Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.

We live in an age of receipts – if it’s not in an IG story, did it even happen? “Pics or it didn’t happen” might’ve started as a joke, but let’s be real: it’s now a whole philosophy. 

And in this digital jungle of selfies, soft-launches, and Stories, Low Yee Choy’s new work will you be my witness? is a gut-punch of honesty.

Blending theatre and dance, the piece unpacks our craving for connection and the quiet ache of wanting to be seen – not by everyone, but maybe just by one person.

We sat down with Choy, Artistic Director of lowercase labs and the mind behind this latest production, to talk loneliness, social media spirals, working with dancers, and why sometimes, brushing your teeth can be revolutionary.

lowercase labs

lowercase labs

TRP: So, what sparked the idea for will you be my witness?

Choy: The idea came to me while I was stuck in traffic. I had this sudden moment of sonder – the realisation that everyone around me has a life as vivid and complex as mine. I looked around at the other cars and imagined what people might be going home to – maybe someone’s cooking dinner, maybe someone just lost their job, maybe someone’s heading to a date. I became hyper-aware of how many lives were moving alongside mine, yet completely separate.

That led me to think about how our generation is obsessed with being seen. Not just in the social media sense of broadcasting ourselves, but that deeper, quieter desire for someone – just one person – to really witness our lives. Not for fame or performance, but for intimacy. That was the seed for will you be my witness?

“Other lives are just as rich, chaotic, and worthy of witnessing.”

(lowercase labs)

TRP: The show spirals from routine into surreal. Why that structure?

Choy: It starts off in a very everyday, mundane way – like, brushing teeth, getting in the car, standard routine stuff. But as the piece progresses, it spirals. That’s deliberate. I wanted it to mirror what it’s like to let someone truly witness you. At first, it’s all surface-level. You show them your “daily life” version of yourself. But when someone really sees you, it gets messy. You unravel a bit.

The structure of the show reflects that spiral from routine into something more intimate and chaotic – like the deeper layers of a relationship or even self-reflection.

lowercase labs

lowercase labs

I used to subscribe to the idea of solipsism. I used to joke that I was the only real person in the world and everyone else was just an NPC (laughs). There was a time I genuinely questioned whether other people were as “real” as me. That moment in traffic really broke that illusion. It reminded me that we all bleed the same.

That’s why I wanted the show to carry that sense of sonder – to remind us to pay more attention to each other. This show is my attempt to remind them that other lives are just as rich, chaotic, and worthy of witnessing.

“With dance, it’s all in the body – how you hold yourself, how you move through space.”

(lowercase labs)

TRP: You’re working with choreographer Kenny Shim to merge theatre and dance – how is that going?

Choy: Surprisingly smooth. I was Assistant Stage Manager for a production he choreographed before, so there is already a familiarity there. The process was split: I started with R&D to explore the concept with the dancers through theatrical methods, then Kenny came in and “dancified” everything.

He’s this essential bridge between my theatre brain and the dancers’ bodies, especially since most of them are ballet-trained. Honestly, he saved us from so many potential miscommunications.

lowercase labs

lowercase labs

TRP: What was something that surprised you in rehearsals?

Choy: Honestly? How different dance feels from theatre. I knew it would be different, but I didn’t realise how embodied it is. I was talking with a friend about this and we said, actors have their lines and musicians have notes, but with dance, it’s all in the body – how you hold yourself, how you move through space.

Also, how much I rely on structure! I’m a very system-oriented person. I like knowing what beats we’re hitting and when. But in dance, there are fewer “anchors,” especially during creation. That was both challenging and liberating.

There was a moment I asked, “Wait, is there like… a dance notation system out there?” (laughs) If there is, I need it!

“If my show gets people talking at the mamak after, then I’ve done my job.”

(lowercase labs)

TRP: You’ve done Shakespeare, you’ve done participatory work. How does this piece fit into your larger body of work?

Choy: It’s a progression. Not a departure, but growth. Every year, I challenge myself to do something new. Last year was Titus Andronicus, this year it’s dance… who knows what’s next?

I don’t want everyone to walk out with the same interpretation. If my show gets people talking at the mamak after, then I’ve done my job. That’s what art should do – make you feel, make you talk. Whether you “got it” or not is secondary.

(lowercase labs)

TRP: How has your relationship with performance changed since starting lowercase labs?

Choy: There’s more support now. More funding, more structure. But I’m very aware of the privilege I have, and I want to use that to create platforms for others – especially younger or underrepresented artists who might not have the access.

Collaboration is a huge part of that. For Titus, I worked with a florist. For witness, it’s dancers. It’s less about being the genius in the room, and more about curating the right people and letting them shine.

(lowercase labs)

TRP: Do you worry about how audiences will respond?

Choy: Of course. It’s the usual artist fear lah – what if it doesn’t translate? What if nobody feels anything?

I think every artist, to some level, is narcissist. If they say they’re not, they’re lying to you (laughs). But I also believe that audiences don’t need to walk away with my message. They just need to walk away with a message.

Cry, laugh, get angry – whatever. I’m not interested in spoon-feeding meaning. I’m interested in creating space for interpretation, especially with something so physical and non-verbal as dance. It’s a different kind of conversation with the audience.

lowercase labs

lowercase labs

TRP: What kind of stories are haunting or calling to you right now?

Choy: I’m very much a one-project-at-a-time kind of person – but I’ve been feeling drawn to installation work – something that lasts for a month or so. I don’t know yet if it’ll involve performers, but I’m curious about creating something that sits in a space, like an art gallery installation or maybe something outdoors. I like the idea of people encountering it over time, in their own way.

But I don’t know… let’s see. (laughs)

TRP: Finally, what does it mean to have a witness?

Choy: It means having someone who sees you. Really sees you. Not in a performative, social media kind of way – but in the quiet, consistent, human way.

And maybe, some days, being your own witness is enough too.

will you be my witness? is not just a show. It’s a plea, a mirror, a love letter to anyone who’s ever sat alone in traffic and wondered if anyone else feels the same.

Spoiler: they do.

(lowercase labs)

Catch will you be my witness?from 26 June – 28 June at 8.30 p.m. and 28 June – 29 June at 3 p.m. at Black Box, Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC). Tickets are available for purchase HERE.

Follow lowercase labs on IG and witness the journey.

Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.

Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.