Featuring a cast of six puppeteers with disabilities who perform alongside six mainstream actors, SmartyPants And The Swordfish is an inclusive and engaging theatre experience for children that explores the art of empathy. The famed legend of a precocious boy who saves Temasek, now Singapore, from a swordfish attack is given a fresh spin by playwright Jean Tay, who re-examines ideas of heroism and bullying from multiple perspectives – the king, his ministers, the boy, the swordfish and the villagers – in this elegant exercise that invites children to think about what it means to adopt another point of view.

The interactive play, directed by Samantha Scott-Blackhall and Tan Beng Tian, was first staged in 2019 without puppets. Now, with six puppeteers – Alexavier Ang, Filmer Tan, Isaac Tan, Janel Jiang, Mary Tan and Timothy Lee – the show achieves a heightened sense of wonder and magic. When a suspended blue cloth – representing the ocean – is draped from the ceiling and engulfs the crowd of students watching, everyone is dazzled. A scene told from the perspective of the swordfish is particularly entertaining, extending the empathy beyond the realm of other humans.

Actors Claris Tan, Jeremy Leong, Johanna Van, Periyachi Roshini, Wayne Lim and Zaini Hassan – who play multiple roles throughout the show – bring a warmth to their ensemble performance that charms the young audience.

The original story is a violent one – Redhill or Bukit Merah, where Gateway Theatre is located, got its name from the blood of the boy spilled on the hill – but the script deals with it sensitively, without losing its provocative edge. While it is framed as a play with a post-show dialogue that teaches how to identify and prevent bullying, the play features much more nuanced ideas that will enchant young theatre lovers.

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