Golden Blood feels like a big-screen thriller, even though it’s got a cast of two. Playing out on the neon streets of Singapore, it desperately claws back the extreme wealth it once knew, holding a rusty machete between its teeth. Even crazier—it’s based on a true story.

Originally slated for our 2021 Season, Merlynn Tong’s Golden Blood is back and hungrier than ever in 2022.

When her mother dies, a teenage girl is left alone within the four walls of the only thing she’s inherited—a decaying penthouse in the heart of Singapore. To make matters worse, she’s now in the care of her estranged brother, and he’s not exactly up to the gig. For one, he’s only a few years older than her. And two, he’s a gangster.

Like, an actual one.

Left with next to nothing, the orphaned siblings become a formidable, atypical corporation of two. But it’s not long before cracks begin to show. What is the trade-off for desiring excessive levels of luxury? What should be kept in this world, and what should be offered to the next?

Merlynn Tong is an unstoppable acting-writing polymath—and in Golden Blood, she’ll be starring in her own (kind-of) true story. Directed by Griffin’s Associate Artistic Director Tessa Leong, Golden Blood will make its long-awaited premiere in 2022, presented in a unique partnership with our friends at Melbourne Theatre Company.

From Declan
‘If you’ve spent more than three seconds in Merlynn Tong’s magnetic presence you’ve probably begged her to tell you her life story. Luckily, she’s written Golden Blood, so you don’t have to. It’s a wild semi-true tale of resilience, family ties, and dirty money.’