The pre-show soundtrack to the world premiere of La Boite Theatre’s Congratulations, Get Rich! includes an old-school karaoke favourite (Bon Jovi’s immortal Livin’ On A Prayer). In turn, the post-show soundtrack kicks off with a decidedly newer-school one (K-Pop Demon Hunters’ demonically catchy Golden).
These highly popular tracks are well chosen in light of the play’s karaoke bar setting. Their lyrics are also appropriate, given that the themes explored in the storyline include the importance of persevering in the face of adversity and strengthening belief in one’s intrinsic self-worth to enable personal growth. As one of the characters says, “You can’t run from worthlessness.”
Congratulations, Get Rich! is set on the seventh night of Chinese New Year, known as Human Day in Chinese mythology. It’s also the opening night of the new Singaporean-themed (but Australia-located) karaoke bar Money Money, which belongs to romantic and business partners Mandy (Merlynn Tong, also the playwright) and Xavier (Zac Boulton, making his mainstage debut).
Moreover, it’s Mandy’s 38th birthday, as is signalled by a birthday cake Xavier’s prepared, shaped like the number. The cake is situated at the back of the main karaoke room in which the entirety of the play is set. It becomes clear as the play goes on that its number symbolises more – much more – than just Mandy’s age.
Given all this, it’s fair to say the night is already imbued with significance! It becomes even more significant when, as Mandy anxiously waits for some (any!) customers to show up, with Xavier telling cheesy but charming pun-related jokes to alleviate the tension, they’re suddenly joined in the bar by the stylish and ultra-confident Gma (Kimie Tsukakoshi).
She’s not known as Gma from the get-go. Her unique and 21st-century-celebrity-sounding name comes about when, after divulging to a shocked Mandy that she is her long-deceased grandmother (whom Mandy never met), she then asks her to call her Gma instead of Grandma because it sounds younger!
The significance of the night then goes through the roof when Mandy’s also-deceased mother, played by Seong Hui Xuan, shows up to join the party. Like Gma, she is a well-dressed spectre and unafraid of saying exactly what she thinks, sans any kind of filtration system.
The historically strained nature of her relationship with Mandy is made clear right from the outset when, unimpressed with the décor Mandy has chosen for Money Money’s central karaoke room, she derogatively declares the room to be gaudy and over the top. “Like a Shakespearean tragedy!”
All of the cast are exceptional and the play itself is intelligently crafted, skilfully melding humour, horror and heartwarming sequences with hugely enjoyable musical numbers.
Merlynn Tong deserves immense plaudits for her fantastic script, for which she drew on elements of her own upbringing in Singapore. She also gives a winning performance as the uptight but good-hearted Mandy. Her (intentionally) awkward physicality in a stiffly performed sales dance number is a particular comedic highlight.
Another highlight occurs when she stands alone in the karaoke bar at the beginning of the play, lamenting that “I can’t sing, I’m not a good singer.” She then abruptly raises the microphone to give a polished performance that immediately disproves her assertion.
Tong also generates multiple laughs with her nervously intense delivery of lines like “I have the wisdom – I’m overflowing with wisdom!” and “of course I want to be rich – I’m Chinese!”
Zac Boulton gives a very engaging performance as the down-to-earth Xavier. He is unwavering in his support of Mandy and is as devoted to making puns as he is to his MMA skills.
Boulton makes his dad-joke material incessantly funny in spite of (or perhaps because of) its general lameness, including trying to cheer up Mandy by delivering puns such as “how does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together!”
Also amusing are Boulton’s demonstrations of his MMA ability, which involve well-choregraphed physical comedy such as trying to teach some fight moves to Mum and then getting in a slow-motion tug-of-war with her over a container of Vegemite.
As Gma, Kimie Tsukakoshi gives a highly charismatic performance and provides some of the play’s biggest laughs as the vain and manipulative (though never unappealing) grandmother. One such humorous moment comes when Mum tells Gma “you look good”, to which Gma replies “when have I ever looked bad?”
Another amusing moment comes when Mum asks her, “Do you want to spend more time with me?” and Gma replies, “Well, it’s better than going back to hell.” Gma speaks plainly and throughout the play, saying that “I’m a grandmother – it’s my job to drop truth-bombs.”
Seong Hui Xuan is hilarious as Mum, delivering cutting one-liners with a verbal scalpel from her very first entrance. One such example comes in response to Mandy saying, “I can’t believe you’re here on my birthday,” to which Mum replies, “Ah yes, that was a painful day for me,” while grimacing at the memory of giving birth.
Another example is when Mandy introduces Xavier to Mum as her partner, at which point Mum asks him whether he’s rich. When he replies in the negative, the way Xuan responds is a masterclass in comic line delivery.
Both Tsukakoshi and Xuan are equally adept in their horror-themed sequences as they are in their humorous ones. They skilfully employ immediate changes to their physicality when suddenly compelled by overwhelming hunger. They remind us of their supernatural nature as they become shuffling, tongue-clicking, zombie-like creatures with menacingly outstretched arms and creepily jerky head movements.
These eerie sequences are all the more effective given that they are sandwiched in between sequences of verbal and physical comedy, and they happen abruptly, without much warning. The characters essentially switch from engaging in entertaining banter to becoming non-verbal and monstrous.
The musical numbers are effectively woven into the play, including the clever and highly entertaining theatrical device of having the characters magically enter the karaoke room’s TV set for mind-and-body-controlled performances of a number of original songs written for the show.
The vocal and instrumental arrangements for these songs are top notch. Music director Alex Van den Broek and composer Guy Webster should be applauded for their excellent work.
Webster should also be commended for his work as sound designer. His use of discordant industrial music throughout the play to generate an atmosphere of unease and dread is especially effective.
The lighting design by Gabriel Chan is also impressive, particularly when utilised to unsettling effect alongside Webster’s industrial music in strobe sequences and sudden cuts to darkness.
Fight and intimacy director NJ Price warrants particular praise for her fight choreography work. The play’s various fight sequences are as hilarious as they are expertly choreographed.
The karaoke bar set itself is both attractive and practical in its design. Set and costume designer James Lew deserves commendation for his efforts.
Director and La Boite CEO Courtney Stewart has done a tremendous job with staging Congratulations, Get Rich!, and indeed deserves considerable congratulations for her superb work here (even if riches aren’t forthcoming as well!). Along with dramaturg Jules Orcullo, Stewart has put together a hilarious, heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining play, making full use of the extensive talents of her cast and crew.
At one point during the play, Mandy says, “Karaoke is the one place you don’t have to smile and pretend everything’s okay.” Despite her character’s sentiments on that point, I can assure readers that I smiled a lot during this show and that everything felt more than okay while I was there.
To borrow a lyric from the post-show track mentioned at the beginning of this review, I’m confident your experience seeing Congratulations, Get Rich! is going to be golden.
Congratulations, Get Rich! is presented by La Boite Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company and Singapore Repertory Theatre as part of 2025 Brisbane Festival. It runs to 20 September at La Boite’s Roundhouse Theatre, 6 Musk Avenue Kelvin Grove 4059.
Tickets: https://tickets.laboite.com.au/overview/congratulations-get-rich-2025
Website: https://laboite.com.au/shows/congratulations-get-rich
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/laboitetheatre/
Photo credits: Stephen Henry
