Oil spill: ‘Are we all complicit?’

WHEN news broke last weekend of the oil spill in Singapore waters, playwright Cheyenne Alexandria Phillips was heartbroken. For years, Singapore has had great success in cleaning its waters, so much so that even the endangered hawksbill turtles have returned to its beaches to lay their eggs.

“But when I saw the news image of the kingfisher drenched in black oil, I couldn’t bring myself to think about all the wildlife species that’ve been impacted by the 400-tonne spill,” she says.  

Phillips is currently preparing for her new play Playing With Fire. It explores the country’s petrochemical industry and its widespread implications on the environment, as no other Singapore play has done. Produced by Checkpoint Theatre, it is the result of several interviews she carried out over months with different people who work or have worked in the oil and gas industry.