Ah Boys to Men might be the current reference when it comes to depictions of National Service, but for anyone old enough to remember the ‘90s, nothing can compare to Army Daze. First staged in 1987, Army Daze was memorably adapted for the screen in 1996, preparing a generation of young men for the good, bad and hilarious of life in the army. Thirty years on, playwright Michael Chiang is finally giving us a sequel.
While official details are still limited, a Sistic event listing reveals a little more about the play. Army Daze 2 catches up with the original characters three decades after we first met them. Malcolm Png, now the director of public affairs of the Singapore Armed Forces, sends his son off for his NS stint. Remembering his own time as a recruit, he decides to get together with his old buddies: Ah Beng, now an entrepreneur; Johari, now running a chain of ayam penyet eateries; Kenny, now an interior designer; and Krishnamoorthy, now an architect. At the same time, the play follows the present-day NS journey of Malcolm’s son, Justin.
Army Daze 2 will star the likes of Hossan Leong, Chua Enlai, Shane Mardjuki and Natalie Ong of X Factor Australia fame with Beatrice Chia-Richmond helming the production. According to the Sistic listing, the show is expected to run from Aug 4-20 at the Drama Centre Theatre with tickets available from $43.
