In Singapore’s national story, Kwa Geok Choo is often described as the steadfast wife of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, present, poised, and quietly powerful. Aside from the familiar outline lies a life of sharp intellect, emotional depth, and unshakable resolve; one that Moonlit City, a new Mandarin musical by Toy Factory Productions, seeks to bring into clearer focus.
Born in 1920, Kwa was a legal pioneer, one of the first women in Singapore to receive a Queen’s Scholarship and graduate with first-class honours in Law from Cambridge. She co-founded the law firm Lee & Lee, and played a key role in laying the legal and social foundations of a fledgling nation. Perhaps more profound was her role as a pillar of emotional support, translating his political speeches, raising a family, and anchoring Lee Kuan Yew through decades of upheaval, culminating in the independence of the nation, a former Malayan state. Seminal, too, was her role in drafting key clauses in the pivotal water agreements between Johor and Singapore, securing a lifeline that continues to sustain millions in their daily lives.
Despite her influence, Kwa rarely stepped into the spotlight. Her legacy was shaped in the margins—quietly, consistently, and with deep moral clarity. Moonlit City, written by Jedidiah Huang and directed by Goh Boon Teck, steps into those margins to illuminate the emotional core of a woman whose impact has long been underappreciated.
“Moonlit City deepens this exploration by shifting the focus from public achievement alone to the private, emotional journeys behind it,” says Goh. “Rather than portraying the Lees as untouchable historical icons, we wanted to reveal their vulnerabilities, sacrifices, and the human cost of nation-building. Also, it goes beyond historical narrative to reveal the beautiful strength of love — a love so profound it could move mountains.”
Rather than simply retelling Singapore’s major milestones, the musical uses eight iconic songs by composer Tan Kah Beng to evoke the inner lives of Kwa and Lee: from moonlit moments of hope to the heaviness of loss. Through soaring arrangements and poetic staging, the show reframes national memory not as static history, but as something deeply human, emotional, and alive.
Goh adds, “Our previous work, Kwa Geok Choo, focused closely on her own perspective. In Moonlit City, we present a more balanced dual and intimate narrative — delving into both Lee Kuan Yew’s inner struggles and Kwa Geok Choo’s quiet strength, as well as the relationships between them and within the Lee family.”
Kwa’s presence in Moonlit City is not a side note, it is a revelation. The production offers a counter-narrative to traditional portrayals of political power, one where care, compassion, and emotional labour are cast as nation-building forces. It invites us to remember that behind every monumental public life is often someone holding the centre: unseen, unwavering, and unforgettable.
Featured Image: Toy Factory
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