Preview: Flipside 2022 by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

The June holidays are fast upon us, and with it comes the Esplanade’s Flipside Festival, where theatre and the performing arts takes a walk on the fun side. Taking place from 3rd to 12th June,

As borders re-open and social distancing becomes a little lessened, we’re almost certainly back to normal, as Flipside goes full on into its slew of fun, quirky mix of experiences, from the intimate and interactive, to spectacular outdoor events, featuring both local AND international artists.

Highlights of this year’s festival include Kallo Collective’s Only Bones (Finland). Physical theatre performer Thom Monckton returns to Flipside since 2018’s The Artist, and in this award-winning show, impresses wordless body manipulation, dance, circus and hilarious clowning, contorting himself and showing off impossibly bendy limbs.

Compagnie Areski’s Millefeuilles (France) brings a magical experience to the festival, as audiences discover and explore scenery in a dark room on their own with a flashlight. A whole world of paper sculpture in various sizes—placed on the ground or suspended—is revealed through projected shadows created by the simple light source. When a bell rings, the audience is then invited to gather for a performance of tender and absurd stories without words, featuring an unusual character who invents a world for himself to escape solitude.   

Momggol’s Impulse (Korea) brings Korea’s theatre arts to Flipside, as two acrobats attempt to remain in balance as opposing forces collide, each time threatening to break equilibrium as greater force is exerted. The constant tension of push-and-pull, of balance and destabilisation, reflect the familiar narrative of life.

On the comedic front, Marine Boy (Korea), The Annoying Brothers and GAPS will entertain audiences with a mix of physical comedy, circus and street theatre-style interaction, serving up laughs and a little absurd humour.

Satirical comedy comes to life , look out for La Meh-Lions and ScRach MarcS’ Ang Mo Pai with their over-the-top costumes, cheeky banter and boisterous musical numbers, while How Drama serves up Big Brown Girl, an interactive live performance where Ross Nasir plays Ruby, a big-hearted and big, brown girl looking for love, providing an honest look at modern dating (read our review of the show from last December here).

From gravity-defying acts to hilarious shows, thought provoking works for the little ones and workshops galore, the Esplanade beckons you to put your inhibitions aside, and come revel in the high-energy, imaginative world of Flipside this June.

Flipside 2022 runs from 3rd to 12th June 2022 at the Esplanade. Tickets and full programme details available here