, recording the date of each photo under a separate folder. Having a single organised archive made it much easier to find specific footage later when we were putting together the advertising materials and this portfolio.
DocumentariansJaymus working hard
As he was mainly the person taking photos of everything, there isn't many pictures of him "documenting" but i vouch for Jaymus—Shengyuan (fellow Documentarian)