SINGAPORE — Dick Lee can never get enough of the 1970s.

“It’s the most interesting period of our local history, next to the `60s. That was my growing up period,” he shared.

After his wartime drama Rising Son early this year, Lee’s retro moments continue with the restaging of his `70s musical comedy Hotpants in August.

First staged in 1997, it’s about three mother-daughter pairs and what happens when the daughters join an inter-school Talentime contest. It stars Denise Tan, Tabitha Nauser, Dwayne Tan, Ebi Shankara, Nikki Muller, Joakim Gomez, among others. Produced by Annie Pek, it also sees Lee returning to the director’s seat.

“It’s a musical about change,” he said. “(Hotpants) was a trend that started in the late `60s. We tend to think of the `70s as disco, Boogie Nights, Saturday Night Fever… but these were in 1977. The musical is set in 1972 and because Singapore is a bit slow catching up, it’s when the `60s was just trying to become the `70s. (Here) it was the time of The Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John. It was squeaky clean. Then, suddenly, this whole hotpants came in. Everybody suddenly matured overnight and the parents couldn’t deal with it.”

Short shorts? In an age where Rihanna can sport an Adam Selman see-through gown without anyone batting an eyelid, what’s the big deal?

“At that time, wearing hotpants was quite shocking—the whole idea of it as an outfit you go out in. Now you see girls in denim shorts that are shorter than hotpants but in those days, nobody wore shorts to go out,” he said.

Was Dick Lee a prude? “A bit la,” he laughed. The conversation had segued into the recent staging of The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, which also starred Hotpants’ Denise Tan as a foul-mouthed mother. “Did you see Little Voice? I was so shocked! Correct me if I’m wrong, but no Asian woman speaks like that right? I know a lot of coarse women but…” he said.

Just don’t bring up his age—he doesn’t want to think about it. “I’ll be 60 in two years time—that shocked me when I realised it. You don’t think about turning 50 or 40 but 60? It’s like Grandpa…”

We don’t think Lee has to worry too much, as he’s been keeping very busy simultaneously creating new work and revisiting old ones as he celebrates his 40th anniversary in the biz this year. Aside from Hotpants, there’s also the National Day Parade in August. He’s still got two more plays to complete his Family Trilogy after Rising Son. Next year, there’s also the musical on Lee Kuan Yew and… Beauty World?

Lee revealed that yes, he’ll be helming a new version of the classic musical he did with Michael Chiang next year. Produced by Pek (who’s now managing him as well), it will have a seven-week run at Victoria Theatre in November/December. And get this: “It’s gonna be a scaled-down, darker Beauty World.”

Hotpants is from Aug 14 to 30, 8pm, at Drama Centre Theatre. With 3pm and 2pm matinees. Tickets from S$40 to S$83 at SISTIC. For more information, visit http://www.hotpants.sg.