Limited period: Watch local hit comedies Army Daze and Beauty World online free

The 2010's were an undeniably great decade for local playwright and national treasure Michael Chiang, with well-received restagings of his beloved works including Army Daze (in 2012), Beauty World (in 2015), and Private Parts (in 2018).

He also birthed equally successful new material in the form of High Class and Army Daze 2 in 2013 and 2017, respectively.

But what about this new decade? For the world, it's been, in a word, jialat.

After running the gamut of cham emotions since Covid-19 hit Singapore's shores (you name it, we've felt it: fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, confusion), it's nice, once in a while, for Singaporeans to have a reason to smile, or indeed, laugh out loud.

Thanks to the nation's tireless frontline and medical workers, and all the unsung heroes who keep Singapore going, we do have that reason to smile and be comforted, proud, hopeful and happy.

And thanks to Michael Chiang who has decided to put three of his hit comedies on YouTube for a limited period, we have a reason to LOL, too.

"It’s been such an eventful year for everybody, and I felt that people could do with a bit of cheeky humour to help lighten up the mood," says Chiang, who worked with producer Annie Pek and director Beatrice Chia-Richmond to shortlist the trio of plays to put on YouTube.

"We hope that audiences who’ve never stepped into the theatre will enjoy these shows and be encouraged to come experience stage productions for themselves when the doors reopen."

1. Army Daze (2012)

What: The 25th Anniversary production and fourth restaging of the play was also the first time hilarious songs composed by Don Richmond were introduced into the plot, which tells the story of five bumbling NS recruits making their way through BMT.

Who: Starring Dwayne Tan, Ebi Shankara, Joshua Lim, Shane Mardjuki and Adi Jamaludin as the five recruits. Directed by Beatrice Chia-Richmond.

When: 8pm, 13 Jun 2020 (Sat) to midnight, 21 Jun 2020 (Sun) 

Where: Michael Chiang Playthings on YouTube

2. Army Daze 2 (2017)

What: This long-awaited sequel (written to commemorate the first play's 30th anniversary) is proof that some sequels can be as good as (and in some cases, better than) the original.

The five recruits meet up after three decades, and one of them is now an SAF regular. Guess who!

Who: Starring Hossan Leong, Joshua Lim, Saiful Amri, Shane Mardjuki and Ebi Shankara. Directed by Beatrice Chia-Richmond, with songs composed by Don Richmond.

When: 8pm, 20 Jun 2020 (Sat) to midnight, 28 Jun 2020 (Sun) 

Where: Michael Chiang Playthings on YouTube

3. Beauty World (2015)

What: A small-town girl from Batu Pahat embarks on a quest to find her father and ends up in a cabaret in Singapore. What ensues?

Why, mystery, mayhem, and music, of course! Composer Dick Lee's infectious songs form the soundtrack of one of Singapore's most enjoyable and beloved musicals.

Who: Starring Jeanette Aw, Cheryl Tan, Janice Koh, Joshua Lim and Frances Lee. Directed by Dick Lee.

When: 8pm, 27 Jun 2020 (Sat) to 13 Jul 2020 (Mon)

Where: Michael Chiang Playthings on YouTube

This article was first published in Wonderwall.sg.