Checkpoint Theatre presents Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes – A New Play by Myle Yan Tan

The eve of an election. A politician, a musician, an activist, an academic, and a therapist reunite after several years. As the five friends catch up on the different paths their lives have taken, they realise their rose-tinted memories might be the only thing holding them together. With secrets unravelling, old conflicts reawakening, and a threat looming, the five are forced to confront the boys they once were, and the men they want to become.

Playwright Myle Yan Tay’s powerful and incisive play lays bare the tensions of male friendship with sharp humour and searching questions. As past mistakes lead to dire consequences, should loyalty prevail over shifting values? What does it take to be a friend?

Huzir Sulaiman’s deft direction illuminates the finely-crafted text, interrogating what it means to be a brown boy in Singapore. With a stellar ensemble cast comprising Gosteloa Spancer, Krish Natarajan, Ebi Shankara, Adib Kosnan, and Shahid Nasheer, Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes is a nuanced and unflinching examination of friendship, race, and masculinity in our country.