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Welcome to the surreal world of Boom, where civil servants wake the dead, corpses are terrified of cremation, old women are besieged in their homes, and Ah Bengs still dream of being Superman. Boom tells the story of an elderly woman and her property agent son in Singapore, who are struggling over the potential en bloc sale of their home. Their destinies become interwoven with that of an idealistic civil servant, Jeremiah, who is facing the greatest challenge of his career—persuading a reluctant corpse to yield its memories. Boom is a quirky yet poignant tale about the relocation of both dead and living, and how personal stories get left behind in the inexorable march of progress.
Written by economist-turned-playwright Jean Tay, Boom was conceptualised at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2007, and developed and staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre in September 2008. It was nominated for Best Original Script for The Straits Times’ Life! Theatre Awards in 2009 and is now an O- and N-Level Literature text in Singapore schools.
“Jean Tay is one of the most gifted playwrights I have come across in years.” —Gaurav Kripalani, Artistic Director, Singapore Repertory Theatre
Written by economist-turned-playwright Jean Tay, Boom was conceptualised at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2007, and developed and staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre in September 2008. It was nominated for Best Original Script for The Straits Times’ Life! Theatre Awards in 2009 and is now an O- and N-Level Literature text in Singapore schools.
“Jean Tay is one of the most gifted playwrights I have come across in years.” —Gaurav Kripalani, Artistic Director, Singapore Repertory Theatre
154 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2009
10 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Jean Tay
8 books7 followersJean Tay’s stage plays have been performed in Singapore, the US, the UK and Italy, and include The Shape of a Bird (2016), It Won’t Be Too Long: The Cemetery—Dusk (2015), Senang (2014), Sisters (2013), Boom (2008, 2009, 2012), Everything but the Brain (2005, 2007, 2013), Plunge (2000), The Knot (1999) and Water from the Well (1998). In addition, she has written the books for the musicals The Great Wall: One Woman’s Journey (2017), The Admiral’s Odyssey (2005), the NUS Centennial musical Man of Letters (2006), and children’s musical Pinocchio (2010).
Everything but the Brain and Boom (both published by Epigram Books) have been used as O-Level and N-Level literature texts for secondary school students. The Knot was awarded 1st prize for Action Theatre’s 10-minute Play Competition 2010 and selected as a finalist for the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 10-minute Play Contest. Tay has been nominated four times for Best Original Script for the Life! Theatre Awards, and won for Everything But the Brain in 2006. Her prose fiction has received honours as well: the 1997 Weston Undergraduate Prize for Fiction for “The Story”, as well as 1st and 3rd prizes for the National Arts Council’s Golden Point Award in 1995 and 2001, respectively.
Tay graduated in 1997 with a double-degree in creative writing and economics from Brown University, attended the month-long International Playwriting Residency in 2007 (organised by the Royal Court Theatre in London), and participated in LaMama’s International Playwrights’ Retreat in Umbria, Italy in 2010. She served as resident playwright at the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) from 2006–2009, and helmed SRT’s Young Company Writing Programme from 2012–2016. She was also involved in the 2015 NDP: Majulah Singapura, Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, and the 2017 Home Team Show and Festival as scriptwriter.
Currently, she teaches playwriting as an adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, and conducts playwriting masterclasses at the Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne) for students in the Master’s of Writing for Performance programme. She is also the founding Artistic Director of Saga Seed Theatre, set up in 2015 to bring Singaporean stories to the stage, and to provide a platform to showcase and nurture local talent.
Everything but the Brain and Boom (both published by Epigram Books) have been used as O-Level and N-Level literature texts for secondary school students. The Knot was awarded 1st prize for Action Theatre’s 10-minute Play Competition 2010 and selected as a finalist for the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 10-minute Play Contest. Tay has been nominated four times for Best Original Script for the Life! Theatre Awards, and won for Everything But the Brain in 2006. Her prose fiction has received honours as well: the 1997 Weston Undergraduate Prize for Fiction for “The Story”, as well as 1st and 3rd prizes for the National Arts Council’s Golden Point Award in 1995 and 2001, respectively.
Tay graduated in 1997 with a double-degree in creative writing and economics from Brown University, attended the month-long International Playwriting Residency in 2007 (organised by the Royal Court Theatre in London), and participated in LaMama’s International Playwrights’ Retreat in Umbria, Italy in 2010. She served as resident playwright at the Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) from 2006–2009, and helmed SRT’s Young Company Writing Programme from 2012–2016. She was also involved in the 2015 NDP: Majulah Singapura, Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, and the 2017 Home Team Show and Festival as scriptwriter.
Currently, she teaches playwriting as an adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, and conducts playwriting masterclasses at the Victorian College of the Arts (University of Melbourne) for students in the Master’s of Writing for Performance programme. She is also the founding Artistic Director of Saga Seed Theatre, set up in 2015 to bring Singaporean stories to the stage, and to provide a platform to showcase and nurture local talent.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 12, 2012
Boom is a moving fable about the intersections of memory, family, and that contested commodity, land. Also, a man talks to a corpse. Yet it is precisely this gently parodic intrusion of the supernatural that lifts the play a notch or two over other local works which prize realism and slice-of-life narratives above all else. Making the corpse a touchstone against which all the other characters react to or against, Jean Tay (through Jeremiah) imagines an alternative Singapore. One that does not see land as a good to be monetized, but sees it as a repository for stories and dreams. This transformation does not occur during the play, but Jeremiah's 'transcendental smile' at the end suggests a measure of hope.
September 10, 2022
i really liked this play! it was easy to read, but also so humorous and extra points for the inclusion of singapore language and culture :)
the play is about boon, who is a property agent, and he is trying to convince his mother to achieve the en bloc sale of their house. but, his mother is quite stubborn and as old people, wants to keep the house as it has all their memories. at the same time, jeremiah, who is a civil servant, is trying to contact the families of those buried in cemeteries for the exhumation and cremation (because, in singapore you can only be buried for 15 years, then u are cremated) however, things take a turn when the corpse he is signed on to, talks to him and does not want to leave the cemetery. AND, (plot twist), turns out the corpse is boon's dad, who boon's mum forced to leave their house due to him being the reason they were attacked by loan sharks.
complicated, right? but so fun to read. i love how they touched on topics like progress, economic development, and personal lives and memories and how there are different perspectives on that.
for boon's mother, all she wants to do is to be 'home': where all her ancient antiques are, and where she has been for her whole life. she sees progress as ripping apart singapore's culture to replace new buildings, and westernising it. whereas for boon, he sees progress as building new infrastructure and being more modern in the world.
it really is interesting. now we will have to write some essays on it.
:)
the play is about boon, who is a property agent, and he is trying to convince his mother to achieve the en bloc sale of their house. but, his mother is quite stubborn and as old people, wants to keep the house as it has all their memories. at the same time, jeremiah, who is a civil servant, is trying to contact the families of those buried in cemeteries for the exhumation and cremation (because, in singapore you can only be buried for 15 years, then u are cremated) however, things take a turn when the corpse he is signed on to, talks to him and does not want to leave the cemetery. AND, (plot twist), turns out the corpse is boon's dad, who boon's mum forced to leave their house due to him being the reason they were attacked by loan sharks.
complicated, right? but so fun to read. i love how they touched on topics like progress, economic development, and personal lives and memories and how there are different perspectives on that.
for boon's mother, all she wants to do is to be 'home': where all her ancient antiques are, and where she has been for her whole life. she sees progress as ripping apart singapore's culture to replace new buildings, and westernising it. whereas for boon, he sees progress as building new infrastructure and being more modern in the world.
it really is interesting. now we will have to write some essays on it.
:)
December 14, 2023
I didn't think I would enjoy Boon as much as I did, considering I DONT read plays and that this is a Singaporean centralised piece of text, I liked it, but nothing undermines the fact that I read this for my English class and that fact alone (plus IB haha lol, love it! hahah lol) is enough reason to lowkey hate this.
July 19, 2025
I'm actually thankful that I got to read this book for my lit classes.
This book is wonderful, it's bittersweet and heartwarming and mélancolic. It was unassuming at the beginning, and the story rlly only gets 'good' in the second act. The characters don't feel like characters. They're human, to me. They have something so humane in them it's ridiculous, but they'll alw be more than I can put into words rn.
The ending unexpectedly made me feel some emotions, esp after my teacher elaborated. It made the ending more memorable in my heart. This play is very realistic, yet it still reminds you that this is a dream and that the real people do not get these types of closure. I think this play was well thought out, and I had the honour of meeting the author and hearing from her personally; where her inspirations came from,It was very insightful, even though it was a short session, she rlly put a lot of thought into the message she wanted to deliver.
This book is wonderful, it's bittersweet and heartwarming and mélancolic. It was unassuming at the beginning, and the story rlly only gets 'good' in the second act. The characters don't feel like characters. They're human, to me. They have something so humane in them it's ridiculous, but they'll alw be more than I can put into words rn.
The ending unexpectedly made me feel some emotions, esp after my teacher elaborated. It made the ending more memorable in my heart. This play is very realistic, yet it still reminds you that this is a dream and that the real people do not get these types of closure. I think this play was well thought out, and I had the honour of meeting the author and hearing from her personally; where her inspirations came from,It was very insightful, even though it was a short session, she rlly put a lot of thought into the message she wanted to deliver.
December 5, 2013
It was moving, humorous, and very relatable.
June 11, 2023
A foray into plays -- inspired after I got down a rabbit hole and read all the available scripts for The White Lotus. Jean Tay's Boom looks at housing in Singapore and how it has been influenced by citizen profit-seeking and government pragmatism. The play turns around two characters: Jeremiah, a civil servant tasked with developing a site report that will result in the exhumation of a cemetery, and Boon, a property agent aiming to convince his mother to give up their apartment in a run-down estate. The play blends the supernatural with domestic drama, dramatizing the central question of housing: what is it worth, and who decides when to relinquish it?
Tay's two-act structure is effective at setting up audience expectations, and particular praise goes to her dialogue: ably swinging between the snappiness of Singlish and the rigid styles of government speech. While the play's use of supernatural elements offers a payoff that some would see as a cop-out, as it insulates the characters against ambiguity, Tay's writing is not as interested in offering a realistic depiction of family drama as she is in highlighting the closeness and proximity of her characters. Singaporeans, by nature of their densely packed living arrangements, have to deal with a constant sense that one's decisions are never truly their own. Collective decision-making results in majoritarian rulings, and Tay's play closes with Boon's mother dreaming of the past, wishing she could transcend her circumstances. All the while, the drumbeat of progress continues on.
I have just read this excellent essay in LitHub on Tana French's crime novels and their obsession with property. With queer Singaporeans stuck renting till we're 35, unless we fork out a cool half million for a shoebox apartment on the private property market or live with family, I relate to this line "It wasn’t only French’s victims who seemed to have died, but also the economic ideology they had inherited—the faith in a comfortable destiny ordained via real estate." What a mood. It makes me wish for a queer version of Boom, one which explodes the nuclear family unit and explores the different types of family that live in Singapore.
Tay's two-act structure is effective at setting up audience expectations, and particular praise goes to her dialogue: ably swinging between the snappiness of Singlish and the rigid styles of government speech. While the play's use of supernatural elements offers a payoff that some would see as a cop-out, as it insulates the characters against ambiguity, Tay's writing is not as interested in offering a realistic depiction of family drama as she is in highlighting the closeness and proximity of her characters. Singaporeans, by nature of their densely packed living arrangements, have to deal with a constant sense that one's decisions are never truly their own. Collective decision-making results in majoritarian rulings, and Tay's play closes with Boon's mother dreaming of the past, wishing she could transcend her circumstances. All the while, the drumbeat of progress continues on.
I have just read this excellent essay in LitHub on Tana French's crime novels and their obsession with property. With queer Singaporeans stuck renting till we're 35, unless we fork out a cool half million for a shoebox apartment on the private property market or live with family, I relate to this line "It wasn’t only French’s victims who seemed to have died, but also the economic ideology they had inherited—the faith in a comfortable destiny ordained via real estate." What a mood. It makes me wish for a queer version of Boom, one which explodes the nuclear family unit and explores the different types of family that live in Singapore.
March 22, 2024
It is either I am too young to understand it or I was using it for school and it bothered me or I did not read it so properly.
This book interchanges scenes with Boon, a real estate agent, and Jeremiah, a civil servant. It was very confusing in the start as I never understood their connection. I've re-read the book on multiple occasions trying to get it. there was no slow change or anything to resolve, it ended up all bad. To me it wasn't refreshing, it was like I was thrown into a tunnel and was about was was in the tunnel and that I never got to see the light.
Most of it was about reliving the past, I don't think I got to see a proper interactive with Boon and his Father. Most of the family scenes were just them screaming at each other about en-bloc sales and selling the house. At that point, it was ridiculously too much. What I found interesting was about the loan sharks and Boon's father, I wished they elaborated more on that. Boon's character was relatable at times but it felt very flat. I felt like most of it was just him being greedy.
i never really got to get Jeremiah's character. But I thought that his powers were interesting, I would've liked it if it was elaborated more. Most of the time it was him being back under his Director's hands.
I knew it was Boon's father every since the corpse scene. I felt like it was a little too obvious and cliche. I really felt like there should be a connection between Boon and Jeremiah to divert it so it would look like a real plot twist.
The ending felt like it was not even a proper end, not a new chapter to a story. I felt that there were no character development and just straight up angst.
Although, there are some relatable scenes I found hilarious but it was not a bad but not a good book. It was very hard to judge... I'll give it a 2.5/5
This book interchanges scenes with Boon, a real estate agent, and Jeremiah, a civil servant. It was very confusing in the start as I never understood their connection. I've re-read the book on multiple occasions trying to get it. there was no slow change or anything to resolve, it ended up all bad. To me it wasn't refreshing, it was like I was thrown into a tunnel and was about was was in the tunnel and that I never got to see the light.
Most of it was about reliving the past, I don't think I got to see a proper interactive with Boon and his Father. Most of the family scenes were just them screaming at each other about en-bloc sales and selling the house. At that point, it was ridiculously too much. What I found interesting was about the loan sharks and Boon's father, I wished they elaborated more on that. Boon's character was relatable at times but it felt very flat. I felt like most of it was just him being greedy.
i never really got to get Jeremiah's character. But I thought that his powers were interesting, I would've liked it if it was elaborated more. Most of the time it was him being back under his Director's hands.
I knew it was Boon's father every since the corpse scene. I felt like it was a little too obvious and cliche. I really felt like there should be a connection between Boon and Jeremiah to divert it so it would look like a real plot twist.
The ending felt like it was not even a proper end, not a new chapter to a story. I felt that there were no character development and just straight up angst.
Although, there are some relatable scenes I found hilarious but it was not a bad but not a good book. It was very hard to judge... I'll give it a 2.5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2022
3.5 stars. Heartwarming play with bits of humour. First heard of Boom when I was an SYF intern earlier in the year, and one of the schools performed this on stage - their performance turned out to be my favourite, so I had to check this out! I think that this play is better watched than read; the lighting/sound effects and vivid imagery can only be appreciated fully when it is performed. As a play from >10 years ago, while land use is still a major concern today, I feel that the thought process of the young has changed; some of the apathy expressed by the gvt/youth in this play is no longer completely reflective of today's youth (to me, anyway).
The use of the chorus/ensemble felt a little cliche to me in terms of style but I really enjoyed the corpse and how he managed to 'let go' through remembering his past (though I was hoping for a stronger connection between Mother and corpse towards the end).
The use of the chorus/ensemble felt a little cliche to me in terms of style but I really enjoyed the corpse and how he managed to 'let go' through remembering his past (though I was hoping for a stronger connection between Mother and corpse towards the end).
February 7, 2022
Tay beautifully weaves the lives and troubles of strangers together with a touch of paranormal to reflect the woes of ‘En bloc’ and the erasure of memories in the ever changing landscape of Singapore. The journey of twists and turns and talking corpses all ask the silenced questions on the ground about the constant tearing apart and rebuilding in Singapore. We are left with resonance with Mother as we live her nuances of staying put, continuity, memory and endless pining. The line ‘In your decay lies your immortality’ was particularly striking as it doubles up as a glorification of the often-gross old things waiting to be demolished. When heritage and scarcity are weighed on the same scale, we as a country tend to lose our balance in the name of the greater good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2023
Surprisingly, not a boring book to read which made it fairly enjoyable to digest. This is the first literary piece we have used for my Language and Literature class and only god knows how much I have learned about analyzation because of this play. Jean Tay presents how the strive for progress erases the beautiful heritage of the past and generational conflicts occur because different stages of life hold different values on certain things. This play also touched a lot of cultural understanding of Singapore.
I really liked how much is there to analyze in each scene. It can get quite daunting but it is pleasing to notice the small details that put the whole play together.
I really liked how much is there to analyze in each scene. It can get quite daunting but it is pleasing to notice the small details that put the whole play together.
August 5, 2024
read and studied this book in literature class. really easy to read and could be finished within a day. this play is amazing, really, it is really cute and i got a good laugh but somehow, this play is so sentimental and had so much hidden meaning in it. it is really close to heart and i actually really felt the book as a singaporean. this play reflects on something about a really developped and urbanised city: sentimentalism vs materialism. really read it if you are from singapore, it would make you reflect on everything.
June 21, 2018
This is actually my third (or fourth) time reading this book, but to be honest this book took me at least 2 reads to capture most of the details and also fully understand the story and link everything that happens together. Overall this is quite a good read, but I would not have picked this book if it was not a compulsory read by my school since I don't really like reading plays as I'm quite slow on picking details and understanding them.
December 17, 2020
A quick read, and I was drawn into the story right from the beginning when the title was explained. Very interesting! I like how the main characters are linked together in the end. And enjoyed the bits of Hokkien throughout the play. Definitely something close to the Singapore Story and I can even say it was touching at the end. Makes me want to read her other plays.
July 2, 2022
tbh i read this at the end of last year, but im cheating & im gonna pretend i read it this year because im already nine books behind in my reading challenge.
this isnt a book i would typically read (i read it for school) but it was pretty enjoyable!) 3.5/10
this isnt a book i would typically read (i read it for school) but it was pretty enjoyable!) 3.5/10
October 5, 2022
Would I teach this? Yes!! In any High School class. It's super accessible and readable and incorporates humor and a small twist in the end. Plenty of potential for discussions about wealth, capitalism and societal values. I really enjoyed this play and am looking forward to teaching it.
October 31, 2024
I was curious about why this play was selected as a GCE 'O' level literature text for Singapore. After reading it, I enjoyed the play.
It helps that I understand the Hokkien dialect. For those who do not understand, there are footnotes to explain the Hokkien phrases.
It helps that I understand the Hokkien dialect. For those who do not understand, there are footnotes to explain the Hokkien phrases.
December 16, 2018
Humorous and touching.
May 7, 2022
A rather heartwarming play; it reminds me of the present Bukit Brown cemetery (in which most of its tombstones are in disrepair). Too bad I was unable to see this play live.
February 12, 2023
This was a great play and easy to read. I think many people and cultures can identify with the clash of generations over progress, memories and history.
June 22, 2023
this is my literature book, that is why i read it but it was a really good book. i watched the play even and i think this book was a really fun book to study about and read:)
July 26, 2023
i want to hug every character in this book (except the director.)
October 29, 2023
My literature book :> It’s a play though, not much comment.
December 30, 2023
Like I get it but it wasn't really eye opening or emotional for me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2025
Interesting idea and some memorable images. Accessible themes, simple language and plot. Lots of echoes of Arthur Miller.
May 7, 2022
Eh tells the purpose but didnt keep me through the entire way, of course its definetly better as a play then just reading a script perhaps
July 8, 2024
Tahle divadelní hra byla moc fajn, vtipná, dojemná, k zamyšlení. Ve zkratce jde o storku o realitním makléři, který se snaží přesvědčit svou mámu, aby se přestěhovala a do toho jistý úředník řeší to, že se jedna mrtvola nehodlá stěhovat ze hřbitova, místo kterého tam mají stát paneláky.
Děj se odehrává v Singapuru, takže se ve hře nachází celkem dost singapurského dialektu a textem prosakuje i tamní kultura, což je fakt osvěžující. Hodně se tam řeší zástavba, kapitalismus, bydlení, vzpomínky a rodinná dramata. Oceňuji fantaskní prvky jako právě obživlou mrtvolu. Četlo se to krásně, postavy byly plastické a zajímavé. Za mě hrozně svěží kus.
Děj se odehrává v Singapuru, takže se ve hře nachází celkem dost singapurského dialektu a textem prosakuje i tamní kultura, což je fakt osvěžující. Hodně se tam řeší zástavba, kapitalismus, bydlení, vzpomínky a rodinná dramata. Oceňuji fantaskní prvky jako právě obživlou mrtvolu. Četlo se to krásně, postavy byly plastické a zajímavé. Za mě hrozně svěží kus.
August 18, 2025
This play isn't one that I would have picked up myself, but it honestly surprised me. It was really good with many hidden messages in the conversations the characters have. There was a lot packed into one small play that I read in one sitting. It was pretty enjoyable and had many hooking parts in it.
December 25, 2014
I don't know much about plays but I sure love local stuff :-)
April 27, 2022
local writer
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews