★★★★☆ Review: Phinny & Wally by Nine Years Theatre

Nine Years Theatre’s foray into children’s theatre tugs at the heartstrings and covers a sea of themes. In the world of children’s theatre, a show often has to go beyond pure entertainment, to also include teachable moments and life lessons for its young audiences to take away. The quality of a children’s show then hinges on the execution of several core tenets, including the level … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Phinny & Wally by Nine Years Theatre

All The World’s A Sea: An Interview with director Kuo Jian Hong and cast member Clinton Zhang

No one can predict the entirety of what lies ahead, but one can always extrapolate based on current circumstances. For local theatre company The Theatre Practice (Practice), they’re giving audiences a glimpse five seconds into the future with their speculative work All The World’s A Sea this August. Restructured and reimagined from their 2018 piece I came at last to the seas, this new play has … Continue reading All The World’s A Sea: An Interview with director Kuo Jian Hong and cast member Clinton Zhang

Preview: All The World’s A Sea by The Theatre Practice

Back in 2018, The Theatre Practice (Practice) premiered their epic work I came at last to the seas at the Esplanade Theatre. Exploring issues of migration, identity, and the Chinese diaspora, the work was vastly ambitious, featuring international collaborations with Hong Kong, Taiwan and China, and marked the first time a Singaporean theatre company was commissioned to do an original work for the Esplanade’s Huayi – Chinese … Continue reading Preview: All The World’s A Sea by The Theatre Practice

★★★★☆ Review: Titoudao (2024) by Toy Factory

Part memoir and part epic, Titoudao is a portrait of celebration and grief for the fading wayang scene.  How many of us have had a chance to catch a wayang performance in real life, on the streets as originally intended? With the amount of progress and modernisation Singapore has undergone over the years, wayang is but a lost art one can only experience in the … Continue reading ★★★★☆ Review: Titoudao (2024) by Toy Factory

Titoudao 2024: An Interview with director/playwright Goh Boon Teck and star Tan Rui Shan

The story of Titoudao was first brought to light in 1994, when Toy Factory artistic director Goh Boon Teck wrote the iconic play and premiered it at the Jubilee Hall at the Raffles Hotel. In the three decades since, the play, which is based off the true life story of Singaporean Wayang star Madam Oon Ah Chiam, has been restaged multiple times, and even received … Continue reading Titoudao 2024: An Interview with director/playwright Goh Boon Teck and star Tan Rui Shan

★★★★★ Review: Four Horse Road 四马路 (2023) by The Theatre Practice

Short, sharp vignettes from Waterloo Street’s history leave a lasting impact and a desire to go back. Restagings of theatre productions in Singapore are hard to come by, even more so for complicated works that require extensive logistics and planning. So when The Theatre Practice’s (Practice) previous staging of Four Horse Road was cut short due to the circuit breaker in 2020, it seemed like … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: Four Horse Road 四马路 (2023) by The Theatre Practice

★★★☆☆ Review: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions

One last, mishmashed hurrah for a fast-disappearing art form. Category Score (out of 10) Direction (Goh Boon Teck) 6 Script (Goh Boon Teck) 6 Performance (Gwee Lay Hua, Clement Yeo, Doreen Toh, Tiara Yap, Timothy Wan, Wayne Lim, Wendy Toh, Asher Kang) 7 Music Composition (August Lum) 7 Lighting Design (Gabriel Chan) 7 Set Design (Goh Abigail) 7 Sound Design (Sandra Tay) 7 Costume/Make-up Design … Continue reading ★★★☆☆ Review: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions

Review: Tri Ka Tsai – A uniquely trilingual Hong Kong cabaret by Yuri Ng X Anna Lo X Rick Lau

The Hong Kong term Tri Ka Tsai specifically refers to a trilingual Gen X or millennial living in post-colonial Hong Kong who speaks Cantonese, English and Putonghua (Mandarin). While some people may see that as a mishmash of cultures, Hong Kongers and artists Yuri Ng, Anna Lo and Rick Lau have instead chosen to embrace their status as proud tri ka tsais themselves, and come together … Continue reading Review: Tri Ka Tsai – A uniquely trilingual Hong Kong cabaret by Yuri Ng X Anna Lo X Rick Lau

Preview: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions

This March, Toy Factory artistic director Goh Boon Teck is set to premiere a brand new play, with his 17th original script – Quest – The White Hare (追寻 – 白兔记). Making its debut at the Esplanade Theatre from 3-4 March, the play is a cross-section between traditional Hokkien Opera and contemporary mandarin theatre on stage. Taking on a play within a play format, Boon … Continue reading Preview: Quest – The White Hare by Toy Factory Productions

★★★★★ Review: 13 Tongues by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre

Capturing and celebrating the rich sights, sounds and memories of Taiwan’s Bangka district through dance. Before he became artistic director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Cheng Tsung-lung was helping his father sell slippers on the streets of Taiwan’s Bangka district to help support his family in the ’80s. Recalling how as a child, his mother would tell him about legendary 1960s street artist and storyteller known … Continue reading ★★★★★ Review: 13 Tongues by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre