'When a woman finds scars left by her ex-boyfriend of many years etched into her bones, she begins a turbulent journey to unpack her past and discover how he got under her skin. Based on the true story of two teenagers' romance as it blossoms then warps in the heat of bustling Singapore, Blue Bones is a one-woman show told with incredible honesty by Merlynn Tong. With multiple characters, song and arcade dance games, Blue Bones is a whirlwind of love and sex, violence and courage, with the wreckage continuing to be felt across the years. Against the backdrop of Singapore with all its beauty, rigidity and insistent chaos, Blue Bones will enchant and disturb, and perhaps even wake the stories dormant in your bones.'
Source: Publisher's blurb.
Produced at the Brisbane Powerhouse from 4-13 May 2017.
Playwright: Merlynn Tong.
Performer: Merlynn Tong.
Director: Ian Lawson.
Lighting Design: David Walters.
Sound Design: Guy Webster.
Video Design: Nathan Sibthorpe.
Choreographer: Nerida Waters.
Produced by Playlab Theatre at New Benner Theatre, Metro Arts, Brsbane, 2-12 February 2022.
Director / Dramaturg: Ian Lawson.
Video Designer: Nathan Sibthorpe.
LX Designer: David Walters.
Sound Designer: Guy Webster.
Choreographer: Neridah Waters.
Fight Choreography: Paul Malgapo.
Cast: Merlynn Tong.
'This chapter turns to autobiography and the body of work from 2007 to 2020 that places the playwright on stage, whether inside or outside the fictional frame, building on the interest in biography and craving for authenticity that has accelerated in the post-truth age. To outline a range of iterations of the autobiographical pact on the Australian mainstage, our three case studies cover: Lally Katz’s Stories I Want to Tell You in Person (2013), Blue Bones (2017) by Merlynn Tong, and Glace Chase’s Triple X (2020) – fittingly, the play we saw together on the last night before Covid-lockdowns kicked in. Chase and Katz then discuss the stories they tell and the parts of themselves they keep offstage in a duologue.' (Publication abstract)
'This chapter turns to autobiography and the body of work from 2007 to 2020 that places the playwright on stage, whether inside or outside the fictional frame, building on the interest in biography and craving for authenticity that has accelerated in the post-truth age. To outline a range of iterations of the autobiographical pact on the Australian mainstage, our three case studies cover: Lally Katz’s Stories I Want to Tell You in Person (2013), Blue Bones (2017) by Merlynn Tong, and Glace Chase’s Triple X (2020) – fittingly, the play we saw together on the last night before Covid-lockdowns kicked in. Chase and Katz then discuss the stories they tell and the parts of themselves they keep offstage in a duologue.' (Publication abstract)
