Emily of Emerald Hill (Emily) is a play by Singaporean playwright Stella Kon. The play won the Singapore National Playwriting Competition in 1983.
Overview
Emily of Emerald Hill (Emily) is a play by Singaporean playwright Stella Kon. The play won the Singapore National Playwriting Competition in 1983.
Premise
In 1929, fourteen year old Emily arrives at Oberon Mansion, the Gan family home located in the Peranakan enclave of Emerald Hill in Singapore. She is to be married to her cousin.
The play follows Emily in the bittersweet reflection of her life, through her roles as a conniving daughter-in-law, society hostess, meddling matriarch and finally a forlorn and lonely grandmother.
Cultural significance
The play has been credited for giving expression to a distinctly Singaporean identity through its portrayal of Peranakan culture. In 2012, an exhibition titled Emily of Emerald Hill: Singaporean Identity on Stage ran at the Peranakan Museum.
