In 2023, Singapore’s theatre scene felt fully ready to take risks and pull out all the stops for the first true season following the pandemic years. We saw the return of blockbuster musical and stage productions, and plenty of new, experimental works filling in the spaces in between, be it through long-awaited collaborations or younger companies having their work see the light of day, or even immersive work coming back into vogue with unusual venues or presentation styles leading the arts into terra incognita.
Theatre is subjective, but it is always exciting to see veteran companies celebrate anniversaries while paving the way for a new generation to come. Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) for example, celebrated their milestone 30th anniversary, and brought some of their most exciting work yet, including the return of Shakespeare in the Park. In the meantime, The Necessary Stage continued to thrive with their new associate artist programme, and even brought back a classic to the Esplanade’s brand new Singtel Waterfront Theatre, which also saw use when it played host to all three of Pangdemonium!’s productions this year.
On our end, we decided to retire the matrix scoring system due to its inability to capture as much nuance as we hoped it would, but its manner of acknowledgement lives on in our production credits listed at the end of every review now. At the end of the day – this is our site and we do what we want to, and the reason we keep writing is how important the arts is to us. Never to criticise for criticism’s sake, but for the betterment of the scene, and above all, always treasuring the relationships we make along the way, be it productive disagreement, or all the warm smiles when we see familiar faces.
With that in mind, it’s time once again for our annual Bakchormeeboy Awards, where we recognise excellence in local theatre and performing arts. While our limited categories cannot possibly encompass all that we’ve watched or everyone in the arts scene, know that we are and continue to watch all that we can, and that you can always reach out to us to have a conversation about your work, to vent, or really, just talk about anything at all, be it online or over a drink.
And so without further ado, presenting to you the 2023 Bakchormeeboy Awards:
Best Lighting Design Nominees
Genevieve Peck – Doubt (Pangdemonium!)
Genevieve Peck – Three Years In The Life and Death of Land (The Necessary Stage)
Alberta Wileo – The Monster In The Mirror (Bitesize Theatre)
Alberta Wileo – Mosaic (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
Irfan Kasban – King (T:>works)
Lighting has always been a key element of any show – if you’re not illuminating properly, how will the audience even seen what’s going on? But beyond its functional purpose, the best lighting this year comes from designers Genevieve Peck, Alberta Wileo and Irfan Kasban for their ability to take it beyond the practical and ensure there are dramatic elements to it as well, creatively integrating it into the performance and at times, even for more surreal moments beyond the natural.
And the winner is…
Alberta Wileo – Mosaic (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
In Mosaic, all the events take place over a matter of hours, and in tandem with TK Hay’s massive dragon playground set piece, Alberta Wileo’s lighting charted the transition from day to night to dawn, matching the dramatic arc of the script and even throwing in a few flashy moments in between. The lighting was especially key to drawing out the emotions without overshadowing the action taking place onstage, not easy when you’re using a space as big as the Singtel Waterfront Theatre for an intimate show like this, and certainly contributed strongly towards the play’s 5 star rating.
Best Sound Design Nominees:
Tini Aliman – Kemas (Teater Kami)
Safuan Johari – Potong (Teater Ekamatra)
Safuan Johari – Three Years In The Life and Death of Land (The Necessary Stage)
Daniel Wong – 2:22 A Ghost Story (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Ctrl Fre@k (Lee Yew Jin) – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
The best sound design tends to go unnoticed, often more incidental than in your face, yet always integral to a stage production for adding that extra element of surprise. This year, Safuan Johari has been nominated not once but twice for his incredible work in both Potong and Three Years In The Life and Death of Land, both plays about dysfunctional families, while Ctrl Fre@k’s Lee Yew Jin brought the mechanical and industrial to SRT’s blockbuster production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Finally, sound design also got spooky, with Daniel Wong’s work on 2:22 A Ghost Story and Tini Aliman’s unnerving sound design for Teater Kami’s Kemas.
And the winner is…
Tini Aliman – Kemas (Teater Kami)
Kemas‘ sense of unease was massively heightened by Tini Aliman’s sound design, with a particularly ghostly humming of Teresa Teng’s ‘Tian Mi Mi’, and creepy, static-filled distortions that make it clear nothing is as it seems. All this came together to accentuate and make clear how isolating life in an unfriendly neighbourhood could be, almost to the extent of a horror show haunted by spectres that linger.
Best Costume Nominees
Leonard Augustine Choo – Cinderella (Singapore Ballet)
Leonard Augustine Choo – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
Max Tan – The Soldier and His Virtuous Wife (The Theatre Practice)
Max Tan – Mari Kita Main Wayang (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
Richard Kent – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Visually, costumes are the highlight of the biggest plays of a season, and 2023 saw a swathe of beautiful clothes worn in both musicals and big budget productions. Richard Kent’s prim and proper suits for A Midsummer Night’s Dream‘s royals were in stark contrast to the fairies’ more chaotic ensemble, while Max Tan and Leonard Augustine Choo, still two of the busiest costumiers in the industry, lead with two nominations each for their work on big stage productions from four different companies.
And the winner is…
Leonard Augustine Choo – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
There is a rare intelligence and emotional slant that goes into Leonard Augustine Choo’s costuming, such that beyond big dresses and bright colours, there are subtle stories being told if you look a little harder at the details. A too-small coat that represents a hand me down in a poor family, or flour stains for bakers – it’s the little things that add up and give Into The Woods top billing for how well it all fits both the cast and the storyline, plunging us further still into this dark fantasy world of Pangdemonium’s creation.
Best Multimedia Nominees
Genevieve Peck – People, Places and Things (Pangdemonium!)
Genevieve Peck – The Monster In The Mirror (Bitesize Theatre)
K Rajagopal, Shaun Neo, Tan Ai Leng, Rachel Liew Matthew Chong, Ben Lim – Pompeii (Singapore International Festival of Arts)
Elizabeth Mak – Psychobitch (Wild Rice)
Brian Gothong Tan – Angel Island (Singapore International Festival of Arts)
Multimedia isn’t used in every production, but when it does, it should serve a purpose beyond being there for the sake of it or just filling up space. Genevieve Peck showcased a quintessentially Singaporean school experience, utilising both doodles and social media references in her work for Monster In The Mirror, often feeling like something straight out of an exhibition, while her work on People, Places and Things created illusions of a drug-fuelled hallucination. Elizabeth Mak’s slideshow for Psychobitch was a key part of the show that was both fun and showcased strong design elements, while Brian Gothong Tan’s full on production with his video work in Angel Island was emotive and affective in its approach towards documentary theatre. Rounding up the nominations, K Rajagopal and his team offered up what was perhaps one of the most ambitious styles of multimedia – live cinema, for Pompeii.
And the winner is…
Brian Gothong Tan – Angel Island (Singapore International Festival of Arts)
Emotional, well-researched and presented against the backdrop of a literal pool of water at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre, Brian Gothong Tan’s visual exploration into Chinese immigrants on San Francisco’s Angeles’ Angel Island was both haunting and informative in equal amounts, providing an ideal visual cue for Huang Ruo’s rousing score performed live.
Best Production Design Nominees
Petrina Dawn Tan – Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes (Checkpoint Theatre)
Richard Kent – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
TK Hay – Mosaic (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
Francis O’Connor – 2:22 A Ghost Story (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Eucien Chia – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
Eucien Chia – Cinderella (Singapore Ballet)
Once again, when it comes to blockbuster productions, set design is everything, and we see this in the larger than life industrial city in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, or the haunting woods by Eucien Chia in Into the Woods. Francis O’Connor’s haunted house in 2:22 A Ghost Story made us feel chills down our spine at certain points, while Petrina Dawn Tan’s construction of the house in Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes contained plenty of intricate details that told us everything we needed to know about its owner. Finally, TK Hay’s beautiful rendition of a dragon playground shaped by nostalgia in Mosaic brought us straight to the park, complete with a floor full of dead leaves.
And the winner is…
Richard Kent – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
There is no denying the grandeur of the almost theme park-esque size of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a feat of engineering and effort to construct and maintain a massive, weatherproof city in the midst of Fort Canning Park. With a runway that extends into picnicking audience members that would also play host to the action, and both high elements and water features, this was a spectacle to behold, where you’d never know what other surprises await in this new take on Shakespeare’s beloved comedy.
Best Ensemble Nominees
Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes (Checkpoint Theatre)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Three Years In The Life And Death of Land (The Necessary Stage)
Mosaic (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay)
Twin Murder In The Green Mansion (Agam Theatre Lab)
Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
The best ensembles are all about chemistry, and being able to fill in and support each other, while also maintaining high energy that matches the vibe of the play throughout, a clear showcase of talent as a team. The cast of Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes were each given their time to shine, while A Midsummer Night’s Dream boasted a massive cast that impressed with their commitment and use of space. Three Years In The Life and Death of Land felt like an all-star gathering of both new and veteran TNS collaborators, each one cast in exactly the right role, while Agam Theatre Lab’s Twin Murder In The Green Mansion featured a cast willing to play the fool – and it is so hard to pretend to act badly when you’re actually a good actor. Finally, Into The Woods was a best of the best talent musical talent showcase, each cast member lending their own spin their role and hitting every note.
And the winner is…
Into The Woods (Pangdemonium)
Doing a classic is always a big risk, but Pangdemonium’s cast made into The Woods their own, each character true to Sondheim’s vision yet showcasing elements of the actor playing them too. Humour was delivered perfectly, while songs were pitch perfect – it truly was a joy to see Nathania Tan back on homeground to show why she deserved to be on the West End, while also putting the spotlight on some of our favourite Singapore-based musical theatre actors make a much awaited return to the stage. An all-around top notch pool of talent that would put Singapore’s performing arts on the map.
Best Actor Nominees
Ebi Shankara – Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes (Checkpoint Theatre)
Daniel Jenkins – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Ghafir Akbar – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre)
Lim Kay Siu – Tender Submission (Checkpoint Theatre)
Brendon Fernandez – G*d Is A Woman (Wild Rice)
Benjamin Chow – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
In the world of theatre, juicy male roles tend to feel harder to come by, and each actor nominated this year gave their characters layers, peaks and dips to their performances. Ebi Shankara was the standout amongst the ensemble in Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes, while A Midsummer Night’s Dream receives a double nomination for Daniel Jenkins as Bottom and Ghafir Akbar as a besotted Oberon. Lim Kay Siu’s role as a man whose marriage is in crisis was sympathetic and hard to pull off in Tender Submission, while Benjamin Chow went above and beyond as the Baker in Into The Woods. Finally, Brendon Fernandez’s snark and charisma came out in full force while hitting the comedic beats in G*d Is A Woman.
And the winner is…
Ebi Shankara – Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes (Checkpoint Theatre)
Given some meaty lines and opportunities, Ebi Shankara shone as a therapist married to a Caucasian woman in Checkpoint’s play, bearing the weight and heavy darkness beyond his jovial, chill facade that comes out after a few drinks and jetlag. You fear his rage and sympathise with him, and fully feel for the strange position in life he’s been found it, affected by his hard-hitting truth bombs and an absolute force to be reckoned with onstage.
Best Actress Nominees
Dalifah Sharil – Kemas (Teater Kami)
Sharda Harrison – People, Places and Things (Pangdemonium!)
Jada – Potong (Teater Ekamatra)
Neo Swee Lin – Doubt (Pangdemonium!)
Sindhura Kalidas – Psychobitch (Wild Rice)
Ethel Yap – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
We love the women in theatre, and we’d love to honour so many of them. This was a particularly difficult year, with so many great roles and characters seen onstage, often from the same production, such as Kemas‘ cast, with Dalifah Sharil a standout in her role as a hoarder with more than meets the eye. Neo Swee Lin similarly becomes a character you love to hate, yet fully sympathise with in Doubt, while Ethel Yap was a formidable counterpart to Benjamin Chow as the Baker’s Wife in Into The Woods, showcasing both singing and acting chops.
Potong’s Jada treaded the fine line of gender while playing the heavy role of both older sibling and mentor, while Sharda Harrison’s hallucinogenic turn in People, Places and Things was a gloriously messy sight to behold. And finally, Sindhura Kalidas held her own in a role written for her with Psychobitch, commanding the stage and keeping us hanging off every word.
And the winner is…
Sharda Harrison – People, Places and Things (Pangdemonium!)
While having mostly focused on television for some time, Sharda’s return to the theatre this year was a welcome one, and we witnessed her acting prowess at full strength, as she grappled with the complexities of drug addiction and trust in what was probably one of the most physically and emotionally demanding roles of the year in People, Places and Things. A chance to catch her onstage is always a blessing, and this truly was Sharda’s best performance yet, simultaneously wanting to feel for her yet always wary of her own mind and the lies it could be blinding us with.
Best New Script Nominees:
Kemas by Moli Mohter
Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes by Myle Yan Tay
Psychobitch by Amanda Chong
Tender Submission by Lucas Ho
G*d Is A Woman by Joel Tan
Good writing is hard to come by, and these five new scripts were the standout in a year of mostly repertory work or restagings. Moli Mohter’s Kemas was an unusual deep dive into the state of neighbourliness in Singapore that shed light on a different sector of society, while Myle Yan Tay’s Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes was a surprising, hard-hitting examination of race and the brown male experience in Singapore.
Amanda Chong blesses every piece of writing she attempts, and Psychobitch was already ready for the stage the moment she presented it at Playwright’s Cove, sensitive, witty and powerful. Lucas Ho’s Tender Submission was an intense two-hander that fully utilised real life couple Neo Swee Lin and Lim Kay Siu’s talents and relationship, while Joel Tan’s riotous G*d Is A Woman is only to be expected of Wild Rice at this point – angry, campy, and with a poignant agenda.
And the winner is…
Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes by Myle Yan Tay
Despite his age, Myle Yan Tay is absolutely one of the best of the new generation of writers to emerge in the theatre scene today, and Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes reveals a talent that is hyperaware of how to craft a play that seems innocuous on the surface, yet hits every beat, integrating some of society’s biggest and most poignant issues without hitting you over the head with it, every line well-thought out and characters fully fleshed out. A win for roles for brown male actors, and an urgent, significant play that can and should be revisited.
Best Director Nominees:
Mohd Fared Jainal – Potong (Teater Ekamatra)
Haresh Sharma – Three Years In The Life and Death of Land (The Necessary Stage)
Kuo Jian Hong, Ang Xiao Ting, Isabella Chiam – Four Horse Road 2023 (The Theatre Practice)
Guy Unsworth – A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Singapore Repertory Theatre
Tracie Pang – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!)
Direction is everything, and can make or break a play when it comes to concept, execution and making sure both cast and creatives get their act together. As leaders of their respective productions, Mohd Fared Jainal, Haresh Sharma, Guy Unsworth, Tracie Pang and Kuo Jian Hong, Ang Xiao Ting, Isabella Chiam brought their ships to shore, each with their own individual challenges and ambitions, and the resulting productions speak for themselves.
And the winner is…
Kuo Jian Hong, Ang Xiao Ting, Isabella Chiam – Four Horse Road (2023)
Surviving the pandemic and a fire that threatened to wipe the production once again, Kuo Jian Hong, Ang Xiao Ting and Isabella Chiam have braced the odds and Four Horse Road made a miraculous return and roaring success to more audiences than ever before. There is nothing easy about ensuring that this production moves like clockwork, each guide leading their group through the path and ensuring timings are kept to, and what essentially feels like an entire set of tiny productions happening simultaneously. It takes trust and nerve to gather this many actors, both new and returning, to come back to this project and work so well together. There are battle scars they wear with pride, but The Theatre Practice has always prided itself on relationships, and Four Horse Road is proof of that commitment and quality of work, an experience that remains a must-see should they ever bring it back.
Best Dance Nominees
MILIEU 2023 by Frontier Danceland
PheNoumenon by T.H.E Dance Company
Searching Blue by T.H.E Dance Company
Cinderella by Singapore Ballet
Dance is everywhere, and if it’s anything to go by, there are so many intersections and crossovers of genre and style that it becomes a case where anyone and everyone can partake in dance. But among the showcases that were featured this year, it is these productions that stood out, with T.H.E Dance Company’s 15th anniversary season leading with two nominations, and Frontier Danceland’s swansong in MILIEU 2023 featuring artistic director Low Mei Yoke, in an emotional performance that brought everyone together. Lastly, Singapore Ballet’s Cinderella was a full-fledged production that highlighted precision and talent in their lineup of dancers.
And the winner is…
Searching Blue by T.H.E Dance Company
Taking us from indoors to out, learning to overcome differences and reconnect with nature while looking optimistically forward into the future, Searching Blue was everything you could ask for in a 15th anniversary closing production that made you both respect the dance scene and want to be a part of it. Evocative, emotive music, interaction and innovation, and leading us on what felt like an adventure, T.H.E once again proved that they remain one of the best contemporary dance companies in Singapore, and the year on year, there is always something incredible to look forward to.
Best Musical Nominees
Cabaret by SingTheatre
The Soldier and His Virtuous Wife by The Theatre Practice
The Monster In The Mirror by Bitesize Theatre Productions
Into the Woods by Pangdemonium!
Mari Kita Main Wayang by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
A plethora of musicals graced the stage this year, with a particular focus on young theatre company Bitesize Theatre teaming up with gateway arts to present The Monster In The Mirror, which finally made its rip-roaring stage debut after existing as a digital-only production during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the Esplanade’s Mari Kita Main Wayang brought Peranakan theatre back to the fore again.
Musical theatre specialists SingTheatre presented an ambitious version of Cabaret that did justice to its legacy, and finally, major companies The Theatre Practice and Pangdemonium! both delivered in terms of production quality and entertainment value with a new production of The Soldier and His Virtuous Wife and their local take on Sondheim’s Into The Woods respectively.
And the winner is…
Into the Woods by Pangdemonium!
Into The Woods has been done so many times around the world, and it was always going to be a daunting task to put their own spin on it. But Pangdemonium! somehow gathered an all star cast and creative team to turn it out, and delivered one of the best productions of the year as they hit every beat, brought out both the lightness and darkness of Sondheim’s classic, and seemed to encapsulate the world we lived in, and being able to find hope to carry on, even when all seems lost.
Best Play Nominees
Kemas by Teater Kami
Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes by Checkpoint Theatre
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Singapore Repertory Theatre
G*d Is A Woman by Wild Rice
Three Years In The Life and Death of Land – The Necessary Stage
In our final category, we consider the non-musical plays that left an impact on us this year. Most of these have already been mentioned in some form or another earlier on, and need little introduction, but what we ended up choosing was based not only on execution, but also what we felt represents Singapore today as a country and speaks facts about our culture and arts scene.
And the winner is…
Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes by Checkpoint Theatre
Sublime, urgent and affecting, Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes will be a play that is remembered by all those who watch it, feeling the sheer weight of living, existing and interacting with others as a minority in Singapore, and the invisible rules that keep one pegged down in spite of our claims of equality for all. There is sincerity and realness oozing from the play that has been performed excellently by its cast, and hopefully opens up more uncomfortable but necessary conversations about race, and the healing process that needs to be done.
Honourable Mentions:
The unsung heroes of the stage management crew who keep every play and production together, regardless of the challenges tossed at them, and how scene transitions are pulled off without a hitch. Regardless of whether you’re billed in the programme or not, whether an intern or full-time staff, a student or professional all of you have played a key part in making each production a success. Thank you for your work.
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And that’s a wrap on 2023 in theatre! January 2024 already looks set to be busy as always, with the upcoming Singapore Art Week to jumpstart the visual arts scene and The Necessary Stage’s M1 Singapore Fringe Festival to kick off theatre season (look out for interviews with the creators in the weeks leading up to it). Further afield, everybody’s talking about the biggest musical sensations to hit shores next year, with a touring production of Hamilton coming to Marina Bay Sands in April, and Pangdemonium doing their own local production of Pasek and Paul’s hit Dear Evan Hansen in October.
And in May and June, Festival Director Natalie Hennedige is set for her third run of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, while bigger companies such as Singapore Repertory Theatre, Pangdemonium and Wild Rice have already announced several blockbuster productions, expect plenty more smaller productions from the various other companies to make their reveals soon.
No matter what, 2023 has proven itself to be yet another excellent year in theatre and the performing arts. Here’s wishing everyone a happy new year from Bakchormeeboy, and an even better 2024 ahead.
Summary of Awards:
| Best Director Kuo Jian Hong, Ang Xiao Ting, Isabella Chiam – Four Horse Road (2023) (The Theatre Practice) Best New Script Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes by Myle Yan Tay Best Play Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes by Checkpoint Theatre Best Musical Into the Woods by Pangdemonium! Best Dance Searching Blue by T.H.E Dance Company Best Actor Ebi Shankara – Brown Boys Don’t Tell Jokes (Checkpoint Theatre) Best Actress Sharda Harrison – People, Places and Things (Pangdemonium!) Best Ensemble Into The Woods by Pangdemonium! Best Production Design Richard Kent – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Singapore Repertory Theatre) Best Costume Leonard Augustine Choo – Into The Woods (Pangdemonium!) Best Multimedia Brian Gothong Tan – Angel Island (Singapore International Festival of Arts) Best Sound Design Tini Aliman (Kemas – Teater Kami) Best Lighting Design Alberta Wileo – Mosaic (Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay) |
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