buds theatre company was established in 2007 with the aim of providing a professional platform for buds youth theatre members. As our youth members matured and completed their studies, many of them remained interested in pursuing the theatre as a career and buds theatre company aims to provide them with this opportunity.

buds theatre company produces all its own shows. Each show aims to include at least one member of the buds family plus additional professional actors.

buds theatre company's premier season began with a local piece, The Ice Cream Truck, initially introduced in Short and Sweet 2007, re-directed by Claire Devine and starring Buds member Cheryl Lee and professional actor and theatre practitioner, Julius Foo. This was well received at the Singapore Drama Educators Association (SDEA) Celebrate Drama event in July 2007.

November 2007 saw us producing another local show, Essential Framing, a double-bill with two original plays by National University of Singapore students. This was enjoyed by both Flying Inkpot, “there is formidable talent in this company”, and the Straits Times, “the effort to locate and depict the fascinating aspects of love were engaging”.

November 2008’s production was Claire Dowie’s Death and Dancing, “strong, crisp and charismatic” (Flying Inkpot) directed by Claire Devine and starring Rebecca Lee and Benjamin Wong.

Our 2009 season kicked off in the 19th Century with Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, reviewed by The Business Times as having “all the hallmarks of a top-notch production: a first-rate cast; elegant, yet whimsical set design and costuming; and an excellent venue” Directed by Claire Devine and starring a fantastic cast including Michael Corbidge, Susan Tordoff, Andy Tear, Huzir Sulaiman and Julie Wee, The Importance of Being Earnest was well-received by all.

buds theatre company is a non-profit group and aims to pay its actors and production crew a professional wage. All money that is raised goes directly to funding our shows:

• Venue hire
• cover the costs of designing the production (set, costumes, lighting and sound)
• pay the cast and production team
• transportation
• print publicity posters, flyers and programmes