Hong Kong 2019: Le Père (The Father) by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Preview)

HONG KONG – French playwright Florian Zeller has certainly been experiencing some kind of vogue in recent years, with local companies Pangdemonium! and the Singapore Repertory Theatre both having staged productions of his work in 2018 and 2019. Now, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre is set to restage their sold-out, Hong Kong Drama Award-winning version of Le Père (The Father) from 2017. The Father follows André, an Alzheimer’s disease-ridden … Continue reading Hong Kong 2019: Le Père (The Father) by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (Preview)

In London’s (Off) West End 2019: OVERTURES at Bishopsgate Institute (Preview)

LONDON – OVERTURES Piano Bar – London’s only sing-along piano bar dedicated to musical theatre – is celebrating is travelling from its home in Marble Arch to Liverpool Street for a one-off celebration at Bishopsgate Institute. Accompanied by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, and conducted by Freddie Tapner, OVERTURES guarantees audiences a riotous evening, welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds and, even more mportantly, … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2019: OVERTURES at Bishopsgate Institute (Preview)

Review: The Truth by Singapore Repertory Theatre

A fast-paced, sharp comedic take on the lies that build a marriage. According to playwright Oscar Wilde, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.” Nowhere does this apply more than Florian Zeller’s contemporary farce The Truth, where the eponymous subject eludes our errant protagonist, finding himself at a greater loss the more he attempts to hide it. Presented by Singapore Repertory Theatre, in a new translation … Continue reading Review: The Truth by Singapore Repertory Theatre

Stamford Arts Centre Officially Re-opens This Weekend (5-7 April 2019)

With the official move in of the traditional arts groups, the redeveloped Stamford Arts Centre (SAC) is set to celebrate its re-opening this weekend with a whole range of vibrant arts and culture programmes. The redeveloped centre comprises a new multi-purpose hall (Black Box), an acoustically- treated music studio, artist residency studio and other several shared facilities, with all three blocks within the compound now … Continue reading Stamford Arts Centre Officially Re-opens This Weekend (5-7 April 2019)

The Studios 2019: Miss British by The Art of Strangers (Review)

Post-colonial blues from the personal stories of three minority actresses.  With a title like Miss British, it’s easy to assume that the second show of the Esplanade’s 2019 The Studios Season is all about British identity. It’s a misnomer, and in fact, deals primarily with the impact, trauma and legacy that British colonialism has left behind on minorities. Directed by Felipe Cervera, Miss British comes at a timely … Continue reading The Studios 2019: Miss British by The Art of Strangers (Review)

Review: A Silent Hour – Buskers of Singapore by Toy Factory

Bridging the distance between audiences and buskers. Toy Factory is breaking new ground this year with their outreach programme for inclusive theatre sharing, presenting brand new ways and forms of experiencing the arts, not only through new technologies or ways of staging, but even the form itself. With A Silent Hour: Buskers of Singapore, creator Stanley Seah puts the spotlight on musician Yee Kien, one of … Continue reading Review: A Silent Hour – Buskers of Singapore by Toy Factory

In London’s (Off) West End 2019: Don’t Look Away by NOVAE Theatre (Preview)

LONDON – The refugee crisis continues to be a hot topic and night impossible to solve issue in today’s world, and with NOVAE Theatre’s latest play, they’re set to shine a new light upon the problem, putting a human face on it and portraying a moral quandary a cleaner face. Written by Grace Chapman and directed by Nicholas Pitt, Don’t Look Away is set in 2015 Bradford, where Adnan … Continue reading In London’s (Off) West End 2019: Don’t Look Away by NOVAE Theatre (Preview)

Preview: SSO Gala – Missa Solemnis · Masaaki Suzuki

In 1819, the year Raffles landed in Singapore, Beethoven wrote the first notes of Missa Solemnis. A grand setting of Mass, the work is considered one of the composer’s greatest achievements at the height of his career, a point in his life when Beethoven was practically completely deaf. The great composer never got a chance to hear his work, and on the opening page wrote “From … Continue reading Preview: SSO Gala – Missa Solemnis · Masaaki Suzuki

The Studios 2019: An Interview with Felipe Cervera, Director of Miss British

As the Esplanade’s 2019 seasons of The Studios roars into its second week, The Art of Strangers presents a brand new show – Miss British. Based off an original idea by Sharon Frese, who stars alongside Grace Kalaiselvi, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai and Riduan Zalani, Miss British is a devised, multi-disciplinary work questioning the British identity, thinking about issues of both the monarchy and slave trade. What then are the prejudices and social hierarchies left behind … Continue reading The Studios 2019: An Interview with Felipe Cervera, Director of Miss British

Shanghai Nights: Liao Zhai Rocks! by The Theatre Practice (Review)

An overseas debut and source of Singaporean pride. SHANGHAI, CHINA – Presenting their original musical Liao Zhai Rocks! overseas for the very first time, it’s hard not to feel a sense of pride seeing The Theatre Practice’s name displayed across the massive theatre at Shanghai Culture Square. Written by Wu Xi, with soundtrack by Eric Ng and lyrics by Xiaohan, the musical feels only appropriate as debut, … Continue reading Shanghai Nights: Liao Zhai Rocks! by The Theatre Practice (Review)