SINGAPORE – Mapletree Investments (“Mapletree” or “the Group”) is pleased to present ‘What’s Inside the Red Box?’ at VivoCity Amphitheatre on 8 and 23 July 2023 with showings at 2pm and 5pm each day, and a Red Box art and craft activity at the end of each show. The play, adapted from the children’s picture book of the same title, tells the story of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his famous red box. Considered by many as a symbol of his dedication to the country, the box contained his work while in political office – papers, speech drafts, letters, readings, notes and cassette tapes with his recorded instructions.

Each child attendee will also receive a flat packed Red Box for a post-performance craft activity where children will be able to assemble their personalised Red Box. The 15-minute crafting session provides an immersive, hands-on experience for the young to ignite enduring curiosity and passion in chasing their dreams.

Mr Edmund Cheng, Mapletree Chairman, said: “The book ‘What’s Inside the Red Box?’ was first commissioned by Mapletree in December 2015, to pay tribute to the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s bold vision for transforming Singapore into a thriving, global economic centre. To commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Mr Lee, we have brought the book to life on stage by encapsulating his thoughts and aspirations for Singapore in an abridged version for young children. We hope that through this engaging performance, the younger generation will remember the legacy of the late Mr Lee and be inspired by his unwavering passion and dedication to Singapore.”

Tickets to the 30-minute-long play ‘What’s Inside the Red Box?’, staged by Paper Monkey Theatre, are available online (https://bit.ly/whatsinsidetheredbox) for purchase. Tickets are priced at S$5 and S$4 for adults and children, respectively.

To underscore support in the Republic’s arts scene and commemorate LKY100, Mapletree will commission and provide venue sponsorship at VivoCity for ‘What’s Inside the Red Box?’. Published by Straits Times Press, the book-to-play adaptation, first staged at the Bilingualism Carnival 2023, is supported by Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism and SPH Media Limited.

The play is a continuation of Mapletree’s book-gifting initiative in 2016, which saw preschools in Singapore receiving copies of the children’s picture book ‘What’s Inside the Red Box’ as teaching materials.