Where do the boundaries of the body lie? Where does the truth of the stage reside? In the Industry Project 2025, graduating students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) Diploma in Theatre (English Drama & Mandarin) will present two productions – My Body is (Not) My Body and Fake Performance is (Real) Performance – to explore these thought-provoking questions. Presented by Emergency Stairs, in collaboration with NAFA and curated by Creative Producer Liu Xiaoyi, both works challenge the limits of traditional theatre, offering fresh reflections on autonomy in performance, creative agency, and power dynamics on stage.

Directed by Malaysian theatre-maker Seng Soo Ming, My Body is (Not) My Body deconstructs the power structures within performance training and arts education. Through a physical and open-ended exploration, the production questions whether theactor’s body truly belongs to them—or whether it has become a tool for external forces.

Meanwhile, Fake Performance is (Real) Performance, directed by Hong Kong’s Melissa Leung Hiu Tuen, takes the actors and the audience on an unpredictable theatrical journey. When the performance is disrupted by unforeseen circumstances, the actors must reconstruct the stage reality amidst chaos. This piece invites us to reconsider thevery essence of theatre—what is the role of trust, improvisation, and where do the boundaries of fiction lie?

Both productions not only reflect the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary theatrebut also examine the multiple identities of the actor—both subject and object, both creator and creation. For these young artists on the cusp of entering the industry, Industry Project 2025 represents not only their ultimate experiment but also their most profound question to theatre – perhaps the most authentic performance of all.

Notably, Emergency Stairs previously collaborated with NAFA in 2022 on Offending the Audience and Dream School, both of which were widely praised for their innovation and experimental spirit. Hailed as “one of the best student theatre productions in Singapore,” this renewed collaboration continues the pursuit of creative exploration, pushing artistic boundaries and advancing the evolution of theatre.

My Body is (Not) My Body plays from 9th to 13th April 2025, and Fake Performance is (Real) Performance plays from 17th to 20th April 2025, both at the NAFA Studio Theatre. Tickets available from Peatix