The Bohemian Rhapsody Project

The script for the film, which takes place in a room at Singapore’s Supreme Court, is entirely based on the lyrics of Queen’s song Bohemian Rhapsody. A boy is on trial, and is broken-hearted at the sight of his ‘mama’ crying. "During the months of June and July 2006, four rounds of auditions were held for the role of the protagonist in a film based on the lyrics of Queen’s 1975 hit Bohemian Rhapsody, a song that replaces the formulaic verse-chorus-verse structure of the average pop song with multiple role-playing and an almost schizophrenic mesh of multiple musical styles. Of the many professional and non-professional auditionees who turned up, 22 of them were invited to a final round of auditions that was held in a former courtroom at the City Hall. This audition was held in the presence of specially invited spectators, 18 other specially rehearsed cast members, as well as a film crew. Of these 22 auditionees, 21 were selected for the final ’film’, which is composed solely of these ’audition’ footages. The resulting film, cut to the original duration of Bohemian Rhapsody (5 mins 52 secs), simultaneously functions as a record of this ’audition’. Just as importantly, the film, which oscillates between spoken text and occasional musical cues, is a vehicle that solicits the viewers’ recollection of the song and encourages their participation in an exercise of mental karaoke." (Ho Tzu Nyen)