Time-travel back to Jalan Besar's glorious past

THERE are ghosts every which way you turn. The ghosts of history, the ghosts of nostalgia, the ghosts of vanished landmarks. Along the streets, you hear the footsteps of those who lived before you. In darkened rooms, there are phantom sighs of lovers long gone.

The ghosts are repeatedly summoned in the new ambulatory play opening on Friday called New World's End, produced by the art tour experts of OH! Open House.

The play takes place across several places in Jalan Besar, from its back alleys and side streets, to its pre-war shophouses and make-shift rooms.

Each audience member is given an audio player and has to travel individually or in pairs to various locations with the help of an optional map. Each stop yields a new chapter of the story.

The story, as narrated or performed by various actors, is an archetypal one: In the 1960s, cinema projectionist Kiran (Salif Hardie) meets and falls for cabaret hostess Rosa (Moira Loh) who works at the now defunct New World Amusement Park. Their romance suffers its share of struggles and setbacks - before being snuffed out altogether by an untimely tragedy.

However, the real star of the show is Jalan Besar itself, which means "Big Road" in Malay. The neighbourhood serves as a rich, gigantic backdrop for the story, with ordinary passersby appearing like extras milling about on cue.

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Its shophouses with their narrow staircases, the riot of patterns and colours spilling out the stores, the dozens of street murals adorning the walls, and even the grimy back alleys lined with trash bins, all contribute to the louche, unvarnished charm of Jalan Besar.

It's no wonder that even the Singapore Tourism Board has come on board as an event supporter. Few events have evoked a neighbourhood's history as well as New World's End, which is written and directed by Kaylene Tan, with dramaturgical support by Janice Koh.

Tan says: "Like many heritage enclaves, Jalan Besar has seen many changes throughout the years. This was an opportunity to make a work that engages with its past and anticipates its future, to tell stories that are quickly forgotten in this city that moves too fast."

Within a couple of the shophouses, there are also large, elaborate sets built to conjure up the real and fantasy worlds of Kiran and Rosa, conceived by OH! Open House artistic director Alan Oei. The haunting soundtrack is designed by music duo NADA (comprising Rizman Putra and Safuan Johari). The films are directed by Brian Gothong Tan.

OH! Open House has been devising art tours since 2009, taking art lovers into different neighbourhoods such as Tiong Bahru, Emerald Hill and Holland Village. Over 22,000 people have participated in the walking tours.

But New World's End represents its first "permanent" art experience, with regular walking tours running in the evenings from Fridays to Sundays and on public holidays, well into 2022.

Tan says: "It combines an audio walk with multimedia and spatial design, and it is site-specific. It also combines local tourism with art - plus there are some great supper places and late-night shopping to be done."

For Singaporeans itching to discover new places, New World's End offers a chance to time-travel back into the past and see with new eyes a neighbourhood rich with history and culture.

• Tickets at S$35. Visit www.ohstories.sg for details.