[Theatre] Twins Hayley and Jayley Woo to play same role in ‘CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab’

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Twins playing a single role? That’s what’s happening in “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”, a theatrical comedy musical coming to Singapore this June.

The musical features Hayley and Jayley Hoo taking turns to play Cutie Chef in different months. Other stars include Ko Eun Hee (Sexy Chef), Woo Young Wook (Green Chef), and Lee Sung Min (Iron Chef).

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Adapted from the Korean production “CHEF”, the performance sees two groups of chefs racing against each other to create a dish — chilli crab and bibimbap. The show will include dance elements, beatboxing, and other musical showcases. But you won’t need to understand Korean to watch the show.

Green Chef from "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
Green Chef from “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Two for the price of one?

One of the Woo twins will play Cutie Chef in June, while the other will play the character in July due to scheduling reasons.

“But then we’ll mix it up a little bit,” said Hayley.

“So they don’t know which exact show we will appear in,” said Jayley. “It’ll be kind of a surprise.”

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Audiences are in for a treat though, as they’ll have a chance to guess who is performing as Cutie Chef in the show they’re watching. It’s part of the interactive element of the musical, where the cast members will also invite audience members to participate in the other aspects of the performance.

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

A dream come true for the Woo twins

“This will be the closest I’ve ever been to being a K-pop star,” said Jayley, who shared that her childhood ambition was to be a figure ice skater, then a K-pop star.

For Hayley, the thrill of a live performance is what appeals to her.

“The satisfaction of doing this all at one go will be awesome,” said Jayley. “It’s a dream come true for the both of us to work together again.”

The pair had previous worked together in “Girl In Pinafore”, a local comedy musical film that also starred former Project Superstar winner Daren Tan.

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Stage vs screen

‘CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab’ is also the first time the twins have performed on stage together. Their previous performances were mostly in television and film.

“Acting [on screen] is like, you can cut any time. But [stage] is all at one go,” said Hayley. “So this, to me, is very different.”

“When we first started rehearsals, to me it’s just, wow. Everything literally goes on without a pause. And if we do have a mistake, we have to go through everything from the top. That’s the greatest difference,” said Jayley.

“Whereas for acting it’s more like, ‘cut’, okay let’s reset the entire performance.”

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Challenges of working with a twin

When tested, director Choi Chul Ki needed some prompting and deliberation before he could identify the twins accurately.

But their physical similarities  hasn’t been an issue for the twins. Instead, their challenges come from their own standards for each other.

“It’s more of us, because we tend to pick on each other’s mistakes. Sometimes if I come across as offensive, we might start to quarrel,” shared Jayley.

“But that is another bonding area for us to come together.”

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

Chilli crab vs bibimbap: which would they choose?

“Without a doubt, I would choose chilli crab. And the mantou [fried buns],” stated Hayley.

“For me, it’s more of a Singaporean culture, because I’m born here, and I’m proud to be a Singaporean,” explained Jayley.

Sorry bibimbap, looks like it’s 2-0 in favour of chilli crab.

A chilli crab tart for "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
A chilli crab tart for “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

“CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab” runs from 10 June 2017 to 22 July 2017 at Resorts World Theatre. A Chilli Crab Tart and a can of Coke is included in weekend VIP category  tickets and Category One tickets.

Tickets are available for sale through SISTIC.

The cast of "CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab"
The cast of “CHEF: Bibimbap vs Chilli Crab”

This review was written for and first published on Yahoo Singapore.

Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter, having written for Police & Thief, Incredible Tales, Crimewatch, and Point of Entry. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site.

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