Thursday, Apr 5, 2007    Text size: 

Toy Factory produced “251,” and assistant marketing manager Bryan Teo said 10 of the show’s 14 performances in the 220-seat theater are sold out.

“It shows Singaporeans are very curious about who Annabel Chong really is,” Teo told the Associated Press. “They have all heard about the 251 sex acts, and now they want to find out more about her.”

“251” is a character study on Chong (real name Grace Quek), who achieved notoriety as a result of her gang bang film in 1995. Her video is banned in Singapore because of the country’s strict anti-pornography laws, only increasing the public’s interest in her, according to Teo. The play broaches her sexual assault before porn and her struggle with religion.

Chong has said part of the reason she performed in adult movies was as a reaction to Singapore’s rigid social and political controls. “251” director Loretta Chen said this theme would be explored as well.

“Whether we like her or absolutely hate her, we can’t deny the fact that she is very much part of our national psyche,” Chen told the AP.

“251” is not the first mainstream endeavor to portray Chong. A documentary about her life, “Sex: The Annabel Chong Story,” was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at 1999’s Sundance Film Festival.

Chong retired from porn in 2003 and is now said to be a U.S.-based web designer.