For generations, the dynamics between women have been sidelined in theatre. Few classic plays explore the complexities of womanhood, the fraught relationships between mother and daughter, or, more specifically, the intricate bonds between Asian grandmothers, their daughters and their granddaughters. In cultures shaped by large joint families, where matriarchal relationships (often behind closed doors) deeply influence a woman’s identity, these stories are particularly rich – and yet rarely represented on stage.
As a South Asian Australian woman who coincidentally named her daughter after her grandmother, I feel a connection to Merlynn Tong’s experimental exploration of her matriarchal ancestors in her new play, Congratulations, Get Rich!, an international collaboration between La Boite Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre and Sydney Theatre Company.
What's the premise of Congratulations, Get Rich!
Congratulations, Get Rich! kicks off inside Mandy’s (Merlynn Tong) ailing karaoke joint, Money Money Karaoke, where she and her relentlessly upbeat, pun-loving boyfriend Xavier (Zac Boulton) are staring down a make-or-break night. It also happens to be the seventh day of Chinese New Year – Human Day – and Mandy’s 38th birthday. As an ominous storm rolls in and the pipes begin to groan, the couple is plunged into sudden darkness. Out of that blackout emerge two very unexpected visitors: Mandy’s long-dead mother (Seong Hui Xuan) and grandmother (Kimie Tsukakoshi), returning as hungry ghosts. Their arrival sparks a chaotic, often amusing tug-of-war for love, attention and long-buried truths, punctuated by musical numbers that bring each woman’s past hurtling into the present.
What are the highlights of Congratulations, Get Rich!
Merlynn Tong’s second play for Sydney Theatre Company is both her most personal and her most ambitious. It marks a striking departure from her earlier work, yet it still feels unmistakably her – dark, fun, complicated, richly storied, funny and expressive, yet stifled by an overwhelming grief that is still being processed. In many ways, it mirrors grief itself, and the play is at its strongest when it leans fully into its emotional core.
Tong is kind to her ancestors but unafraid to explore the complexities of women and motherhood. She creates flawed, layered characters with real dreams and desires, and Tsukakoshi and Hui Xuan fill them to the brim. As the hungry ghosts, they are both wildly entertaining caricatures, indulging in absurdist food-sucking, choreographed ticks, and other theatrical flourishes that bring the past vividly to life.
Tong has clearly found a strong creative partner in director Courtney Stewart. Together with designer James Lew and lighting designer Gabriel Chan, they’ve conjured a karaoke bar that feels perfectly lived-in. You can imagine the remnants of last night’s sweat and stains lingering, and the mischief that unfolds on the cusp of daylight. The collaboration between Tong and director Courtney Stewart is at its strongest in the second half, where the writing and direction coalesce to reveal deep intergenerational wounds, layering raw emotion with bold theatricality to create a catharsis that’s both vulnerable and courageous.
Why is Congratulations, Get Rich! a 3-star production?
While her writing still brims with the incisive social commentary on Asian Australian identity that made Golden Blood so biting, Congratulations, Get Rich! is a far bigger swing. The musical numbers, which weave catchy hooks with Chinese lore into the storytelling, are an impressive experiment – likely unlike anything previously seen on Australian stages. Yet these interludes can feel jarring and difficult to follow. If you find yourself thinking, “What is happening?” you’re not alone. It seems Tong may be attempting to work in the Tim Minchin-style comedy music genre, but the songs, despite wonderful performances from Tsukakoshi in particular, ultimately struggle to achieve their intended comedic impact.
Still, it’s encouraging to see Tong daring to play on such a large canvas and challenge theatre norms. We need more companies like La Boite, Sydney Theatre Company, and Singapore Repertory Theatre willing to take a chance on ambitious new Australian work.
Who is Congratulations, Get Rich! for?
Anyone with a complex relationship to their ancestry, anyone looking for a laugh, those curious to try something new, and anyone who wants to support bold new Australian work.
Find out more and book your ticket here.
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