Preview: The Taste of Water by Bound Theatre

Formed in 2011, young, self-funded local theatre company Bound Theatre has produced five productions over the seven years since their inception. Aiming to create honest theatre to tell personal stories about pain and memory, the company will now be presenting their sixth production this August, a completely original devised physical theatre piece titled The Taste of Water. Directed and written by Wee Xuan Yi and Teng Zi … Continue reading Preview: The Taste of Water by Bound Theatre

Review: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband by Nam Hwa Opera

The Chinese Opera I experienced growing up was always a very communal type of activity. Setting up makeshift stilt stages on the roadside, I’d join my excited grandparents as they dragged us along to watch in the evenings, particularly closer to the seventh month periods. As much as I never did master any dialect, these operas remained a fascinating aspect of my childhood as the … Continue reading Review: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband by Nam Hwa Opera

Preview: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Opera has come a long way since the ‘park and bark’ style of the 1980s, with newer groups constantly attempting to buck the trend and make it trendy, modern and accessible. And perfectly in line with that, newly formed opera company The Opera People have arrived on the scene with big reputations and aspirations. Founded by opera stalwarts and brothers Jonathan and David Charles Tay, the contemporary opera … Continue reading Preview: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Preview: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Singapore-based, Japanese singer-songwriter Sachiyo will be staging her all new concert at the Esplanade Recital Studio next week. Having lived in Singapore since the age of four, the talented performer weaves elements from both Singapore and Japan into her songs, whose lyrical content is inspired by her own life. This concert will mark the 20th anniversary of the singer, and through her music, will tell … Continue reading Preview: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Nothing But Pride for Local Talent: An Interview with Dick Lee (Singapopera 2018)

Dick Lee is perhaps one of the few Singaporeans whose name is immediately recognizable. For many Singaporeans, Dick is best known as the composer of ‘Home’, the song most synonymous with National Day. Written abroad while harbouring thoughts of missing Singapore, the 1998 song has since gone on to become a mainstay at just about every National Day Parade, at any and every Singaporean event … Continue reading Nothing But Pride for Local Talent: An Interview with Dick Lee (Singapopera 2018)

Reflections on a Skyline: An Interview with Here and Beyond Director Stanley Seah and Cast Member Jolene Wong

Toy Factory is having an incredibly busy year – they’ve already staged three brand new productions in 2018, ranging from epic hundred year musical to loving comedy tribute, and all of which were presented in Mandarin or Mandarin dialects. But this July, something quintessentially Singaporean will be coming your way, with the first ever stage adaptation of the only MOE-prescribed Singaporean O-Level Literature text – Here … Continue reading Reflections on a Skyline: An Interview with Here and Beyond Director Stanley Seah and Cast Member Jolene Wong

Review: My Grandfather’s Road by Neo Kim Seng (Cantonese versions, performed by Tan Cher Kian and Gary Tang)

Two ways to tell a poignant story of growing up in Cantonese.  First written as a book, in My Grandfather’s Road, Neo Kim Seng explores his familial history through the lens and geography of a bygone Singapore, thinking of his childhood growing up on what is literally his grandfather’s road (Neo Pee Teck Lane) and told through personal memories and anecdotes. While we previously watched the full … Continue reading Review: My Grandfather’s Road by Neo Kim Seng (Cantonese versions, performed by Tan Cher Kian and Gary Tang)

Beauty of Bettas: An Interview with Photographer Visarute Angkatavanich

If you didn’t know any better, the subjects in Thai photographer Visarute Angkatavanich’s exhibition at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall may appear completely enigmatic. It can be difficult to tell what exactly these glorious, silk-like creatures are in these photographs, as they dance gracefully in the light, taking on watery shapes that bend and fold to become anything from flowers to fashion. But as … Continue reading Beauty of Bettas: An Interview with Photographer Visarute Angkatavanich

M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)

A double-bill of movement heavy pieces open the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival. T.H.E Dance Company opened the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival with a double bill of work. Featuring ‘EARTH’ by Humanhood and ‘Filled with sadness, the old body attacks’ by Kim Jae Duk, the festival kicked off to a strong start with both these thought-provoking, physically challenging pieces.  EARTH by Humanhood In … Continue reading M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)

Review: Framed, By Adolf by The Finger Players

Dark fairytale meets con-job for justice in this story-within-a-story about the holocaust and art. The art world is fickle and subjective, with the monetary worth of a painting determined by market forces and its value by its frame, specifically the way a backstory ‘frames’ and positions an artwork to give it legitimacy. But even the volatile art market is in agreement that a controversial work … Continue reading Review: Framed, By Adolf by The Finger Players