Review: ATARA – For you, who has not yet found the one by Reut Shemesh (M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020)

★★★☆☆ (Performance attended 14/1/19) Finding the means to be who you are in a society that suppresses one’s identity. With some of her closest family members converting to Orthodox Hasidic Judaism 15 years ago, choreographer Reut Shemesh found herself suddenly embroiled in a world of new rules. Men were not allowed to express any physical affection to women with whom they are not married to, preventing … Continue reading Review: ATARA – For you, who has not yet found the one by Reut Shemesh (M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020)

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020: An Interview with Soultari Amin Farid and Grace Lee-Khoo (Mak-Mak Menari)

Who exactly are the Mak-Mak Menari and why should we care about Bhumi Collective’s latest show of the same name? In short, the 23-member group of veteran Malay dancers have been around since the early 2010s, and by virtue of their very existence, are pushing boundaries and subverting expectations of the middle-aged Malay woman. Premiering at the 2020 M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, Mak-Mak Menari is … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020: An Interview with Soultari Amin Farid and Grace Lee-Khoo (Mak-Mak Menari)

London’s VAULT Festival 2020: Invisible Harmony 无形的和谐 and Freedom Hi 自由閪 by Papergang Theatre (Preview)

LONDON –  Hong Kong has been convulsed by an ongoing protest movement which has increasingly been seen as a last stand for its semi-autonomy from China since March 2019; a year which also saw the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Solidarity movements have formed across the globe, including repeated gatherings … Continue reading London’s VAULT Festival 2020: Invisible Harmony 无形的和谐 and Freedom Hi 自由閪 by Papergang Theatre (Preview)

In London’s (Off) West End 2020: Crying In The Wilderness’ Conundrum at the Young Vic (Preview)

LONDON – Crying in the Wilderness Productions(CITWP) have announced Conundrum, their debut production as Associate Company at the Young Vic, written and directed by CITWP Artistic Director Paul Anthony Morris. In Conundrum, Fidel embarks upon a transformational journey to review his past and search for answers about his life. After enduring lengthy periods of Selective Social Mutism, an anxiety disorder that paralyzes his ability to communicate, Fidel resolves … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2020: Crying In The Wilderness’ Conundrum at the Young Vic (Preview)

In London’s (Off) West End 2020: The Garden of Words by Whole Hog Theatre (Preview)

LONDON – Specialists in Anglo-Japanese stage adaptations, Whole Hog Theatre return after their hugely successful Princess Mononoke to present The Garden of Words. Based on the stereotype-defying film by world-renowned director Makoto Shinkai (your name.), The Garden of Words is a modern Tokyo tale inspired by ancient Man’yōshū poetry. This subtle drama explores invisible disability, loss of human connection in a digital world and challenges us to consider the moral line between … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2020: The Garden of Words by Whole Hog Theatre (Preview)

In London’s (Off) West End 2020: CROOKS 1926 by Colab Theatre (Preview)

LONDON –  Plunge deep into the gritty, criminal underworld of 1920s London at COLAB’s new immersive experience, CROOKS 1926. This innovative company will be staging their most ambitious project to date; game mechanics collide with a pulsing, hair-raising narrative giving audiences the chance to throw themselves into one family’s brutal battle for supremacy in the heart of Elephant and Castle. In a world where nothing … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2020: CROOKS 1926 by Colab Theatre (Preview)

In London’s (Off) West End 2020: Final Bunker Theatre season hands space to artists and community (Preview)

LONDON – The full programme of events and performances which make up The Bunker’s final season has now been announced. The eight-week Takeover Season will feature over 80 artists, 70 performances and a host of workshops, lectures and events, before The Bunker closes due to proposed redevelopment at the end of March 2020. For this Takeover Season, a different artist will curate each week, taking … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2020: Final Bunker Theatre season hands space to artists and community (Preview)

Music Is: Martin Grubinger – The Tears of Nature by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (Preview)

One of today’s top percussionists, Martin Grubinger, comes to Singapore on 29th February to perform Tan Dun’s percussion concerto, The Tears of Nature. The work, which was written for Grubinger, celebrates the human spirit in its endeavour to live, fight and dance with nature. Tan Dun, whose music is regularly performed by the SSO, said of the piece: “While composing I thought about nature and … Continue reading Music Is: Martin Grubinger – The Tears of Nature by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (Preview)

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020: An Interview with Square One Collective (No Place)

In the not so distant future of 2075, the world is at its end. Three people – a political exile, a former radical and a climate refugee go in search of a virtual utopia, in the hopes that they find some form of shelter away from everything else. But what results is an absurd game, as Square One Collective’s No Place emerges as a social experiment that … Continue reading M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2020: An Interview with Square One Collective (No Place)

Review: Valhalla and the Chambers of Asgard by Andsoforth

★★★★☆ (Performance attended 28/12/19) The gods of Norse mythology come to life in Andsoforth’s fantastic new multi-room immersive dining experience.   Thanks to the film adaptations of Marvel’s Thor and Netflix’s Vikings, Norse mythology is no longer as foreign to Singaporeans as it once was, and gods from the one-eyed Odin to the trickster Loki can be recognised once introduced. But local immersive theatre company Andsoforth … Continue reading Review: Valhalla and the Chambers of Asgard by Andsoforth