Arts lovers are in for a treat, as Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is set to present some of the most exciting, thought-provoking contemporary theatre performances in Singapore this October and November. Look out for the return of Teater Ekamatra’s Yusof: Portrait of a President, Taiwanese theatre company Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group’s Final Bow, a Korean adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, and a new production of Nine Years Theatre’s most-acclaimed adaptations – Twelve Angry Men.

First commissioned for Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts 2015, Yusof: Portrait of a President returns to the Esplanade this year with a new production helmed by Mohd Fared Jainal. Written by Zizi Azah, the play follows the story of our very first president – Yusof Ishak, known as man of ideals who dared to dream of a peaceful and successful nation, and inspired with his speeches on how democracy could transform Singapore into a country of great national unity and solidarity.

Set against the backdrop of a young nation on the cusp of change, Yusof brings to life the defining moments that shaped both the man and the country, tracing his life from journalist to our first head of state, as he navigates questions of race, identity, and national unity. Stars veteran actor Sani Hussin in the role of Yusof, alongside an outstanding ensemble cast comprising Siti Khalijah Zainal, Ghafir Akbar, Dalifah Shahril, Farah Ong and Fauzie Laily.

Famed Taiwanese Hokkien opera troupe Ming Hwa Yuan Arts & Cultural Group return to the Esplanade after 7 years, and joins forces with acclaimed playwright and director Huang Chih-kai (The Way of Zhuang Zi and The Long Goodbye) in a cross-disciplinary collaboration about the sweeping cultural shifts of 1960s and ’70s Taiwan. Adapted from the award-winning short story by Hung Hsing Fu, Final Bow sees the burgeoning film industry upheaves traditional Taiwanese opera troupes, forcing them to take their final bows.

A tragedy with comic elements, watch as the performance presents a poignant play-within-a-play that follows the onstage performance and backstage lives of the fictional Yushan Opera Troupe, alongside a progressively absurd retelling of the classic love opera of Chen Shimei and Qin Xianglian. Stars celebrated Taiwanese opera star Sun Tsui-feng alongside a stellar ensemble cast, don’t miss this moving tribute to the resilience of Taiwanese opera predecessors, and relish in a tapestry of emotions woven over a century of gezaixi.

Anton Chekhov’s final play gets a contemporary Korean reinterpretation, with highly acclaimed director Simon Stone’s The Cherry Orchard this November. Set in modern-day Seoul, watch as Doyoung Song returns from the USA to a South Korea she no longer recognises, while grappling with her family’s business on the verge of bankruptcy, leaving her family home in danger of being lost. In a time of rapid and brutal change, a Chaebol family struggles to adapt to a world that has moved on without them, suffocated by a rising middle class and wealthy self-made entrepreneurs.

Equal parts tragedy and comedy, The Cherry Orchard stars acclaimed actress Doyeon Jeon, marking her return to the theatre stage after 27 years when the play premiered in 2024. Well-known for her roles in You Are My Sunshine (2005) and Secret Sunshine (2007), for which she was awarded Best Actress at the 60th Cannes Film Festival, Jeon is joined onstage by actor Haesoo Park of Squid Game fame, and a stellar all-Korean ensemble cast, presenting an intimate, bittersweet portrait of loss, change and social transformation.

Finally, get ready for the returns of Twelve Angry Men, one of Nine Years Theatre’s most acclaimed works in their ouevre. An intense midnight quarrel leads to the murder of a man. Witnesses take the stand as his 16-year-old son is tried for homicide. With all testimonies against the boy, his fate now hangs by a thread, as 12 jurors find themselves in the throes of rendering the final verdict. In the stifling heat of the jury room, 12 personalities clash in a bout of logic and intuition, reason and conscience. Caught between conflicting obsessions and prejudices, will the jurors emerge as defenders of justice, or are they destined to become hangmen?

Adapted by Reginald Rose from his 1954 teleplay of the same name, and in turn translated and directed by Nelson Chia, Twelves Angry Men makes its return after first premiering as an Esplanade commission at the 2013 Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts. Now 12 years on, watch as this new production brings together Danny Yeo, Tay Kong Hui, Wu Wei Qiang, and an ensemble of Oliver Pang, Dwayne Lau, Tang Shaowei, Timothy Wan, Tan Guo Lian Sutton, Ryan Ang, Clement Yeo, Pauli Haakenson, and Vester Ng, as they bring diverse and distinct voices and perspective to this timeless, gripping tale of consensus, conflict and conscience.

Yusof: Portrait of a President runs from 17th to 19th October 2025 at Singtel Waterfront Theatre. Final Bow runs from 31st to 1st November 2025 at the Esplanade Theatre. The Cherry Orchard runs from 7th to 9th November at the Esplanade Theatre. Twelve Angry Men runs from 7th to 9th November at the Singtel Waterfront Theatre.

Ticketing Promotion: Theatre Bundle  (Available from 17 Jul – 9 Nov 2025)
Enjoy 15% savings when you purchase min. 4 tickets across two or more of these theatre productions. Limited availability. 

Yusof: Portrait of a President (17–19 Oct 2025, Cat 1 only) 
Final Bow (31 Oct & 1 Nov 2025, Cat 1 & 2) 
Twelve Angry Men (7–9 Nov 2025, Cat 1 only) 
The Cherry Orchard (7–9 Nov 2025, Cat 1 & 2)