20

Rarely do you get a chance to take photos with cast member(s) of a stage play. Most plays would have more than one cast member. However, in “Emily of Emerald Hill”, in accordance with the original work, it is just one.  So, this worked to my advantage as I usually don’t fancy large groups of cast members, which would mean my chances of taking photos with them are typically none. So, when I managed to get more than four shots with the one and only Pearlly Chua, who’s been playing Emily Gan, the titular character linked to “Emily of Emerald Hill”, I was ecstatic!

In fact, I came back experiencing a spectrum of emotions – sadness, elation, glee, and overwhelm simply because in the case of “Emily of Emerald Hill”, many things can happen at once, even when there’s just one person transporting you (without coercion) into her own spectacular, fictional world.

“Emily of Emerald Hill” has been playing since the 16th of April 2026 at the Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC) in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. According to the lovely and beautiful actress herself, there’ll be one more show today, due to overwhelming demand.

While it was slightly difficult to get into the 1950s at first, as a member of a different and younger generation, Pearlly Chua’s expressions and presence as Emily Gan kept me watching. The monologues, some of them which takes place over a rotary-dial corded telephone, is as close as possible as to what you’ll find in a typical Peranakan household. Although largely in English, the sprinkling of Malay and Hokkien added to the distinctiveness of this two-act play without any disruption to the flow of the story.

Despite being a monodrama or a one-woman show, it’s not your typical stage play where you’d just sit back and relax. In one of the scenes pertaining to a character’s birthday party, Chua, as Emily, attracted the audience to do a sing-along to “Happy Birthday” without actually needing to do so. After all, that’s the mark of an actress who has portrayed the same role more than 240 times – both on local and international stages, donning her trademark kebayas and beaded shoes.  She’s simply a natural.

It's simply stunning and amazing how “Emily of Emerald Hill” can make you laugh, cry and smile, and gasp. All that evoked by just one woman and her voice. Given the complexity of the Peranakan culture, you tend to wonder if a solo act can deliver well or risk being monotone after a certain point. I think I’ll leave that for you to answer.

Given how Chua carries Emily Gan throughout the entire play, it’s difficult to imagine that the actress herself is already 70! At the end of the entire play, she had even asked us to clap for ourselves, the proud in-person audience and patrons of the DPAC, and to a certain extent, Peranakan culture. Of course, Chua shared her secrets as to what keeps her energy level up as well as how NOT to get bored of playing the same role over and over.

The reason “Emily of Emerald Hill” is still relevant in this age because of the themes the play explores. From being from a poor family, to marrying young into a rich family, only to suffer the losses of not only one man, but two men. Even non-Peranakans would find it relatable, assuming the dialogue is difficult to catch and the blend of cultures is too difficult for you to appreciate. It's iconic so much so that it has been staged in countries like Scotland, Australia, and Canada. Notably, there's a significant number of Asians in these locations. 

Few plays stay with you long after they’re over. “Emily of Emerald Hill”, directed by the Malaysian veteran Chin San Sooi, is one of them. In fact, if Pearlly Chua is returning to the stage to be Emily, I can tell you – you’ll be sure I’ll be in the audience again. Nope, it doesn’t get boring – perhaps through Chua’s brilliance, wisdom and spontaneity, it would just get more humourous, engaging and colourful. After all, if you ask me, that’s how I’d describe the Peranakan way of life, which is quintessential to this play.

“Emily of Emerald Hill” is a piece of work by Stella Kon, and is based off her memories of her childhood home and her grandmother, who is a 100% Nyonya, making the story authentic and original to a certain extent.  Kon was born into a well-to-do Singaporean family. Her marriage made her move to Malaysia, where she lived for about 15 years. It is said that her marriage did not work out, prompting her to move back to Singapore, although she had also lived briefly in Britain for her children’s studies. Interestingly, Kon was not brought up to speak Baba Malay or wear the baju Panjang, kebaya, or the kasut manik. Perhaps it is this departure that made Kon want to explore a part of her culture even more.

Back in the 1980s, nobody wanted to stage the play – most were afraid there’d be low demand. However, all that changed when Chin San Sooi chanced upon the script. The play had its premiere in 1984 in Seremban. Today, it remains a gem that has stood the test of time.

The script has also been published as a book. However, Kon’s original version isn’t a novel.

Local universities in Malaysia have included Kon’s iconic work as part of their curriculum for relevant students where appropriate.

Here’s to hoping Chua will be back soon!