‘Bringing with it a strong sense of self, place, and culture... it’s a remarkable work.’
‘Effortlessly funny and wonderfully twisty.’
‘An ever unraveling puzzle that is both wickedly fun and heartbreaking.’
ABOUT THE SHOW
Left to fend for themselves, a teenage girl is taken under the wing of her older brother. Trouble is, his gangster swagger is the real deal, and thug life doesn’t come with a parenting manual.
Golden Blood takes us beneath the skyscrapers and shopping malls of Singapore into the seedy realm of violence, drugs and chaos that forms its underbelly. The aspirational world above finds its mirror below, as the orphaned siblings at this story’s core envision a future glittering with Chanel and Miu Miu bling. At the same time they’re reckoning with the ghosts of their own past and the half-remembered rituals they’ve inherited.
The Griffin Theatre Company premiere of this production was a Sydney sensation that signalled a major new talent. Merlynn Tong both wrote and stars in this intense two-hander, alongside the charismatic Charles Wu (Bernhardt/Hamlet, Torch The Place).
Unfolding with all the urgency and pace of a rollercoaster in a lightning storm, Golden Blood will set your pulse racing all the way to its inevitable, unstoppable and ultimately heart-rending climax.
A Griffin Theatre Company Production
Commissioned through Melbourne Theatre Company’s NEXT STAGE Writers' Program with the support of our Current and Inaugural Playwrights Giving Circles. Developed through the NEXT STAGE Writers’ Program, Cybec Electric Play Reading Series and Griffin Theatre Company.
Current Playwrights Giving Circle
Paul and Wendy Bonnici & Family, Tony and Janine Burgess, Kathleen Canfell, Fitzpatrick Sykes Family Foundation, Jane Hansen AO and Paul Little AO, Larry Kamener and Petra Kamener, The Margaret Lawrence Bequest, Helen Nicolay, Tania Seary and Chris Lynch, Craig Semple, Dr Richard Simmie
Inaugural Playwrights Giving Circle
Louise Myer and Martyn Myer AO, Maureen Wheeler AO and Tony Wheeler AO, Christine Brown Bequest, Allan Myers AC KC and Maria Myers AC, Tony Burgess and Janine Burgess, Dr Andrew McAliece and Dr Richard Simmie, Larry Kamener and Petra Kamener
Accessibility
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Hearing Assistance
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Audio Described
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Tactile Tour
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Open Captioning
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Closed Captioning
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Auslan Interpreted
Performance Type | Performance Date(s) |
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Audio Described
by Vision Australia |
Saturday 16 November at 2pm Tuesday 19 November at 6.30pm |
Tactile Tour
at venue |
Saturday 16 November at 2pm (Tactile tour commences at 1pm) |
Open Captioning
via screen |
Saturday 23 November at 2pm |
Closed Captioning
via GoTheatrical App |
Saturday 23 November at 2pm |
Auslan Interpreted
by Expression Australia |
Tuesday 26 November at 6.30pm |
Cast & Creatives
Latest from Backstage
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Programme
Golden Blood programme
Playwright Merlynn Tong took elements from her own life to write Golden Blood, a play that had its beginning as part of Cybec Electric. Read her story and meet the cast and creatives in our immersive digital programme.
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Golden Blood trailer
Watch the video trailer for Golden Blood ahead of seeing the production live on stage.
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Video
Golden Blood | What is Singlish?
Playwright Merlynn Tong explains the unofficial language of Singapore.
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Video
Meet the cast of Golden Blood
Merlynn Tong and Charles Wu star in this gripping familial drama set beneath the skyscrapers and shopping malls of Singapore and into the seedy realm of violence, drugs and chaos that forms its underbelly.
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Video
Golden Blood | Merlynn Tong Interview
Writer and actor Merlynn Tong unveils the inspiration behind Golden Blood, and why she can't wait to bring it to Melbourne Theatre Company.