CUHK Lives and Legends

25 ‘As a powerful medium, drama can touch the hearts of the audience by communicating a message.’ was required to give my full attention to the job with little time for anything else. I had to keep an eye on my phone even during rehearsals.’ Finally, in 2011, between the plush position and the theatre, she chose the latter. ‘At that stage in my life, I asked myself what I should focus on for the rest of my life so that I would have no regrets.’ When she held up a script in her left hand and a corporate annual report in her right hand to compare the two options, the answer was clear.  Notwithstanding her courage to pursue her dream full-time, she took a hammering from harsh realities. The Nonsensemakers went through ups and considerable downs, once enduring a losing streak at the box office, leaving the troupe penniless. Subject to forced eviction from a studio at another time, the entire renovation cost of over $100,000 just went down the drain. Now that the difficulties have been overcome, The Nonsensemakers is quite well established as a as a powerful medium, it can touch the hearts of the audience by communicating a message. ‘Watching a drama performance is different from watching TV. You can divide your attention or stop any time you want during a TV programme. But drama audience are confined with the actors within the four walls of the theatre and have to sit through the entire performance. They have to make full use of their senses to feel the moment as best they can. By concentrating on getting my message, they can awaken within themselves certain primeval feelings or catch a glimpse of the possibilities in life that have never occurred to them.’ Candid and light-hearted, Jo Ngai spoke eloquently during this interview, in stark contrast to her former image as a solemn news anchor. What remains unchanged is her sense of mission to communicate something of value and her cast-iron resolve to play every role in her life’s script to the best of her ability. Photo by Esplanade Singapore Photo by Carson Tam c c Jo Ngai (2nd left) plays a 99-year-old in Travel with Mum c c The Hand in Hand Capable Theatre enables the physically-challenged and the able-bodied people alike to take part in public performances professional theatre troupe boasting a 3,000-square-foot studio, several full-time staff members, and six to seven productions annually at its peak.  Travel with Mum , a drama co-starring Jo and artistic director Rensen Chan , who is also her husband and best partner, tells the story about a 74-year-old man going on a tricycle journey with his 99-year-old mother to Tibet to fulfil her travel wish. The drama has been on a world tour and performed for the 13th time. In 2013, the troupe established ‘Hand in Hand Capable Theatre’ to make a statement upfront that ‘Nobody is Perfect but Everybody Can Do It’. It aims to create an all-inclusive community by enabling the visually impaired, hearing-disabled, the physically challenged, the ex- mentally ill, and able-bodied people alike to receive drama training and take part in public performances. For Jo, drama is not just a means to satisfy her personal interest or artistic leanings. More importantly,