Have you ever wondered about the forces shaping our lives that we don’t see? This April, a new generation of theatre-makers in Singapore is asking exactly that. The NAFA Industry Project 2026, co-presented by Emergency Stairs and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, is a bold, immersive exploration of what they call “Invisible Architectures.”

Think about the unseen systems, quiet hierarchies, and emotional undercurrents that shape how we live, work, and move through the world. Under the curatorial direction of Liu Xiaoyi, this year’s project pushes beyond scripted storytelling. Instead, students collaborated with two visionary directors to build performances from scratch, through research, improvisation, and real-world observation.

The result is two strikingly different productions that feel less like plays and more like living investigations, with Backstage Protocol and Pulau Rindu.

“In the theatre, who holds the master key that opens every door?”

Directed by Shanghai-based theatre-maker Selena Lu, Backstage Protocol turns the spotlight away from performers and onto the invisible workforce behind the scenes. Instead of relying on a traditional script, the cast interviewed and “shadowed” technicians, administrators, and janitors. Their stories became the backbone of the performance.

What emerges is a rather unsettling question: In any institution, who holds power, and who remains unseen? Blending documentary theatre with physical performance, the production exposes the hidden hierarchies that exist even within creative spaces. It’s theatre that aims to both entertain and interrogate these structures we’re so used to.

If Backstage Protocol examines systems, Pulau Rindu explores something more ephemeral: memory. Directed by Singaporean theatre veteran Tan Shou Chen, this English-language production draws inspiration from Italo Calvino’s iconic work Invisible Cities.

On stage, twelve performers construct a city that exists only in fragments, through stories, emotions, and fleeting encounters. It’s not about buildings or infrastructure, but the feeling of a place. Is a city defined by its skyline, or by the people who pass through it? Pulau Rindu invites audiences into a dreamlike meditation on loss, belonging, and the traces we leave behind.

What makes this showcase especially compelling is the process behind it. The culmination of a transformative journey for NAFA’s graduating theatre students as they learn and work across languages, disciplines, and creative methods, they’ve been challenged to define their own artistic identities. The result is work that feels urgent, personal, and deeply reflective of the world they’re stepping into.

Beyond the stage, this project also carries a larger mission. Emergency Stairs has pledged 33.3% of net box office proceeds to the Singapore Fringe Festival, a platform known for championing socially engaged art. It’s a meaningful gesture that reinforces a key idea: art doesn’t exist in isolation. It’s part of an ecosystem, and one that thrives on support, collaboration, and shared responsibility.

In a world saturated with content and constant visibility, this season dares to focus on what’s hidden. Both these works ask difficult questions; who gets seen? What shapes our spaces? And how do we make sense of all these hidden, invisible forces? Whether you’re a theatre enthusiast or just curious about the evolving arts scene in Singapore, this is one showcase that promises to linger long after the curtain falls.

Backstage Protocol plays from 23rd to 25th April 2026 and Pulau Rindu plays from 30th April to 3rd May 2026, both at the NAFA Studio Theatre.