Celebrated songwriter and playwright Dick Lee has reproduced his stage hit Fried Rice Paradise (FRP), in celebration of the People’s Association 50th Anniversary. Performed to sold-out audiences in 1990 at the Victoria Theatre, this long-awaited restaging sees a young girl named Bee Lian (Denise Tan) aspiring to turn her father's (Lim Yu Beng) modest noodle shop into a successful business with her late mother’s special fried rice recipe. She joins forces with friends Devi (Alemay Fernandez), heartthrob Johan (Taufik Batisah) and Girly Danker (Candice Rozario) to thwart the evil reconstruction plans of father and son tag team XO (Sebastian Tan) and Rickson (Darius Tan). Set in 70s Singapore on a street called Jalan Calamansi, FRP tells a heart-warming story that is sure to strike a familiar chord with the audience. “Jalan Calamansi reminds me of the street where I lived, a row of shophouses that was once also under the threat of demolition,“ says Dick Lee. Described by the playwright as a “true blue Singaporean play,“ Hidayah Salamat uncovers the recipe for this delicious musical.

Recipe for Fried Rice (Paradise):

Get a spoonful of Fried Rice Paradise when it opens Aug 20-Sep 12, 3pm, 8pm at the Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Dr., 6828-8377. $55-100 from Sistic.