New drama set to be a hit, says Tay Ping Hui

SINGAPORE – New MediaCorp TV Channel 8 drama Crescendo just might be the runaway hit of the year, says actor Tay Ping Hui.

He stars alongside Christopher Lee and Darren Lim in the music-themed show, which is about xinyao, which was popular in the mid-’80’s and early ‘90’s in Singapore. Ann Kok, Cynthia Koh and Jacelyn Tay also star as their partners and love interests.

When he first heard that he was going to play a musician, Tay said his first thought was, “It’s about time”. “It has been a long time since we had a music-based drama,” he said. “For me, it’s going to a place with all the things that I like.”

The drama’s theme – especially during the SG50 year – was also what attracted Kok to the role. “I wanted to bring back memories of the xinyao songs. Music has been very important in my life,” she said. “In my primary and secondary school days, I listened to a lot of xinyao. I was quite obsessed. My brother told me, ‘If you could memorise your lessons as well as you can memorise those lyrics, it would be good for you.’”

The chance to work with her former colleagues was also a draw. “To be able to work with old friends such as Jacelyn and Darren - he’s a very good actor,” she said, adding that she was constantly touched by his performance while acting opposite him as his love interest.

Tay, meanwhile, had only good things to say about his fellow cast members’ performance. “In Ann’s performance, you can see both vulnerability and strength. Cynthia’s acting talent is undeniable. Jacelyn - you can’t tell she’s been on a 14-year break. Guo Liang - everybody knows he can act.

“I think it will be a joy to watch this show because it was a joy for me to work with them. When you have the opportunity to act with someone who can bring it, when you have a good sparring partner, it’s such a joy.”

As for why Tay is convinced the show will be a hit, he said: “I think there are many elements of this show that will make it a success. I think people in their 30s and older will like it because there are a lot of songs they’ll be very familiar with, and there’ll be this feeling of nostalgia.”

Tay said although the songs have been rearranged such that “they come out in a different form”, the xinyao songs are “some of the best songs around written by Singaporeans”.

Catch Crescendo starting Oct 23, weekdays at 9pm on MediaCorp TV Channel 8.