Global Landscapes Singapore: An Interview with artist Ella Spira MBE on art and life

Artist Ella Spira is a woman of many talents – she’s a Grammy nominated composer, painter and theatre producer. Active in the arts since the age of 16, Ella has worked with companies as diverse as The Royal Ballet, BAFTA, BBC, Arakan Creative, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ministry of Sound, and Universal Music. And that’s not even the half of it – Ella’s work also includes … Continue reading Global Landscapes Singapore: An Interview with artist Ella Spira MBE on art and life

★★★★☆ Review: MILIEU 2022 by Frontier Danceland

Double bill of new introspective dance work looking at coexistence and cultural traditions. In the new edition of Frontier Danceland’s signature MILIEU programme, veteran female choreographers Low Mei Yoke (Singapore), Irene Kalbusch (Belgium) and Loke Soh Kim (Malaysia) produce and choreograph two intimate reflections on the interconnections of identity, place and culture, as they look towards the future, paying attention to what’s happening on the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: MILIEU 2022 by Frontier Danceland

Film Fanatic: AJOOMMA Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Out on 23 December

Giraffe Pictures will release the AJOOMMA original motion picture soundtrack 《花路阿朱妈》电影原声带 on 23 December 2022. This marks Giraffe Pictures’ first OST album release for one of their films. The album features 20 original compositions scored by Ting Si Hao 陈思豪,a Singaporean composer who has previously composed music for feature documentary André and His Olive Tree 《初心》 and the HBO series Invisible Stories. The AJOOMMA OST album is available on most streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple … Continue reading Film Fanatic: AJOOMMA Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Out on 23 December

★★☆☆☆ Review: For My Highness by Toy Factory Productions

Weak direction and a script still in its infancy leave this play about drug abuse bereft of an emotional anchor. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Adeeb Fazah) 4 Script (Shaleihin Pi’ee) 4 Performance (Zulfiqar Izzudin, Ong Xue Min, Wilfred Lee Kim Chye, Fadhil Daud, Jayden Lim Jun De) 4 Lighting (Fazree Azharie) 5 Sound (Vick Low) 5 Set (Vivien Lau) 4 Total 26/60 (43%) … Continue reading ★★☆☆☆ Review: For My Highness by Toy Factory Productions

★★★★★ Review: Stream of Memory by Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Esplanade – Theatres on The Bay

Excellent puppetry immerses audience members in a mystical river. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Maria Tri Sulistyani) 9 Performance 9 Puppet Design / Puppet Engineers (Iwan Effendi / Anton Fajri and Muhammad Alhaq) 10 Choreography (Dapheny Chen) 8 Music and Sound Design (Yennu Ariendra) 8 Lighting Design (James Tan) 8 Multimedia (Gilang Kusuma) 8 Costume Design (Retno Intiani) 8 Total 68/80 (85%) Final Score: … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Stream of Memory by Papermoon Puppet Theatre and Esplanade – Theatres on The Bay

★★★★☆ Review: Lewis Cornay’s ‘Daddy Issues’ at Seven Dials Playhouse

Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Jane Moriarty) 7 Script (Lewis Cornay) 8 Performance (Bebe Cave) 8 Set Design (Andrew Exeter) 7 Lighting Design (Andrew Exeter) 7 Sound Design (Christopher Reid) 7 Costumes (Sophia Pardon) 7 Video (Lewis Den Hertog) 7 Total 58/80 (73%) Final Score: ★★★★☆ LONDON – Written by Offie award-winner Lewis Cornay and starring actress, writer and podcast host Bebe Cave, Daddy Issues is a devilishly dark … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Lewis Cornay’s ‘Daddy Issues’ at Seven Dials Playhouse

★★★★★ Review: Kumar XXX by Dream Academy

Celebrating 30 years of being an icon, Kumar tackles sex, politics and current affairs in his signature, quintessentially Singaporean style. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (George Chan) 9 Additional Writing (Gabrielle Evelena, Jo Tan, Malcolm Oei and Janis Goh) 8 Performance (Kumar) 10 Dancers (Aidil Fitrah, Charmain Ho, Francesca Harriman, Hafeez Hassan, Rocio Yap and Kim Eusope) 10 Choreography (Francesca Harriman and Hafeez Hassan) … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Kumar XXX by Dream Academy

★★★★☆ Review: Between 5 Cows and the Deep Blue Sea by A Yagnya (Kalaa Utsavam 2022)

Interrogating the confused, multi-faceted identity of the modern Indian woman in a meta, self-reflexive play. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (A Yagnya and Alvin Tan) 6 Script (A Yagnya) 6 Performance (Indumathi Tamilselvan and Kewal Kartik) 8 Costumes (Max Tan) 8 Set (Chan Silei) 7 Lighting (Faith Liu Yong Huay) 8 Multimedia (Jevon Chandra) 9 Sound (Jevon Chandra) 8 Total 60/80 (75%) Final Score: … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Between 5 Cows and the Deep Blue Sea by A Yagnya (Kalaa Utsavam 2022)

★★★☆☆ Review: Out-of-Bounds by Fill The Vamp

Theatrical debut of new musical theatre group explores womanhood through song. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Kimberly Chan) 6 Performance (Kimberly Chan, Natalie Yeap, Dinie Zainuddin) 6 Music (Jane Foo, Jaime Lee) 8 Lighting (Enqi Lee) 7 Sound Design (Jean Yap) 6 Costume (Johanna Pan) 7 Total 40/60 (67%) Final Score: ★★★☆☆ It is always an exciting moment when a new group or company … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Out-of-Bounds by Fill The Vamp

Music Is: An Interview with Hans Sørensen, Director of Artistic Planning, Singapore Symphony Orchestra

Hans Sørensen is Director of Artistic Planning at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. What that means is that among the many hats he wears, Sørensen is also responsible for the dynamic programming that goes into the Orchestra’s upcoming season, including acclaimed international and local musicians from Paul Lewis to Daniel Moult, the Thomas Clausen Trio to Yu Jing. A violin player, throughout his career, Sørensen has … Continue reading Music Is: An Interview with Hans Sørensen, Director of Artistic Planning, Singapore Symphony Orchestra