Miss GE2025? Sketch show revives election’s funniest moments
Satire, song and Singapore politics collide in Fat Kids Are Harder to Kidnap: The Musical
[SINGAPORE] Whether the 2025 General Election left you inspired, disappointed or doomscrolling into the early hours, the latest edition of Fat Kids Are Harder to Kidnap is here to put it all into satire and song.
The long-running parody series – a kind of Singapore version of Saturday Night Live – weaves together Broadway-inspired show tunes and uniquely Singaporean quirks into one gloriously chaotic sketch show.
Everything that became the stuff of memes in April and May has been repackaged into patter, puns and punchlines. These include Workers’ Party candidate Alexis Dang and the public fixation with her distractingly good looks, and Singapore Democratic Party’s Gigene Wong, whose jaw-dropping racial slur ended her political career and possibly that of her running mates.
Of course, the People’s Action Party isn’t spared, either. David Neo’s confusing “the sun didn’t rise just because I woke up” speech, Ong Ye Kung’s over-extended “co-driver” analogy, Ng Chee Meng’s request not be appointed to the Cabinet, and Gan Kim Yong’s much-memed “Task Force Man” moniker are affectionately turned into parody and pratfalls.
Even the prime ministerial succession saga – when no one was quite sure which fourth-generation leader would clinch the role – has been reimagined as a game of musical chairs, set to the dramatic strains of Game of Thrones.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the script comes from seasoned journalist Jeremy Au Yong and his ex-journalist wife, Melissa Sim. Together, they know the political beat and how to toe the line with a wink. With decades in the newsroom between them, they’re well-versed in where the out-of-bounds markers lie – and how to twirl just shy of them.
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Sim, who left journalism to head theatre company How Drama, directs the show starring Ross Nasir, Teoh Jun Vinh, Jo Tan, Jon Cancio and Tiara Yap – with music direction by Eugene Yip and choreography by Vernon Huang.
Fat Kids, however, tackles more than just politics. It also taps into the neurotic quirks of Singaporean life.
In one skit, overprivileged tai-tais take a crash course on how to spend their Community Development Council vouchers. In another, a group of Singaporeans undergo therapy to unpack the frustration of being allotted just one parking space or being forced to shower before their morning commute. Talk about First World problems.
Then there’s the delightfully absurd “toy craze” segment, where Labubu, Mofusand, Hello Kitty and friends spiral into kawaii chaos and identity crises, thanks to toy makers constantly cross-marketing and “cross-dressing” them.
At its heart, Fat Kids isn’t just about roasting public figures or poking fun at national quirks. It’s about holding up a mirror – funhouse-style – to our foibles. It’s about reminding us that laughter might just be Singapore’s most underrated coping mechanism.
Fat Kids Are Harder to Kidnap: The Musical runs from Aug 1 to 3 at Wild Rice @ Funan. Tickets from wildrice.com.sg.
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