It is not often that one gets the opportunity to enjoy a Cantonese dramedy performed live on stage here in Singapore. On 29 June, 19 elderly beneficiaries of the Singapore Red Cross' ElderAid programme spent their afternoon at the China Cultural Centre relishing the antics of Arts’ Options’ performers, with echoes of their laughter reverberating through the theatre.

Arts’ Options, a theatre group comprising seniors from Hong Kong, was in Singapore to perform 'The Final Escape', inspired by Shakespeare’s King Lear. As part of the inaugural 'Hong Kong Culturtainment Festival', the group included 17 senior performers aged between 58 and 75 years old who had undergone professional theatre training supported by Link Together Initiatives. Link Together Initiatives is the flagship charity and community engagement programme run by Link Asset Management Limited (“Link”), which manages Jurong Point, AMK Hub and Swing By @ Thomson Plaza in Singapore.

By inviting local seniors to watch the performance, Link Together Initiatives strives to promote active ageing in the local community. 

The Cantonese dramedy depicted an affluent senior who used to live in a mansion. Subsequently, he was sent to a nursing home by two of his ungrateful daughters. Realising that most of them are in the same predicament, the residents of the nursing home devised a plan to teach their children a lesson. As a result, the story ended with a happy ending when they reconciled with their children. 

The entertaining performance enthralled the seniors, with their reactions speaking volumes about how much they enjoyed themselves. The theatrical performance was relatable, resonating with the seniors' life experiences. The seniors expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Link Together Initiatives for sponsoring their tickets and enabling them to watch the performance.

"I loved the comedy. The characters made me laugh. It was an excellent show," said Mdm Lim.

"I enjoyed meeting the actors and actresses," said Mdm Mary Chia.

Link Together Initiatives was delighted to have brightened the lives of the seniors. 

“We appreciate the opportunity to bring joy to the elderly beneficiaries of the Singapore Red Cross through the Arts’ Options’ performance. My team and I were glad to hear that they enjoyed themselves very much. Our support of Arts’ Options stems from the shared belief that seniors should remain engaged within the community and lead fulfilling lives. We hope that the elderly beneficiaries will be inspired by their Hong Kong counterparts to age actively too,” said Annie Lee, Managing Director, of Commercial, who oversees the Singapore Regional Centre for Link. 

To ensure that the elderly beneficiaries returned home with more than smiles, the employee volunteers from Link Together Initiatives also provided them each with a goodie bag containing snacks from Hong Kong.

SRC is grateful for Link Asset Management's invaluable partnership and looks forward to more collaborations in the future.