Christopher Fok
Narrative Designer | Theatre Practitioner | Writer
- A pinhole look8+ years of experience in writing, theatre making and narrative design.Playwright, Director, Narrative Designer, Core Member and Founder of Dark Matter Theatrics"I work in the architecture of stories. Everything is made out of stories. Brands, spaces, people. A strong narrative architecture ensures lasting quality, a building you go back to again and again, just to look at the arches."
- The Work I've DoneNarrative DesignWhere narrative is crafted for impactful humanising encounters.
- A Hole, a music video screenplay, written and directed for local band, sub:shaman, Mar 2017.
- Godspeed, a music video screenplay, written and directed for local band, .gif, Jul 2015.
- 15 Stations, an augmented reality app that weaves together archival material of the now defunct Tanjong Pagar Reality Station into 3 separate routes that participants can explore the railway station with, it is the main exhibition of the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA), Dec 2014 - Jul 2015.
- Tour Guide for The City as Inspiration: The Balik Kampung Literary Walk - Outer Ring, Nov 2014.
- Outsider, a music video noir screenplay, written and directed for local band, sub:shaman, May - Jun 2014. Later premiered at 100 Bands Festival, Jun 2014.
- Apotheosis, a movement play with Laselle student director, Delia Png. Held at Sculpture Square in May 2013.
- The Choral-ic Singer, a monologue for the ONE choir, held at SOTA Concert Hall, Mar 2012.
- The Blesser of Utensils, a monologue produced by The Arts House for their 8th Anniversary, Mar 2012.
- Reflections: In the Life of Isla Vista, a docudrama for the Isla Vista community in California, Santa Barbara, May 2011.
Dark Matter TheatricsCreating original Singapore theatre that deals with the everyday, yet also transcends it.- Micromanage Overwork Exasperate by Marcia Vanderstraaten at Centre 42, 27 Sep - 2 Oct 2016.
- A Twisted Kingdom by Christopher Fok at The Substation Theatre, 10 - 14 Nov, 2015.
- Micromanage Overwork Exaggerate by Marcia Vanderstraaten at Goodman Arts Centre Black Box, 31 Jul - 2 Aug 2014.
- Loud Mouth Loving: A Public Confession by Christopher Fok in the Black Box at The Substation, May 2013 and restaged at Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA) Arts Conference 2013 in The Arts House, Play Den, June 2013.
- Paper Men by Luke Vijay Somasumdram during Lit-Up Festival in Teater Artistik Black Box at Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre, Jul 2012
- Strange Fruit by Christopher Fok in The Play Den at The Arts House, Dec 2011.
WritingAwards, Special Mentions and Publications- No Problem, a short story published in anthology, Balik Kampung 3B: Some East, More West, Nov 2016.
- Just Trash & Walitha'walitha, published in compendium, Forty-Four Winning Plays from TheatreWorks' 24-Hour Playwriting Competition, Aug 2016.
- I Slip a Cloth From You, published in poetry anthology, Rollercoasters & Bedsheets, Mar 2016.
- Apotheosis, Act 1, published in chapbook by The Arts House, Aug 2014.
- Transcribed 7 plays by Michael Chiang for publication, Sep - Dec, 2013.
- Graduate of Mentor Access Project (MAP) by the National Arts Council for Prose with Mentor Dave Chua, Jun 2011 and for Playwriting with Mentor Jean Tay, Aug 2013.
- The Jackets, a full length play, long-listed for The Internationalists Global Playwriting Contest, Mar 2012.
- A Twisted Kingdom, a full length play, received 3rd prize in 24hr playwriting competition by TheatreWorks’ 2012.
- Walitha’walitha, a full length play, received 2nd prize in 24hr playwriting competition by TheatreWorks’ 2009.
- Strange Fruit shortlisted for Short-and-Sweet Singapore festival 2009.
- Just Trash, a full length play, received 3rd prize in 24hr playwriting competition by TheatreWorks’ 2008.
- Inventing Paper Speech, a program of cold reading sessions for playwrights at The Arts House, 2010 - 2012
Theatre Archivist and InterviewerFor Work In ProcessTo take ethnographic notes on the rehearsal process, inclusive of interviews with the actors, directors and creatives behind the show, culminating in a review of the final production.- Archived and interviewed creatives in Fourlies by Avant Theatre, June 2013
- Interviewed the creatives in Lao Jiu, the Musical by The Theatre Practice, July 2013
- Archived and interviewed creatives in Broadway Beng by Dream Academy, Sep 2013
- Interviewed the creatives in City Night Songs by Checkpoint Theatre, Nov 2013.
- Interviewed the creatives in Occupation by Checkpoint Theatre, Feb 2014.
- Interviewed the creatives in Cooling Off Day by Wild Rice, Feb 2014.
- Archived and interviewed the creatives in The House of Bernarda Alba by Wild Rice, Mar 2014.
- Skill Sets
I'm not a jack of all trades, but I'd like to think I've mastered at least some.
This is my process narrative designing for a client.
2%Inspiration15%Input from Client70%Retrofitting the narrative (SKILL & CREATIVITY)8%Further Edits If Necessary5%Testing It Out110%Client Satisfaction - Current Projects"Work is love made visible." ~ Khalil Gibranredhill: a folk opera
Currently halfway through writing this play/folk opera, that is a mash-up of all our local myths with the structure of the album Hadestown by Anais Mitchell.
I'm not writing music, just writing lyrics.
Here's a sneak peak at one of the songs called Taboo.
NADIM:
This fear I feel
What utter captivity.
This sudden rush to
My native proclivities.
These luscious roses,
I'm so inclined to pluck.
Would mine have bloomed as beautifully,
Right here in the dark?Enter The Jungle GodsThis novel has been a long time coming.Post-apocalyptic high fantasy with extremist religions at war.Yeah, but at the heart of it is a wandering boy trying to get home, even though the world has completely changed.The Cult of EntitlementThis is the last project on the back burner. Since I've made it a habit to write at least 1 play a year.
Currently writing this play now, I'm learning as I go along to question my own assumptions about what privilege is. It's a hard thing to do.
Isn't this photo the sickest thing ever?
I came across them unloading the headless terra cotta statues (probably made of cheap limestone) for a nearby club at Clarke Quay.
Greetings Garden CityCurrently writing this podcast series with talented friend and musician, Isa Foong, who is in the band sub:shaman.
Was completely inspired by Welcome To Night Vale, which spurred me to write my own dystopian response to it.
The pilot episode is half-written already.
A Twisted KingdomMy latest completed play.
I let my friend read it and she, the wonderfully talented Laura Lui drew that picture in response to the play.
It's about the iconic Fool and his short-lived rule over a kingdom.
MemoirWriting this on my phone, paragraph by paragraph.Thought it'd be a good exercise to do so. - "I'm not doing this in order to vent demons. I want to shake hands with them."Sam Shepard
- The BlogColliding with the Sun
- Contact Me
I'm always looking for new exciting collaborations. Don't be a stranger.