Secondary: The Musical bags grand prize

The musical by Checkpoint Theatre snags Production of the Year, while The Finger Players sweeps five awards including Best Director and Best Set

- Clement Yong | Arts Correspondent

Playwright and composer Weish's take on Singaporean schooling life, Secondary: The Musical, is The Straits Times Life Theatre Awards 2025's Production of the Year.

The 34-year-old's outrageously successful debut has swept the grand prize. The large-scale musical, partially inspired by her six years as a literature teacher, featured 15 original songs and was staged by Checkpoint Theatre as its season opener at Victoria Theatre.

ST's review lauded its "effortless script" capturing the natural banter between students and "an immensely talented cast". The impeccable blend of humour and pathos helped it find its target among educators, students and parents, garnering unusually widespread, effusive praise when it was staged in March 2024.

Weish, who has a new solo presentation at Singapore International Festival of Arts (Sifa) 2025 titled Stray Gods, said: "I'm most moved by all the teenage students who came forward to share the many ways in which they saw themselves in the play.

"It was a hugely cathartic and humbling journey for me, especially to work with a stellar team where every single collaborator brought so much love and generosity into the work."

Director Huzir Sulaiman added: "I'm very proud of spending three years working on Secondary: The Musical with Weish, creating something wholly original, deeply Singaporean and vibrantly contemporary.

"I had a dream team of collaborators and their work was validated by the standing ovations and glowing reception from critics and audience members alike."

Secondary: The Musical is Checkpoint Theatre's largest production to date, and gently satirised the way Singapore's system sorts students and the inordinate pressure heaped on teachers.

It was shortlisted in six categories — the most of any production — when nominations were released on ST's website on Feb 26. It managed to convert only the biggest of these, however.