Written by Merlynn Tong. La Boite Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre & Sydney Theatre Company. Wharf 1 Theatre. 21 Nov – 14 Dec, 2025.
Kip Williams’ final piece of programming for STC, Merlynn Tong’s new play Congratulations, Get Rich, is cute, with some good giggles — and if that sounds slightly condescending, well…
Mandy (Merlynn Tong) is haunted by the death of her mother. Literally. As she sets about opening her own business, Money Money Karaoke, she’s visited by the ghosts of her mother (Seong Hui Xuan) and grandmother (Kimie Tsukakoshi). Tonight also happens to be Mandy’s 38th birthday — the same age her mother and grandmother died. The question becomes: can these strong women from the other side help Mandy achieve greatness, or is she doomed to follow in their tragically messy footsteps?
The wounds our parents inflict can be long-lasting, and Tong explores the holes they leave in our lives that are hard to fill. As she drip-feeds details of the complex relationships between the three women, the picture becomes clearer — and darker. Families are always messier than they appear.
Wisely, Tong spices things up with big karaoke energy and humour. Mandy’s boyfriend Xavier (Zac Boulton) fires off a series of truly awful/good white-guy dad jokes, and the combination of the women’s vanity and outrageousness hits just the right tone. Some of the cultural gags would likely play better with Chinese-related audiences than they did with the 95% Caucasian crowd I saw it with. The result is an unusual blend of music, comedy, PG-rated horror and drama.
One of the play’s best conceits is having all the women appear the same physical age. They’re all happy to get loose with the whisky and green tea cocktails they’re throwing back like a group of friends. Together they have a natural exuberance and affinity that also masks tensions underneath. There’s an undeniable element of competition between them as they vie to be the top dog — both physically and vocally.
Which brings me to the songs, of which there are quite a few. Both Seong Hui Xuan and Kimie Tsukakoshi have good voices and give strong deliveries. The problem is that the songs… well, they’re not up to much. These aren’t catchy pop tracks, nor are they musical-theatre numbers that move plot or character; they’re one-note karaoke pastiches that simply repeat information we already have. It’s a real missed opportunity. The shallow, pre-recorded backing suits the show’s premise but offers very little to the audience.
This, combined with the production elements, is where the cracks really begin to show. There’s an abundance of literal emptiness in Congratulations, Get Rich. James Lew’s set sits awkwardly in the bare expanse of the Wharf 1 stage (I can see how it would have fit well at Brisbane’s La Boite, where it originated). There’s also an audible emptiness — long pauses in dialogue and action that create an uneasy air. Guy Webster’s sound design is loud and pointed, but never immersive.
Director Courtney Stewart struggles with some of the metaphysical aspects, which lack theatricality. The repeated moments of the ghost women “eating” fall especially flat, and there’s little consistency in the use of the large “television screen” on set. At times there’s a tacky quality to the action, music and some of the comedy that feels more like watching an episode of ‘Bewitched’ than a contemporary mainstage production in 2025.
I know this all sounds pretty negative, but the show does have wonderful highs. It truly succeeds in the moments when the cast gels and delivers genuinely good laughs that come from character rather than poorly set-up gags. This is a strong cast working with an original concept, and Tong’s voice continues to bring a fresh tone to our stages. Together, it’s enough to get you past the fact that the show is a bit undercooked.
This one is a mixed bag. Some very good elements mixed with some poor elements mean it all evens out in the wash to a three star experience. While it isn’t a patch on her previous STC hit Golden Blood, Congratulations, Get Rich still serves up some fun, light entertainment over its 90 minutes — it just feels slight from a playwright and creative team we know can really deliver the goods.
Cultural Binge 
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