Dim Sum Dollies
Encyclopedia
The Dim Sum Dollies are a musical
cabaret
group in Singapore
, played by Selena Tan
, Emma Yong and Pamela Oei. The Dollies are known for their loud and colourful costumes, spectacular dance scenes and their comical but incisive approach to contemporary social issues in Singapore.
2003 saw them perform to a sold-out crowd in the immensely well received Steaming!, which was followed by Revenge of the Dim Sum Dollies in 2004, Dim Sum Dollies: Singapore's Most Wanted in 2005, and Dim Sum Dollies: The History of Singapore! in 2007. In 2006, they lent their names to Glen Goei's adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors
performed at Victoria Theatre.
According to local director Ivan Heng
,the name ‘Dim Sum Dollies’ was chosen because dim sum
“came in threes, each morsel painstakingly prepared to please eye and palate”. This description describes the trio's presentation style on stage, which combines visually spectacular sets and costumes with an original take on all things Singaporean.
maids in a fog-filled heaven (all of them apparently died after falling off ledges while cleaning their employers’ windows). In a review by local playwright Alfian Sa’at, he notes with regards to this scene that ‘there has been an alarming trend of such accidental deaths in Singapore in the past year, and when the audience laughed, it was laughter laced with hurt. This was an instance, so prized in theatre, where one could provoke such contradictory emotions.’
Other memorable scenes that year saw the Dollies touching on the plight of much-maligned traffic warden
s in ‘Parking Pontianaks’ and donning the trademark kebaya
worn by Singapore Airlines
stewardesses in ‘Singapore Girl’. In 2005's Dim Sum Dollies: Singapore's Most Wanted, the Dollies came on stage dressed up as food court aunties in one scene, while other segments had them satirizing the NKF saga
and exploring issues such as slimming
centres and the Merlion
.
In 2010, they appointed as ambassadors for gracious campaign by the Public Transport Council
with support from the Singapore Kindness Movement
. The theme called "Love Your Ride", similar to the earlier "A Happy Journey Starts Like That" by Phua Chu Kang
in 2009. The "Train is coming" jingle
, played when the train approaching to the MRT
station, is well known to all Singapore
ans.
Concert, a concert held in Singapore to commemorate World AIDS Day
2008. The concert will be held at Fort Canning
Park, Singapore on 29 November 2008.
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
group in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, played by Selena Tan
Selena Tan
Selena Tan is an actress and the owner of Dream Academy, most notable as one of the famous Dim Sum Dollies. Tan started acting at age 14. She was educated at Fairfield Medthodist Secondary School and graduated with a law degree from National University of Singapore.-Movies and TV appearances:*...
, Emma Yong and Pamela Oei. The Dollies are known for their loud and colourful costumes, spectacular dance scenes and their comical but incisive approach to contemporary social issues in Singapore.
History
The trio began in 2002 with a gig at the Esplanade called A Single Woman.2003 saw them perform to a sold-out crowd in the immensely well received Steaming!, which was followed by Revenge of the Dim Sum Dollies in 2004, Dim Sum Dollies: Singapore's Most Wanted in 2005, and Dim Sum Dollies: The History of Singapore! in 2007. In 2006, they lent their names to Glen Goei's adaptation of the off-Broadway musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
performed at Victoria Theatre.
According to local director Ivan Heng
Ivan Heng
Ivan Heng is a Peranakan- -Hokkien-Chinese-Singaporean stage actor and director. He is the founding artistic director of W!LD RICE, a theatre company in Singapore....
,the name ‘Dim Sum Dollies’ was chosen because dim sum
Dim sum
Dim sum refers to a style of Chinese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates...
“came in threes, each morsel painstakingly prepared to please eye and palate”. This description describes the trio's presentation style on stage, which combines visually spectacular sets and costumes with an original take on all things Singaporean.
Cast
In real life, the Dollies are three of Singapore's best-known theatre practitioners who have participated in several other plays and productions through the years.- Selena Tan, has directed, produced and acted in productions such as Chang and Eng (1997), Jack Neo's I Not Stupid (2002), Cinderel-LAH (2003), and It Takes Two (2005).
- Pam Oei has participated in several productions including Forever Fever (1998), Rent (2001), Boeing Boeing (2005), and Titoudao (2007).
- Emma Yong's most memorable works include Mammon Inc. (2002), Boeing Boeing (2005), Dick Lee's Man of Letters (2006), and Cabaret (2006).
- Hossan LeongHossan LeongHossan Leong is a stage and screen actor from Singapore.Educated at the Anglo-Chinese School for most his primary and secondary school years, Hossan was active in many stage productions even before he left the school system and embarked on a 2 year diploma course in electronics at the...
has supported the Dim Sum Dollies in several of their productions, beginning with Most Wanted in 2005. In 2006, he played the leading role of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors, in which the Dollies complemented the main cast, injecting a Singaporean element into the off-Broadway hit.
Portrayal of the Singaporean Identity
The Dim Sum Dollies are well-remembered for boldly addressing contemporary Singaporean phenomena in a light-hearted manner. The 2004 installment of Revenge of the Dim Sum Dollies had the Dollies dressed up as FilipinoFilipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
maids in a fog-filled heaven (all of them apparently died after falling off ledges while cleaning their employers’ windows). In a review by local playwright Alfian Sa’at, he notes with regards to this scene that ‘there has been an alarming trend of such accidental deaths in Singapore in the past year, and when the audience laughed, it was laughter laced with hurt. This was an instance, so prized in theatre, where one could provoke such contradictory emotions.’
Other memorable scenes that year saw the Dollies touching on the plight of much-maligned traffic warden
Traffic warden
A traffic warden is a non-warranted officer employed by a statutory authority in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Ireland, to assist in regulating the flow of traffic.- Ireland :...
s in ‘Parking Pontianaks’ and donning the trademark kebaya
Kebaya
A Kebaya is a traditional blouse-dress combination worn by women in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Burma, Singapore, southern Thailand. It is sometimes made from sheer material and usually worn with a sarong or batik kain panjang, or other traditional woven garment such as ikat, songket with a...
worn by Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines Limited is the flag carrier airline of Singapore. Singapore Airlines operates a hub at Changi Airport and has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, and "Kangaroo Route" markets...
stewardesses in ‘Singapore Girl’. In 2005's Dim Sum Dollies: Singapore's Most Wanted, the Dollies came on stage dressed up as food court aunties in one scene, while other segments had them satirizing the NKF saga
National Kidney Foundation Singapore scandal
The National Kidney Foundation Singapore scandal, also known as the NKF saga, NKF scandal, or NKF controversy, was a July 2005 scandal involving National Kidney Foundation Singapore following the collapse of a defamation trial which it brought against Susan Long and Singapore Press Holdings...
and exploring issues such as slimming
Weight loss
Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue...
centres and the Merlion
Merlion
The Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot of Singapore. Its name combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion". The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese...
.
In 2010, they appointed as ambassadors for gracious campaign by the Public Transport Council
Public Transport Council
The Public Transport Council is an independent regulatory statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of Singapore, established on 14 August 1987 by the Public Transport Council Act of 1987...
with support from the Singapore Kindness Movement
Singapore Kindness Movement
The Singapore Kindness Movement is a non-profit organization that executes public education programs aimed at cultivating kindness and graciousness in Singaporean society. It was officially launched in 1997...
. The theme called "Love Your Ride", similar to the earlier "A Happy Journey Starts Like That" by Phua Chu Kang
Phua Chu Kang
Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, also known as PCK Pte Ltd or Phua Chu Kang for short , was a Singaporean sitcom on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. The show debuted in Singapore in 1997. A sequel, Phua Chu Kang Sdn...
in 2009. The "Train is coming" jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
, played when the train approaching to the MRT
MRT
- Rapid transit systems :* Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit* Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit system in Kaohsiung, Taiwan* Manila Metro Rail Transit System* Mass Rapid Transit system in Singapore* MRT , officially named Mass Rapid Transit...
station, is well known to all Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
ans.
World AIDS Day 2008 Concert
Dim Sum Dollies will be performing in the Love AmplifiedLove Amplified
The Love Amplified Concert is a concert held in Singapore to commemorate World AIDS Day 2008. The concert will be held at Fort Canning Park, Singapore on 29 November 2008...
Concert, a concert held in Singapore to commemorate World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day
World AIDS Day, observed December 1 every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an...
2008. The concert will be held at Fort Canning
Fort Canning
Fort Canning is a small hill slightly more than 60 metres high in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area that forms Singapore's central business district...
Park, Singapore on 29 November 2008.